Velvet Ant, The Best Pet Invertebrate?

Mutillid wasps, also known as velvet ants or cow killers, are awesome creatures that are found all over the world. They have a notoriously terrifying sting, but does that mean that they are not good pets? Is the velvet ant the best pet insect for you? Russ from Aquarimax Pets is back to help us find out!
#velvetant #mutilidae #clintsreptiles
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Clint is a professional biologist and educator, but above all, Clint LOVES reptiles and he loves to share that love with everyone he meets. Whether you're lover or a hater of reptiles, you can't help but get excited with Clint!
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[@carschmn]

Love how velvet ants get a higher ranking than human children.

[@ClintsReptiles]

They are MUCH more reasonable pets.

[@sourcererseven3858]

@@ClintsReptiles considering the powerful and venomous bite of the Homo sapiens...

[@Dee-nonamnamrson8718]

@@ClintsReptiles You do have to take into account the chemical and instincual response to pet children that is an extreme motivator to protect and care for them. Doesn't help with handleability or upfront costs, though.

[@meowthekitty321]

@carschmn I’m pretty sure king cobras get a higher score than human children.

[@613-shadow9]

@@meowthekitty321 what would get a lower score than children, cthulhu?

[@ImperialistJoe]

I love how many insects are basically just wasps who decided that flying around was too mainstream and chose to dig holes instead.

[@GothJedi]

You’ll typically find better things in the underground

[@nekomancer4641]

I swear wasps are such weirdos. Like how tf did they came up with the idea of laying their babies inside other insects body???

[@N_Skoronski]

Clint's Reptiles: where you learn that some sharks are better to handle than some wasps

[@rosiehawtrey]

Just scritch a shark on the nose and they're basically big soppy murder-goldfish. Does something to the electro sensors they like..

[@Jhud69]

A shark is VERY unlikely to attack you unprovoked. We are large and they don’t like how we taste

[@Dee-nonamnamrson8718]

@@Jhud69 Depends on the shark species, it's level of appetite, and the circumstance. Say, your ship is sunk by a Japanese torpedo in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, you won't be rescued for 5 days, and your ship is named after a certain midwestern city. Your chances of being eaten would go up dramatically.

[@spugelo359]

@@Jhud69 They also like biting random things to figure out how they taste like... and that random thing could end up being your hand, internet cable or whatever.

[@silverjade10]

@@spugelo359 Shark: "Hmm... what's that?" ::exploratory bite:: Me: AHHHHHH!!!! S: "a;sgha;skdf; WTF is that, it's so nasty!!!" ::barfing noises:: Me: ::mostly dead and hoping Miracle Max is part of my rescue team::

[@Aquarimax]

I have only met a few people who enjoy mutillids as much as I do, so this was great fun. Collaborating with the team at Clint’s Reptiles is always a delight!

[@ZeroGravityFuneral]

I am definitely thinking I am going to set up a velvet ant tank

[@Aquarimax]

@@ZeroGravityFuneral they are a lot of fun!

[@4dub802]

Our boy Russ finna hit that 100k doing features like this!

[@chuckflynniii1471]

I share the same memory, I will die with that memory intact. It’s not a pain you forget. Same situation I was young and curious but it only made me like inverts more, respect them more. Now today I have what some would say is to many inverts as pets 🤣

[@jimmysjamin1]

Im so glad you did hope you will continue future collaborations 🤜🤛🙏❤

[@dragonbowlsupper]

Dairy destroyer! False honey badger?? KILLER OF BABY BEES?! CLINT you had me DYING in this episode!!

[@fredygump5578]

He said, "Baby Bee Gobbler" too!

[@astick5249]

*Slayer of bovines*

[@fell5514]

I once saw a female velvet ant fall into the web of an orb weaving spider. The spider seemed to know what was up because it instantly began wrapping it in MUCH more webbing than I've ever seen them use for any other insect, and the wasp SCREAMED. A constant, high pitched buzzing sound the whole time it was trapped, and even after the spider bit it and then left it, it continued to struggle until it actually managed to wriggle free of the cocoon. They are shockingly strong and durable for their size, real warrior of an insect.

