Please - Do Not Touch!!

[KMA Dakota]

For those of you have not been in the deserts around AZ or NM and I am sure other areas, there is a spiny little critter out there that you do not want to touch, pick up or accidently sit on! Now I will probably spell it wrong but this critter is Chollas or Jumping Chollas.

The spines or needles on this critter are very sharp and poisonious. Once they penatrate you skin, the ends curl back over on themselves like fish hooks which makes them just wonderful to remove;

So of course, I found myself in amounst a whole group of them and this is what they look like! And for those who are thinking ahead, NO! I did not ignore my own advice!

[JuDiThA]

Dakota, definately good advice. I've stepped on these chollas spines many times and have had to pull them out of my dogs paws. Problem is, once you pull them out of her paws, they are now stuck in your finger. And those suckers like to hang on like fishhooks, as you mentioned. I hear a good way to pull them out is by using a comb but you really have to give them a good yank. Unfortunately, these aren't the only things that you have to be careful of in the Sonoran Desert. thanks for sharing
==Judy

[KMA Dakota]

Originally Posted by JuDiThA

Dakota, definately good advice. I've stepped on these chollas spines many times and have had to pull them out of my dogs paws. Problem is, once you pull them out of her paws, they are now stuck in your finger. And those suckers like to hang on like fishhooks, as you mentioned. I hear a good way to pull them out is by using a comb but you really have to give them a good yank. Unfortunately, these aren't the only things that you have to be careful of in the Sonoran Desert. thanks for sharing
==Judy

Judy,

Thanks for looking and for correcting me on the spelling. Girl, I was so lost on that spelling and my spell check had no clue because I was so far off!!!!

As to the spines, I used a pair of pliers on people to get the spines out! When I worked for BMW NA, we had a big dealer meeting out here. A lot of the guys were from Cities and had no idea of what that was. When we had a small meeting, I brought in a piece and explained to everyone what it was and to leave it alone!! Even if it is just laying ont the ground!!!!! And I told them graphically what to expect if they picked it up!

Well, there was a young man from NYC who just did not believe! As we were walking out of the building I heard a scream and there was Anthony with a piece stuck to his fingers and I was just able to stop him from grabing it with his other hand to pull it loose! I got a pair of pliers from my car's tool kit and pulled the spines out but it was too late! His hand got huge very quickly. I did get it in a ice bucket and called the Medics and off the the hospital he went. It took a week for his hand to come back to a normal size. OH WELL! He now knows!!!!!!!