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[Mr Space Cat]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Exactly. That's exactly how that bobbit worm looked.

[King DZA]

Oh god, it's like a fucking sandworm...

Never again will I be able to feel as safe on this planet as I did before clicking that spoiler...

Two things: One: Aquaworm more than sandworm. Lives on the seabed, between 10-40 metres. Don't go sticking your head into sea floor muck and you'd probably be fine regardless.

Two:

that these worms can grow to sizes of nearly 3 metres (9.8 ft) in some cases (although most observations point to a much lower average length of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in)) and an average of 25 millimetres (0.98 in) in diameter.

They're kinda' long, but not really all that big. If that ratio of diameter to length is accurate (average vs. average), you'd be looking at something like a 36/1 length-to-diameter ratio. That ten foot long one would only be about three inches wide.

Or, to put it in a decent comparison, pointy/snappy bits on the front or not these things are still smaller than anacondas/pythons. And the latter two are on land and have a noted (if sporadic) history of killing people. These things mostly kill fish, big whoop.

You want to fear oversized phallic critters, you'll want to be hat tipping snakes, first, and worrying about bobbit worms when they start roaming the dry lands and eating children.

Snakes? Why the hell would I be afraid of a snake? They're pretty much just limbless, elongated lizards. Which, if anything, is simply hilarious. Besides, I can take a snake bite at least somewhat gracefully, but a bite from one of those things?

It has a snapjaw that can bite through human bone.

Yeah, fuck that.

Sure, snakes may be capable of picking off a person every once in a while. But then again, so is just about everything else in existence. Dying in ridiculous and unlikely ways is one of humanity's most oft-exercised specialties, after all. I know I'd be hard pressed to think of anything that hasn't in some way led to a person's death at one point in time.

The fact that the seasandworm bobbit worm's existence is confined to the bottom of the briny deep doesn't matter to me in the slightest; it's the fact that it exists on this Earth at all that's the issue. I mean, if there's now proof that something like this can survive comfortably beneath the sea, what's to say similar beasts can't pop up in other environments? Forget the fact that I've now been robbed of my ability to ever again feel at ease while minding my own business on the ocean floor: What's next? Will I soon not even be able to step outside my own Base of Operations without fear of being sucked into the gaping maw of some undiscovered subterranean terror? This is completely unacceptable!!

[Max White]

You don't live in a country with tiger snakes, taipans, brown snakes and red belly black snakes. You don't know man!

They aren't just lizards minus legs, they are also packing the venom to kill a grown anything!

[MetalSlimeHunt]

It has a snapjaw that can bite through human bone.

Yeah, fuck that.

Here, have some additional nope.

The fact that the seasandworm bobbit worm's existence is confined to the bottom of the briny deep doesn't matter to me in the slightest; it's the fact that it exists on this Earth at all that's the issue. I mean, if there's now proof that something like this can survive comfortably beneath the sea, what's to say similar beasts can't pop up in other environments? Forget the fact that I've now been robbed of my ability to ever again feel at ease while minding my own business on the ocean floor: What's next? Will I soon not even be able to step outside my own Base of Operations without fear of being sucked into the gaping maw of some undiscovered subterranean terror? This is completely unacceptable!!

It gets worse. The thing is covered in poison barbs that cause permanent numbness in humans, it lives inside coral which it kills by inhabiting, and if you cut it apart each segment will regenerate into a full Bobbit Worm. It's eggs can survive inside dried coral, which can lead to it ending up inside an aquarium. A single Bobbit Worm can and has killed entire aquariums.

[King DZA]

It has a snapjaw that can bite through human bone.

Yeah, fuck that.

Here, have some additional nope.

There shall be no sleep tonight.

The fact that the seasandworm bobbit worm's existence is confined to the bottom of the briny deep doesn't matter to me in the slightest; it's the fact that it exists on this Earth at all that's the issue. I mean, if there's now proof that something like this can survive comfortably beneath the sea, what's to say similar beasts can't pop up in other environments? Forget the fact that I've now been robbed of my ability to ever again feel at ease while minding my own business on the ocean floor: What's next? Will I soon not even be able to step outside my own Base of Operations without fear of being sucked into the gaping maw of some undiscovered subterranean terror? This is completely unacceptable!!

It gets worse. The thing is covered in poison barbs that cause permanent numbness in humans, it lives inside coral which it kills by inhabiting, and if you cut it apart each segment will regenerate into a full Bobbit Worm. It's eggs can survive inside dried coral, which can lead to it ending up inside an aquarium. A single Bobbit Worm can and has killed entire aquariums.