[@sirblue5586]

They're hardcore

[@petersmythe6462]

"nectar eater with a history of violence and one of the worst stings of all insects." That also applies to the tarantula hawk lol. Although I guess a flying hummingbird sized wasp that sounds like a helicopter, with a parakeet-like lifespan is a lot less reasonable.

[@RJ-mi3ck]

“Tarantula hawk” has to be one of the most metal animal names I think I’ve ever heard

[@jonathonspears7736]

This description gave me a good laugh. Have a like.

[@Raveg64]

4:29 I could watch this segment forever. The little digging and antenna stroking they do is so satisfying and fun to watch

[@chesterdagoc5915]

Never knew you could keep them with other species of velvet ants and some desert beetles theyre like the wasp equivalent of aquarium fish

[@atimidbirb]

These are surprisingly adorable up close. Especially that shot of one digging in the ground and then pausing to clean her antennae!

[@conlon4332]

4:29 Timestamp from another commenter who said "I could watch this segment forever. The little digging and antenna stroking they do is so satisfying and fun to watch."

[@SlamDoink]

Velvet ants are one of my favorite! I found one as a kid and I swear I heard it “scream” a high pitch squeal sound. I googled later in life to make sure I wasn’t misremembering, and it turns out they do make a quite audible “chirp”. Very interesting!

[@duelingdragons82]

"Six legged false honey badger." Broke me. Thanks for the chuckle this morning.

[@sparkyswearsalot]

I may have said this before, but Clint is like the Mr. Roger's of the reptile, and apparently the bug world as well. I just live that wild glint he gets in his eyes when he's discussing the dangers of various critters.

[@ceruelion815]

As a person who hates insects, velvet ants are one of the few exceptions which makes me see how adorable some can be. Too bad all the cute bugs are either really painful or really expensive.

[@bigmcchickenmcsloppyjerky]

Jumping spiders are cute and they're neither painful or expensive!

[@gingermcgingin4106]

@The Scrimmiest Bingus Nor are they insects

[@catpoke9557]

Bees are cute and most of them don't hurt much at all

[@harvzzxd7769]

@@bigmcchickenmcsloppyjerky and there also not insects, silly.

[@bigmcchickenmcsloppyjerky]

@@gingermcgingin4106 To the uninitiated, a bug is a bug

[@blakey666]

Another insect exists at 4 on the insect pain index, The Executioner Wasp. All you have to do is watch the Coyote Peterson video where he gets stung by one.

[@rosiehawtrey]

I've seen that - and the dozy American girl playing hug the blue ringed octopus... Talk about plot armour.

[@Dee-nonamnamrson8718]

Also the Japanese giant hornet.

[@johnnykirk1501]

Yea, on coyotes index these are kinda low, even for a 4, just looked up the poster he made.

[@darkeather2]

I found one outside at school one time. I knew it was a cow killer cause I'd seen them recently on the discovery channel. So naturally not wanting anyone to get stung I decided it was best to just kill it before anyone who doesnt know better decides to check it out. Imagine my horror when after I stepped on it and twisted my foot, it just.. popped back up, like a flattened cartoon character that inflated itself back to normal. We never killed it, so I just decided to stand guard around it, warning everyone that passed until it made its way away from where people were walking.

[@USALibertarian]

They are incredibly tough. Built like tanks.

[@JohnSmith-se7pp]

I would of freaked and went dead space on it

[@catherinehubbard1167]

Cow Killer, Bovine Slayer, Dairy Destroyer and more - Clint is in good form. These are interesting insects! Not only cool looking but active and capable of living in a diverse species mix. I really enjoyed your guest expert’s contribution to this video.

[@china_sickness7005]

The worst sting I’ve had was from a paper wasp. I was trying to remove its nest from my porch. It stung the closest thing it could get to which happened to be my middle finger (no I wasn’t flipping the wasp off lol). My finger felt on fire for about fifteen minutes and it was swelling a little too. Three days later, the swelling was still slightly noticeable and the sting area itched like crazy. Not a comfortable itch either. It was like my brain was telling me to scratch it but instant pain followed lol

[@USALibertarian]

Correct. Highly under-rated pain. And they are jerks. I was 10 feet away from her stupid nest she illegally placed in my utility trailer and she nailed me without warning. Got me on the ankle and I could barely walk for 2 weeks.

