Animals we’ve found in our house

We’ve had many animal visitors here. Since it’s warm and there is much tropical life everywhere, and since we keep our windows and doors open to appreciate the wonderful breeze, many animals feel welcome coming into our home.

Here’s a partial list:

• Animals in our house
  • Mouse
    • We had a small, fast moving mouse for a short time.
  • Lizards
    • Small green lizards
    • Brown & green striped lizards
    • Medium brown lizard
    • Spotted, red-eyed lizard
    • Teeny tiny Baby lizards, just hatched
  • Crabs
    • Big white crab with one claw larger than the other.
      • This guy was really big and came in on a night after a big rain and flooding.
    • Smaller brown crab
    • Hermit crab, carrying his sea-shell home on his back
  • Night butterfly
    • A huge black and white moth, with long legs and antennae
  • Frogs/toads
    • Big frogs that can jump surprising fast for their size
    • Small frogs
  • Birds fly inside looking for breadcrumbs
    • Black with red neck bird
    • Striped, brown grey black bird
  • Crickets
    • These are loud and we hear them every night, all night.
  • Long green leaf-shaped insect
    • One night we found one of these on our bed net.
  • Spiders, beetles
  • Lightning bugs
    • These are wonderful, and kind of like night lights. We had one on our light bulb, so when we turned off the light it was still there.
  • Mosquitoes
    • These ones are not invited, but we have them often. We use bed nets to help keep them away which usually works.
  • Tiny ants
    • They’re called fourmis fous here, which means “crazy ants” because they move really fast and in circles a lot. They’re attracted to sweets and food. Keeping clean keeps them away.
  • Millipedes
    • These red millipedes, which can be 10 inches long and which move fast and have a poisonous sting, are the only dangerous creature we’ve had here. A bite from them means a trip to the doctor right away, and maybe to the hospital.

     

  

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Basse Pointe

On May 2 there was a 10K Run at Basse Pointe, in the North of Martinique.

About 200 runners attended the Foulee de Basse Pointe.

Basse Pointe is at the foot of the gradually rising expanses that slope up the 4500 foot volcano, Mt Pelee.

The run was entirely through banana fields.

 

The start and end were here, beside the open building normally used for holding, washing and packing bananas.

 

The drive south from Basse Pointe is beautiful, with late afternoon sunlight flooding the air.

Hundreds of cattle egrets roosted in the trees by a river.

 

Coconut trees are still yellow from the now past dry season.

Each valley knows it’s own charm. On higher pastures, light colored cattle bask in the later day’s rays. Very light brown, they are a mix of several varieties of cow, bred to thrive in the warm climate and to withstand ticks. They are mostly a mix of Brunes des Alpes, Charolais and local Creole cows.

As night falls, the insects begin to chirp and sing. With windows rolled down, you hear the insects harmonizing to each other from across the road, impatient to be heard and to meet.