Well ain't that just fuckin' splendiferous? Not only will I now have to be extremely wary around any and all coral/aquariums from this day forth, but the slimy bastards are also roughly 6x more terrifying than I had originally thought. Lovely.

[Frumple]

Here, have some additional nope.

There shall be no sleep tonight.

... it got shitkicked by an octopus. An octopus. I have seen dishrags more threatening than your average octopi, and these things can be trumped by them. Weak!

More seriously, physics, buoyancy, etc., etc. It's pretty unlikely you'd get something like that that reaches any notable size on land, iirc. The sea is full of terrifying horrors, sure, but that's been a known thing like forever. What's one more? Plus these things are apparently kinda' tiny, at least the part that sticks out. Like one of those magician's sleeve tricks if you tried to pull it up, though. Which would be kinda' amusing.

Also perhaps more terrifying. Imagine a clown did a magic trick, only instead of pulling diaphanous silk out of its sleeves, that thing came out. Picture that, and despair.

[NobodyPro]

Here, have some additional nope.

There shall be no sleep tonight.

... it got shitkicked by an octopus. An octopus. I have seen dishrags more threatening than your average octopi, and these things can be trumped by them. Weak!

Again, Australia. There are reasons I chose an octopus for my avatar.

EDIT:

Efforts should be continued even if the victim appears not to be responding. Tetrodotoxin envenomation can result in victims being fully aware of their surroundings but unable to breathe. Because of the paralysis that occurs, they have no way of signaling for help or any way of indicating distress. Respiratory support, together with reassurance, until medical assistance arrives ensures the victims will generally recover well.

Great, now I'm terrified.

[Max White]

Australia has a lot of interesting poisonous animals, including the platypus!
Although one of the more interesting is the Bullrout. Its venom isn't toxic, but it will cause pain so severe that grown men have been reduced to sobbing. There are reports of people drowning in shallow water after stepping on one because the pain was so great they couldn't stand. Most people who have been stung report it to be the most painful thing they have ever known.

[ChairmanPoo]

As it turns out my senior resident was not exaggerated: there are several figures at the department that are abusive and full of crazy. I'm astonished. Particularily  because what I saw was crazy enough yet they were toning it down in front of me...

The good news is that it might be a matter of chutzpahing away the worst abuses. For a start, I doubt they'd try the same stuff they try on her. Because I am more charismatic, have have a more belligerant character, and right is on my side. Also, I'm rather imposing physically. Still... gah. I hate that things will likely come to conflict. But I've little to lose.

[Reudh]

Australia has a lot of interesting poisonous animals, including the platypus!
Although one of the more interesting is the Bullrout. Its venom isn't toxic, but it will cause pain so severe that grown men have been reduced to sobbing. There are reports of people drowning in shallow water after stepping on one because the pain was so great they couldn't stand. Most people who have been stung report it to be the most painful thing they have ever known.

I'm just glad I live in the south, where bullrout and box jellies don't exist.

[Graknorke]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy_TB6onHVE
Relevant to the discussion.

[Reudh]

Australia has a lot of interesting poisonous animals, including the platypus!
Although one of the more interesting is the Bullrout. Its venom isn't toxic, but it will cause pain so severe that grown men have been reduced to sobbing. There are reports of people drowning in shallow water after stepping on one because the pain was so great they couldn't stand. Most people who have been stung report it to be the most painful thing they have ever known.

I'm just glad I live in the south, where bullrout and box jellies don't exist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irukandji_jellyfish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irukandji_syndrome

A jellyfish with a sting so utterly painful that people have begged to be killed whilst being effected by it.

And the effects can last for weeks.

EDIT:

One unusual symptom associated with the syndrome is a feeling of "impending doom".

Welp, don't go swimming in Australia!

(Irukandji jellies are box jellyfish. They don't exist in the south of Aus. Heh)

[Xantalos]

Thresher Maws.

[Sirus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irukandji_jellyfish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irukandji_syndrome

A jellyfish with a sting so utterly painful that people have begged to be killed whilst being effected by it.

And the effects can last for weeks.

EDIT:

One unusual symptom associated with the syndrome is a feeling of "impending doom".

Welp, don't go swimming in Australia!

The worst part?

LOOK HOW FREAKING TINY IT IS! How are you supposed to see and avoid that?

[MonkeyHead]

By noticing the corpses of many dead swimmers?