[@azforu29]

That happened to me about 25 years ago. Mowing the lawn under my dogwood tree. Thought I got burned by a cigarette. That's what it felt like. I cant forget its eyes either. It looked actually pissed and when I panicked and pulled it off my forearm, it made this buzzsaw sound lol. Crazy. Felt like a cigarette burn.

[@marvalice3455]

clint's endless enthusiasm for animals is truly inspirational

[@TheJStale]

1. I love all the nicknames Clint gave the Velvet Ant lol 2. I know its highly, highly, HIGHLY unlikely, but wouldn't it be cool if one of those Velvet Ants shown in B-roll was the same one that stung Coyote Peterson :)

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

beep beep

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

Beep bepp? Unacceable? Simple auncaable. I hate this right now.

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

Oh my god. What is this comment, it's so macrabe. Wowsies. It makes no sense and I can tell you must tbe undergagged by the manner in which you are typing.

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

You better get off the internet for your own good before some screw-wear of children like totally not mark finds you kid. You're done for I can tell you that, very serious buisness here.

[@William256]

@@neo-filthyfrank1347 What

[@thetwo-armedman]

When I was maybe 8 years old, I made the mistake of grabbing one of these in the wild. The sting was so painful, I remember it over 20 years later! 😬

[@willwailes9298]

It's crazy how many different colors they can be. I've found red ones, yellow ones, blue ones, and purple.

[@Richard-yj8oi]

The cow killer reputation is attributed to the cow eating some grass with the the ant on it and the sting swells the air passage and suffocates it to death. This really happens

[@sweetReaper]

“Dairy destroyer” 😂😂 Love the numerous variations of “cow killer” used here 😂

[@rubberbandba11craft]

love all the nicknames, esp 6 legged false honey badger

[@LuckyStone888]

I always enjoy "Clint Reptiles (and more)" - Russ Aquarimax pets collaborations. Both are so welcoming and friendly.

[@Aquarimax]

Delighted to hear that! 😊

[@Blablablablabla392]

Aww these are so cute!! They may have an excruciatingly painful sting but I would risk it just to pet that fluffy red baby!!

[@tomaspabon2484]

Out of literally every insect i can think of this would be the last i would consider. You're a braver dude than me Clint.

[@elleofmusic]

omg, these are ADORBS! The footage of the one that just started digging like a tiny dog and then paused to clean its antennas had me melting! And that extra fluffy white one!! There's no way I could keep these because I'd just want to hold them all the time 😅

[@bugtalk84]

The beauty of these velvet ants are incredible. However I wouldn't recommend these for children because of their powerful sting.

[@jr-wv4qw]

It hurts a lot. I vividly remember being stung by one as a kid, almost 30 years later. I won't ever forget it.

[@bread1593]

0: 41 i actually thought that you were gonna do the "Coyote Peterson" 😂

[@jayb3955]

I picked one up as a kid I thought it was a beetle it was painful, but I had much worse I was stung by a bark scorpion it was about 5 times worse.

[@gringoamigo8146]

Been stung by velvet ant twice, both times camping in the same spot in the mountains in the summer. And you're right, the pain was unbelievable. I also remember the pain of getting hit by a bombardier beetle- This one took me by surprise.

[@doublehelix2167]

As a boy I found a white one of these in Henderson Nevada. Caught it in a bottle and showed my father who had no idea what he was looking at. Took years till I would learn it was a velvet ant.

[@fantasyskeep]

When I was 16, I stepped on a velvet ant. I cried for a few hours and everything I did to relieve the pain just made it hurt so much worse! When I stopped crying and yelling, I quickly fell asleep.

[@Dzaeli]

A lot of really cool jumping spider species imitate velvet ants. I never thought I would find a wasp cute, but those yellow ones are adorable. Next time I see one out spider hunting maybe I will catch it.

