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Post by cherylobelle90 on Feb 27, 2021 7:03:31 GMT -8
Hi, I'm Cheryl and I've seen something when I was 10 in San Diego. It looked like a
:: footlong red ant ::
in my backyard. I know it was there and really happened cause my dog was barking at it.
I freaked out so I took my dog and went inside and shut all doors and windows... i wish i had a camera there at that moment!
20 years later, it still keeps me up at night, boggled, wondering what it really could have been... I've been combing through the internet for years trying to solve this mystery but I ain't no bioligist...
Does anyone here know of any type of insect that could look like a red ant but footlong in size???
Please don't redicule me...
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Post by eurytides on Feb 27, 2021 7:07:08 GMT -8
The short answer is no. As a kid, a lot of things could “look like” an ant though and everything seems larger when you are small, so it may not be a foot long either. Do you recall any other details?
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Post by cherylobelle90 on Feb 27, 2021 7:25:11 GMT -8
I know it was bigger than my pomerainian dog and the dog was barking at whatever it was... The short answer is no. As a kid, a lot of things could “look like” an ant though and everything seems larger when you are small, so it may not be a foot long either. Do you recall any other details? |
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Post by cherylobelle90 on Feb 27, 2021 7:30:52 GMT -8
I am very aware it ciuld be something else - what i do know is it had ant like appearance - head, midbody and butt, hairless, feelers, over 4 legs, looked like 6 legs, could've been 8 to 12, no idea was a bit too freaked out to count... maybe it was a weird lookin dog? Though i doubt dogs have huge red lookin eyes like a quarter the size of it's head... i need to hear more opinions on this or i'll never find peace...
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Post by cherylobelle90 on Feb 27, 2021 7:46:42 GMT -8
I've also thought it could be a very large spider but I haven't found any spider that looks similar to what I saw... i've gone so far as yo think it coukd've been some biology student's escaped experiment or even worse - the gumument!  but all jokes aside, i really saw this thing and i wanna know what experts think about this, do people privately experiment with gigantism? Does the occasional giant specimen exist? Is there some weird ass giant insect that looks like a giant ant but isn't?  |
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Post by nomihoudai on Feb 27, 2021 7:47:36 GMT -8
... i need to hear more opinions on this or i'll never find peace... I have been exposed to a fair share of opinions on this website over the years and only few have added to my peace... The largest ant like insect are velvet ants and they are about an inch in length, not a foot. Have you seen other strange animals throughout your life? How could the eyes be red? What time of the day was it? |
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Post by Paul K on Feb 27, 2021 9:03:58 GMT -8
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Post by cherylobelle90 on Feb 27, 2021 9:09:40 GMT -8
No, this was the only giant insect i've seen  it was night but the porch light was on, the eyes were like a velvety sort of red, kindo like fly eyes i guess... i mean they def weren't glowing red! Just like normal insect eyes but bigger than they should be... Thankyou forvthe headsup bout the many opinions and no peace, i'm braced! |
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Post by cherylobelle90 on Feb 27, 2021 9:11:33 GMT -8
Eeeeeeeeeeee...! No it was more antish... 3 body parts... i think i have to draw it... |
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Post by cherylobelle90 on Feb 27, 2021 9:13:21 GMT -8
No, this was the only giant insect i've seen it was night but the porch light was on, the eyes were like a velvety sort of red, kindo like fly eyes i guess... i mean they def weren't glowing red! Just like normal insect eyes but bigger than they should be... Thankyou forvthe headsup bout the many opinions and no peace, i'm braced! ... i need to hear more opinions on this or i'll never find peace... I have been exposed to a fair share of opinions on this website over the years and only few have added to my peace... The largest ant like insect are velvet ants and they are about an inch in length, not a foot. Have you seen other strange animals throughout your life? How could the eyes be red? What time of the day was it? |
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Post by exoticimports on Feb 27, 2021 10:33:46 GMT -8
California, you say?
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Post by Crake on Feb 27, 2021 10:46:44 GMT -8
I once encountered a large rat (at night) as a toddler and was convinced for a few years that it was as big as a poodle. Childhood memories can be especially distorted by fear and time.
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Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 27, 2021 13:14:55 GMT -8
I doubt that it would be physically possible for an ant to grow as large as one foot long. Its metabolism wouldn't cope with the size.
Adam.
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Post by Paul K on Feb 27, 2021 14:08:49 GMT -8
I doubt that it would be physically possible for an ant to grow as large as one foot long. Its metabolism wouldn't cope with the size. Adam. 300 millions years ago insect were much larger and foot long ant probably existed. The oxygen level was much higher these times around 35% compare to modern days at 21%. Large insects would simply suffocate if somehow we could do time travel them to present. I think phasmids are the largest group of insects of modern times. |
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Post by kevinkk on Feb 27, 2021 14:58:26 GMT -8
Paul K is correct, in the past oxygen levels were higher and allowed insects to grow very large. My time travel age of choice-
the Carboniferous. I probably misspelled that.
I have memories of what looked like a dinner plate sized spider in an arbrovitae (another likely misspell), they always look bigger
when you're younger.
The best ones. are the descriptions from non collectors trying to describe an insect to me.
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but all jokes aside, i really saw this thing and i wanna know what experts think about this, do people privately experiment with gigantism? Does the occasional giant specimen exist? Is there some weird ass giant insect that looks like a giant ant but isn't?
it was night but the porch light was on, the eyes were like a velvety sort of red, kindo like fly eyes i guess... i mean they def weren't glowing red! Just like normal insect eyes but bigger than they should be...
