Infradiggit's Lair

Like most of you, I love music. Sometimes one particular song keeps playing over and over in my head.

The Police were one of the best bands of the '80s and they had loads of great songs.

King Of Pain is one of my favorites.

The lyrics are very distinctive, almost like a nursery rhyme:

There's a little black spot on the sun today

It's the same old thing as yesterday

There's a black cat caught in a high tree top

There's a flag-pole rag and the wind won't stop

What's it about?

Beats me... but despite the upbeat melody there seems to be an underlying theme of death and decay:

There's a fossil that's trapped in a high cliff wall

There's a dead salmon frozen in a waterfall

There's a blue whale beached by a spring tide's ebb

There's a butterfly trapped in a spider's web

ANYHOO...

I knew the lyrics but never really thought about them.

There's this one particular line in the last verse:

There's a red fox torn by a huntsman's pack

A huntsman's pack? In my mind's eye, I could picture a red fox, somehow getting entangled in a hunter's shoulder bag, and getting mangled in the process -- what the hey, Sting's got quite an imagination.

Anyway, so one time I was sleeping, right?

And in my sleep I had a dream. And in my dream King Of Pain was playing.

I've stood here before inside the pouring rain....

Then I awoke.

Aha.

In my dream I had understood -- a huntsman's pack is a pack of dogs.

(Duh!)

******* Disclaimer *******

The material provided here is solely for educational or entertainment purposes only. Although the material contained on this web pages is factually correct to the best of my knowledge, I'm unable to confirm that all the information contained on the pages linked to mine are correct in every case. I welcome any comments or corrections.

******* Disclaimer 2*******

All the animals on this list deserve our utmost respect. Please let us not harm the animals or the environment. Knowledge is our best protection.

This list is by no means complete. There are, for example, various other venomous snakes and cone snails found in the Philippines besides the ones here: this is just to give an idea for what's out there. Since the Philippine archipelago is surrounded by so much water, it is perhaps unsurprising that most of the creatures on this list are marine animals. That being said, the terrestrial animals are nothing to be laughed at, either.

So, in a somewhat subjective sequence, here it is:

10. Philippine Pitviper (Trimeresurus flavomaculatus)

This alluring snake is endemic to the Philippines. It can grow to a length of 60 cm, and subsists on a diet that includes small rodents, frogs, and lizards. Like most other vipers, its venom is mainly hemotoxic in nature. It does not seem to be deadly.

More info here here here.

9. Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans)

The distinctive lionfish is a denizen of tropical coral reefs. The striking coloration serves as a warning against would-be predators, as the long dorsal spines are tipped with a potent venom. Envenomation from the lionfish is said to be extremely painful, and can lead to nausea and breathing difficulties, although it is probably not fatal to humans.

More info here here here here.

8. Textile cone snail (Conus textile)

Photo by Richard Ling

As if belying their beautiful appearance, all species of cone snails (genus Conus) are venomous. The larger fish-hunting species, such as the textile cone shown here, are able to deliver a dose that is lethal to humans. Do not pick up live cone snails.

Cone snails are stealth hunters that rely on a powerful mixture of toxins (called conotoxins) to paralyze and kill their prey. Upon getting close to its victim, a cone snail injects venom by means of a long proboscis that ejects poisoned, harpoon-like teeth (called radula).

More info here here here.

7. Geography cone snail (Conus geographus)

Photo by diverosa

Cone snails are truly the champion pharmacologists of the animal kingdom.

The venom contains an extremely rich cocktail of toxins known as conotoxins, which are made up of short peptides that have a remarkable range of diversity and specificity of action. Each snail species produces around 30-200 different types of conotoxin peptides, and taken together the Conus genus is estimated to produce about 50,000 different venom components!

Conotoxins typically disrupt the function of ion channels in the cells, thus leading to serious neuromuscular disturbances. Early symptoms of Conus envenomation usually include numbness, a tingling sensation, and ischemia. More serious effects, such as those caused by a sting from C. geographus, might include nausea, general paralysis, coma, and even death by respiratory or cardiac failure.

More info here here here here here here.

6. Beaked sea snake (Enhydrina schistosa)

Photo by Teresa Zubi

Sea snakes are closely related to cobras, and all are highly venomous. Fortunately for us humans, they are usually shy and non-aggressive. The large beaked sea snake, on the other hand, has been implicated in numerous fatalities. Some studies rank it among the world's most venomous snakes. Divers take care.

More info here here here here.

5. Reef stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa)

Photo by Richard Ling

With the possible exception of #1, I'm probably more afraid of the stonefish than anything else on this list. Where's the fish? I can't see you, dammit it's not fair!

The reef stonefish is the world's most venomous fish. The dorsal spines are loaded with venom that can cause intense pain with possible muscle paralysis, and respiratory and cardiac failure, depending on the depth of the penetration. This level can be fatal to humans if proper medical treatment is not administered within a couple of hours.

More info here here here.

4. Blue-Ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata)

No bigger than a golf ball, the blue-ringed octopus nevertheless packs a powerful punch.

The relatively painless bite from this octopus delivers the deadly tetrodotoxin (10,000x more potent than cyanide), which can cause muscle paralysis and lead to respiratory failure within 90 minutes.

The blue ringed octopus can be found in coral reefs and shallow tide pools. When threatened it displays the characteristic bright blue rings all over its body. It normally feeds on small crustaceans, which it kills with its venom.

Here is a beautiful gallery featuring this incredible creature.

More info here here here here here.

3. Philippine Cobra (Naja philippinensis)

© 2005 Wolfgang Wuster

The Philippine Cobra is an extremely toxic snake. It is said that drop by drop, it has the most potent venom of all cobra species in the world. The venom is a neurotoxin that can cause respiratory paralysis and death in 30 minutes. What's more, the Philippine cobra can "spit" venom up to a distance of three meters.

This cobra species has a stocky build and measures an average of 1.7 m in length. The color is usually a uniform brown. The species is endemic to the Philippines, and can be found on the islands of Luzon, Mindoro, Catanduanes, Masbate, and perhaps other islands as well.

More info here here here here.

2. King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)

Photo by David Williams

The King Cobra is crowned as the world's longest venomous snake: fully grown it measures an average of 3.6-4 m in length, although larger individuals are sometimes encountered. It can be found throughout southeast Asia (including the Philippines), as well as in India and China. The King Cobra lives in forests, bamboo thickets, mangrove swamps, or close to human settlements. The name Ophiophagus refers to the fact that its diet consists of other snakes (from the Greek ophis 'snake' + phagus 'to eat').

The bite of the King Cobra is extremely dangerous, with a reported 75% fatality rate. This is due to the huge amounts of venom injected and relatively very long fangs. The venom has a potent neurotoxic effect, and consists of proteins and peptides that attack the central nervous system.

Needless to say if you encounter a King Cobra NEVER EVER try to handle it! I can't believe this guy!!!

More info here here here here here.

1. Box Jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri)

And the most venomous animal on the planet -- the Box Jellyfish. Although most often associated with Australia, these critters do exist in the Philippines (see links).

The venom of the box jellyfish is said to be so potent that one could die from the pain alone. The venom is stored in specialized cells called nematocytes that are found throughout the tentacles, and released on contact. To make it really scary, the tentacles are quite long, not to mention very difficult to see in the water! Survivors are often scarred for life.