[@iaepatus8328]

I lived in Arkansas for 5 years, and I seen those little buggers around from time to time. When i first seen one i was shocked because of how striking it was, i thought it was an ant (i was 13 at the time) but I didnt pick it up because even at 13, I knew that any creature in arkansas could potentially kill me, I assumed the same here. But they were rare sights and so the next time I found one I used rubber gloves to pick one up.... unfortunately for me, I didnt know to use leather gloves, and I got stung.... I got stung on my finger and we had these medical anti sting swabs that could neutralize venom. Needless to say, those did diddly dick. Case and point, those buggers hurt. ALOT.

[@deserabailey8500]

Oh man I was stung by a very young velvet ant a few years ago. I will NEVER forget that pain! It felt like someone injected lava into my leg (I sat on it and it rightfully stung my thigh). The pain lasted for what felt like forever but it was close to an hour of increasing pain. made me nauseous, i kept punching my leg super hard which seemed to help until i stopped punching it. eventually i tried ice and walking around. ugh nothing helped it hurt so bad! I knew what it was the second i realized what stung me and i was like "Oh crap". lol

[@armagedon0264]

This guy's nerdiness is off the charts I like him. Full of information plus I got stung by a cow killer when I was 11 I am 45 now and I remember the pain and will never forget it. The pain was horrible I was in boy scouts and I was thinking it's a giant ant and I wanted to show it off.....bad move at the injection site was a red dot and it stayed there for months

[@Watchtone]

With all this mentioning of regular ants alongside the velvet ants, do you think we could get a video get a video about them? I’ve been keeping colonies for a few years now and they’re definitely my favourite inverts!

[@Vesmir789]

I agree, seeing Clint's patented review style for ants would be awesome! Might be tough to transport a colony from somewhere else to show off, though. He'd either have to find a small colony, or perhaps start his own in the Reptile Room (wink wink)

[@scrubjay93]

Yeah, where are you hiding the REAL ants Clint!? 😂 Ants are fascinating.

[@miguelpedraentomology6080]

antkeeping is underrated.

[@Icewind007]

I caught one of these beautiful insects as a kid in Louisiana! Being from the swamps, we learned real fast to be aware of dangerous animals (one of a few places with both black widows and brown recluse). Even as a kid, I didn't dare handle any insect I wasn't familiar with, and I found that one randomly.

[@conlon4332]

I'm just imagining someone comes into hospital with severe pain, and the doctor is like "Here, get stung by this wasp. Now is the pain more or less severe than the pain you were already experiencing?" Much more objective than normal pain scales, but also much more unethical.

[@chadsacii]

An ant with a Gucci Fur jacket. Is what I thought the first time I saw one. Beautiful creatures.

[@zakarymcleod1850]

I've always thought they're cool looking. I got bit by one once. And i do mean bit, not stung. It wasn't that bad.

[@LuckyStone888]

I love the enclosure Clint is using. I'd also love to create this kind of set-up, except i have no interest in keeping a velvet ant. My isopods are just an interesting to me and don't have any potential to hurt me.

[@Ultra04channel]

"Well fortunately, I've never been stung by a velvet ant." I have! As a small child, I used to play with carpenter ants. So, I saw one of those, thought "Oh, it must be another type" and tried to pick it up. *I immediately regretted that decision.* I dropped the velvet ant, screamed, and turned it into a fine paste before running inside, still screaming. They may not be able to kill a cow, but in my experience, I'd assume they could at least make one react quite a lot.

[@ImpendingJoker]

From what I am given to understand from my great-uncle that raised cattle in Texas, was they are called cattle killers because as the cow eats the grass they pick up the velvet ants in their mouth, and the velvet ant then stings the mouth and throat of the said bovine, and can cause severe swelling and anaphylaxis, causing the cow to suffocate, and die, thus, the term "cattle killer or cow killer".

[@authorindisguise5173]

I heard of these a while back. It's a pity about the sting. Otherwise, their durability would make them the perfect invertebrate to handle.

[@Dee-nonamnamrson8718]

This may sound cruel, and I am in no way suggesting this should ever be done. With that out of the way, I wonder if they have any nerve endings in there stinger and if it would cause in health problems if it was removed?

[@birbdad1842]

@@Dee-nonamnamrson8718 The Stringer and associated venom glands are organs you cant just rip out, unless you want ant guts spilling out of your pet. Same goes for cutting. I dont see how thats possible. Years of selective breeding perhaps, but then again you can always get a different species. If you feel the need to modify or alter your pet, then it's not the right pet for you

[@Dee-nonamnamrson8718]

@@birbdad1842 That's why I said i would never suggest it should ever be done, just curious about how it would effect the ant. I can say right now that it's not the right pet for me. I have a small parrot and a dog, I don't need or want any other pets.

[@custos9209]

@@birbdad1842 no chance of selective breeding, they need the stinger to lay eggs after all.

[@____________838]

@@custos9209 But the males don’t sting…

[@hollyhobgoblin8838]

I love it when you do invertebrate videos! I'd never heard of these gals, but now I kinda want them (the only thing preventing me is the fact that they would have to be wild caught.) Cute and fuzzy but secretly deadly is my favorite type of animal.

[@GaryDunion]

If "Well hi there! Let's talk about pain" Doesn't blow up as a TikTok audio there's no justice in the world

[@MaliciousMollusc]

"Dairy Destroyer" haha 😆

[@nazewnictwoimienne5199]

I believe that it would be cool if Clint would make some videos about the typical and common pets, such as hamsters, guinea pigs, goldfish ect. Just the idea of Clint nerding out about hamsters would be fun.

[@caribougoo349]

Still waiting on that rat video he asked about :( Have a feeling Clint isn't gonna be generous to hamsters. Probably the most hit or miss with handling of the mammals

[@nessamillikan6247]

You know that he would have to find some farfetched way to justify rodents being reptiles somehow.

[@nazewnictwoimienne5199]

@@nessamillikan6247 he has already made some videos about mammals so there's no need for that

[@RebleGreyWarden]

Very cute lol I like that they can co-exist with others, makes for a visually appealing set up! Love the Clint/Russ episodes! You are both fantastic!

[@andrelinoge6810]

Got stung by this one in the woods of Oklahoma. It was probably the most painful thing I've experienced.

[@barriedelaney2853]

“EVERYONES A WINNER…….. except the host” 🤣 you need to have this on a tshirt 🤣

[@DaultonYoung]

I actually never knew these things were so dangerous as a kid. Thankfully, I was never dumb enough to touch one, but I did tend to mess with them using sticks, and let me say, I was surprised at first when I hear a very small, high pitched "yelling" coming from the thing.

[@rosiehawtrey]

Just a note on allergies to these and fire ants etc. The first time sensitises, and it'll just be normally painful. It might take a few stings. Every time after you get the first allergic reaction you will get another allergic reaction which may get progressively worse.

[@mpk6664]

This is also true for tarantula urticating hairs.

[@cicadeus7741]

Also true for bees. Personal experience, i miss the days when their sting was inconvenient at worst

[@hlessiavedon]

That is only true for some people. Not everyone will build an allergy.

[@rosiehawtrey]

@@hlessiavedon Hence the use of "it might"

[@spugelo359]

​@@rosiehawtrey The way you said it implies it always happens and only variable is how many stings it takes to get that allergy... Edit: To clarify, "It might take a few stings." sounds like you're saying it usually takes only 1 sting, but sometimes a few.

[@catherine_404]

10:53 SLAYER OF BOVINES This is a killer humour. 12/10, thank you, Clint.

[@choosewisely7994]

It's always nice to see Russ and Clint collab

[@Aquarimax]

It is always lots of fun!

[@chazsaw]

Man, as someone who has had anaphylactic reactions to bee stings, @Clint's description of a 'three' sounds so incredibly tame to me :P Last time I was stung by a bumble bee I was super stoked because I only had to sit in A&E for about 45 minutes to an hour before it became clear I wasn't going to have a heart attack and my breathing wasn't an issue. This was the first time I had been stung in about ten years, so even then, I continued to be really happy that the swelling and active pain had dissipated within a fortnight and the bruise and pain when touched only lasted another week. I was also bitten by what I am nearly certain was a brown widow relatively recently, (my googling suggests it was a South African species, Steatoda capensis, but it is important to note here that I don't really know what I am talking about). I didn't feel any pain when it happened, all I experienced was an odd itching that quickly got progressively worse until becoming actual pain and swelling throughout my upper leg (I was bitten above the knee). Eventually, I developed a nasty blister (about the size of quarter, for reference to people in the US) and walking around the house was very unpleasant for about 2-3 days. Why was I sharing this again? Oh yeah, sounds possibly equivalent to the paper wasp sting/a 'three'?

[@reubendaly827]

I have been stung many times by Eastern velvet ants (Dasymutilla occidentalis), which is less painful normally than some of the western desert species, and it's just very very concentrated itch

[@shellyb2042]

They are super cute but no way I could keep something with a sting that bad lol thanks for sharing!! They are super rad!!

[@a_lethe_ion]

that smile after you said "Lets talk about Pain" it scares me and Im a masochist

[@SergeiMosin]

I would be extremely curious if they could be coaxed into laying eggs into grub worms... grubs are easy enough to find and would make breeding the ants relatively simple.

[@cheintze1]

Got stung by one as a kid. Extremely painful for about ten minutes, and I think it was a relatively weaker species (this was in New Mexico)

[@ClaimedEagle]

I was stung by one in Tj, I thought it was a cool spider and wanted to grab it. I was pretty tough when I was a kid so I could handle the pain very well until 15 minutes later I was like nothing happened, with the exception that I thought I was about to become spider man or something.

[@kampfgeist7703]

I live in Florida and found a velvet ant for the first time. I knew what it was and still the first thing I did was coax it onto my hand. It was such a cool bug and thankfully the little girl didn't sting me

[@Chudchanning]

I got stung by one of those little bastards when I was a kid, it sucked so bad I still remember it 21 years later

[@SableIsland2024]

🥴😡😯 Scary experience. Hope I never have to suffer from this.

[@Aquarimax]

Clint, thank you for geeking out over mutillids with me! Such a fascinating taxon!

[@amyb5339]

Yay Russ! Always a favorite guest -host. Hmmm, makes you sound a bit parasitic😁

[@Aquarimax]

@@amyb5339 LOL! Better that than a parasitoid! 🤣

[@amyb5339]

You are much more congenial than that😁

[@aposematicayu]

Thanks for introducing the Schmidt scale in this video 🤣 just so people know... It was developed by an entomologist who actually was stung by every insect he rated. Complete devotion to the field

[@gigabyte2248]

IIRC, he gave a few colourful descriptions while compiling his dataset. Great fun (for us, not for him)

[@diptube6563]

A real scientist

[@gilian2587]

Masochist; it would make sense that a masochist might be the only kind of person that is capable of developing a scale like this.

[@kitsune0rei]

As soon as I saw this was about velvet ants, I thought of Russ :) I'm glad he's helping with more delightful bug videos.

[@Aquarimax]

Delighted to have joined in!

[@AstralisSirius]

Fun fact: the most painful sting is the one of the executioner wasp with a terrifying 4++ on the Schmidt index

[@scrubjay93]

This was hysterical. I saw velvet ants in the Great Basin while collecting insects--they are really beautiful! I don't believe I ever collected any--I wasn't out for mass slaughter, just identification. Thanks for sharing - I had no idea people were keeping them in captivity. They are pretty and easy keepers, but I'll stick with the occasional lovely surprise.

[@lionessoftor4139]

Hey Clint I heard Blue Fainting Death Beetles could be kept with scorpions. That it's one of the only insects they won't eat and the beetles clean up the leftovers. Can you confirm or deny this, please.

[@user-xg8ij1hs3x]

Following

[@harryvh3356]

Little story about Paper Wasps : I climb cell towers for a living. Near the end of summer, Paper Wasps all gather on the tallest tree in the forest to find a mate. Oftentimes, the tallest "tree" in that forest happens to be the cell tower I have to climb lol. They'll swarm the entirety of the tower leg I have to climb on, in the thousands. First time i had to climb through a swarm of wasps for 300 feet straight, it very much felt like I was in an episode of Fear Factor, but I didn't get stung even once because they just don't give a damn about me at that point. They are only focused on mating. They do still constantly bump in to me though the entire time and it's especially creepy when you feel one tickling you in an opening in your clothing somewhere. Anyway it's been 2 years since i started climbing, and by now I have been stung maybe twice. Don't know if it's the adrenaline from knowing i can't really react to the sting because I don't want to create a frenzy effect by killing one wasp while being surrounded by thousands without a fast way out, but I can tell you it doesn't hurt as bad as Clint is saying to be honest. Anyway, when he mentioned paper wasps it just reminded me of those intense summer moments on the tower. Thought i'd share it in the comment section since it's something not many people are aware of (let alone have to experience). PS : I've learned that they usually don't start gathering until the temp outside reaches 50 degrees F. So nowadays if I roll up to a tower that's swarmed, I just come back the next day super early in the morning, and hope they don't start gathering before it's time for me to climb back down.

[@crabmansteve6844]

I do telecomm field work. I was opening a node enclosure one day and as soon as I had it open, I got stung 16 times all on my hands by paper wasps. I couldn't close my hands for 5 days because of the swelling it was absolutely awful. Swelling took nearly 12 days to go down. One of my least favorite experiences.

[@rontropics26]

I've always wanted to keep leaf cutter ants but can't find much on it. Akron zoo in Ohio had them and they were so fascinating to watch.

[@blackwoodsecurity531]

They're getting pretty rare here in Texas. They, and consequently their primary predator the horned lizard (horny toads) are getting pushed away by fire ants. My dad's house is actually becoming unsettled by cut ants. He's not allowed to get rid of them because of their providence to horned lizards (of which his county has literally a handful) he doesnt like the settling, but to quote him "at least they're not f#$&# fire ants!"

[@jm0114]

Can you do a video on Woma Pythons and Olive Pythons

[@ClintsReptiles]

I'd like that!

[@Paula-sw2tt]

I have seen these in the wild, but never kept them as pets. As a child, I didn't know they could sting so painfully, but I was never tempted to handle one. They just gave off the "don't touch me" vibe.

[@LiarJudas666]

I'm sure others have said this, but it's worth repeating that the Schmidt pain index is named so because one guy got voluntarily stung by all these creatures and rated the experience. He is a very hardcore scientist and a living legend(I think)

[@ymmijx6061]

yup, he was a man who lived by the motto "frick around and find out"

[@remyfrost6762]

Was wondering when you would cover velvet ants! I've been admiring Rus's for some time now. :) Such beautiful little creatures.

[@Aquarimax]

They really are!

[@Carcezz]

i have 2 leeches, and although i know how to properly care for them and already know what i personally would score them (4.5, but thats just my personal opinion) i was looking to see if you did a video on them just so i could see what you’d rate it. i couldn’t find any, but i seriously recommend doing a video on them! they’re super awesome and can make awesome pets for some people, and i think more people should be educated on them so they can give them a good, healthy, happy life rather than keeping them only for the purpose of grossing people out!

[@Kmoshiii]

I can't believe how cute this insect is, it's also has a painful sting according to the sting index

[@Prinny9000]

when I was a kid I was stung by a velvet Ant once it was painful but it didn't stop me dead in the tracks but when I was very young like 3-4 I was stung in the ear by a Red and Cyan wasp the pain nearly lasted for two days

[@alex57633]

Hey Clint! Another awesome video! Just wanted to say that the ants on screen when you are talking about harvester (Presumably Pogonomyrmex sp.) ants are actually wood ants (Formica sp.). They do spray acid though which is pretty intense!

[@amaureaLua]

I came here to say that too. Acid spraying is cool, but doesn't hurt. Unless you have an open wound (which they will try to make by biting, but have no chance of succeeding in my experience), then they should be a 0 on the pain index. Actual harvester ants are a different story.

[@frizzledg]

looked for this too and wanted to add.

[@Mr.Green_on_youtube]

On breeding: I'm curious if anyone tried using feeders like wax worms or even mealworms as hosts.

[@sourcererseven3858]

that would be interesting, yeah. I have no idea whatsoever, but I could imagine that they might be very particular and will only go for bee's nests, maybe even specific species of bees. Parasites can be choosy like that. To simulate such a nest one would first have to find out what triggers the wasp is responding to, i.e. how it recognizes a viable nest. Probably lots of pheromones... Has anyone ever synthesized bee's pheromones? Definitely interesting stuff. I expect just taking some larvae and shoving them down a hole is the first thing breeders have tried 😆

[@aaronburkeen6409]

@@sourcererseven3858 I think my method would be trying to get as close to how it would be in the natural environment. Big enclosure with males females mixed in and ground nesting bees and wasps. That way I would be able to observe how it happens. Then hopefully work out how to mimic it some other way. I also could experiment by throwing in different species of bees and wasps till I find the right ones.

[@kalesieve7465]

They are very specific, and each species will be looking for different specific hosts. To my knowledge, captive rearing has been done successfully once (ONCE) by scientists in the 60s or 70s. And they only managed to do it once.

[@pauljs75]

If it's only the nesting conditions, then maybe? (Buried tubes with grubs that mimic how things like bumblebees, cicada killers, or ground hornets nest?) If it's something like scent or pheromones that set off the egg laying behavior then the answer would be no without the right host species. Not sure if anyone has researched that yet.

[@innovativeatavist159]

First line had me thinking I was back at psychiatric for intensive therapy.

[@Balasteer]

"Six legged false honey badger!" You got me sold on that one! :D

[@mercster]

I saw one of these on a lawn once. I didn't know what it was, but the size and coloration let me know to stay far away. Nature works, I guess! Thanks Clint. :-) Those fuzzy white ones are curious, are those a velvet ant or some other species...?

[@13thmistral]

So where is Coyote Peterson hanging out to cover for the sting zone ?

[@Ricky-oi3wv]

Peterson getting repeatedly tagged while Clint eggs him on would be the greatest moment in KZbin history.

[@fuckoff5893]

I got stung by a cow killer as a little kid and it hurt more than any other sting I’ve received before or since

[@annikachristensen4323]

"Slayer of Bovines"... I liked that one LOL

[@Jyharri]

I've seen plenty enough velvet ant females to last a lifetime, never knew that the sting was that potent

[@Dee-nonamnamrson8718]

Coyote Peterson willingly gets stung by one here on KZbin. Worth a watch.

[@Billbeaux]

I see them all them time out where I work. The white velvet ants look like walking snowflakes!! Also, do you collect your Cholla from the wild or do you buy it cut like that from a store?

[@kingcraftgames.985]

I want to see clint's reaction when he gets stung by a velvet/bullet ant lol.

[@mcbralee3532]

What a fascinating video! First time seeing the channel and wow Clint sure is charismatic in creating a unique educational video that kept me gripped!

[@reinerbazzi9744]

I had one (RIP Veronika) she lived for 2 and a half years after i found her (wild caught) I forced her to sting me because i wanted to experience it (some people said it feels like being shot) and yeah it was horrible. The pain faded within 30-45 hours but interestingly it was itchy for weeks afterwards! I either had some reaction to it or this is normal to the experience. The hole where she stung me didn’t heal and was red and swollen for over a month, idk why Edit: she was my least stressful pet to take care of, i have her preserved in a lil jar… she was my oldest living pet. Also she did not want to sting, i bullied her a lot to get stung. She was so sweet and pretty. I miss her so much. Edit 2: the sting happened 2 years ago and i see the dot where she stung me, it healed but looks like a lil bump in my skin with the appearance of scar tissue

[@cadenlikespigs]

My names Clint’s Reptiles, and, today, we’re going to enter the sting-zone with the Velvet Ant.

[@PBuffdaddy00]

Absolutely cracking up at these names for Cow Killers. Clint, you are a national treasure. lol

[@Connection_Error-px7bn]

"Hi there! Let's talk about pain. These are Velvet ants" Never been stung or even seen one irl, but from my knowledge that is a very accurate statement