Critter? (Solved!)

[Slaphppy7]

To me, it appears that the "head" actually folds back, and becomes undistinguishable, as the critters extends to lurch

What appears to rest at the top of the burrow (the "head"), and what returns to the burrow after lurching, is not the same image...if we assume it lurches head first, and recoils head last...which is not even a given, at this point

A set of nice high-speed photography equipment, and one to operate it, would give us some interesting images, surely

 

[outofwater]

A humble suggestion

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

She doesn't know...even if she did, she wouldn't care...watch the vid, I could have DIED

That thing was vicious! It really, really wanted to eat you. That was like a horror film, and I was yelling at you to set the whole place on fire and run away.
See the crack in the ground all the way around the burrow? Bet that's the rest of the beast! Then you'll tease it just a bit too much one day, and that ground will open like a huge trap door spider, and we'll never know what happened to you!

 

[SomethingsFishy24]

The biology professor's reply: "Sorry. No Idea. Amazing tongue speed and accuracy."

TONGUE???

OMG....It is TREMOR! Whatever you do, don't feed it a poptart!

 

[WhistlingBadger]

OK, I'm just going to be the one to say it: I have no idea what that thing is, but it is OUTRAGEOUSLY cool.

 

[Rocky998]

That thing was vicious! It really, really wanted to eat you. That was like a horror film, and I was yelling at you to set the whole place on fire and run away.
See the crack in the ground all the way around the burrow? Bet that's the rest of the beast! Then you'll tease it just a bit too much one day, and that ground will open like a huge trap door spider, and we'll never know what happened to you!

But seriously, now I would be worried

 

[Deleted member 149562]

The biology professor's reply: "Sorry. No Idea. Amazing tongue speed and accuracy."

TONGUE???

Definitely watch your back in the shower then.......

 

[Deleted member 149562]

OK, one more post before I have to get up and take care of life...dinner, dogs, laundry, all the fun stuff

I was messing with one of the critters, just now...waved my finger as I slowly moved my hand toward it's hole...as always, any movement causes them to disappear quickly back down the hole...but not this one...it JUMPED at my moving finger...not like in the previous vid, but visibly lurched from the hole...again and again...believe it or not...never touched my finger, just seemed triggered by the movement.

I'm doomed.

oooooh you gone and done it now kiddo.....they will be underneath your house plotting its literal downfall.....

<evil sniggering>

"the human tried to make contact hehehehehe.....little does he know that we have already infiltrated all his plugholes and overflows....we will wait for OUR time to come.....watching the human's every move.....then....when the time is right....we shall pounce...and chase that human right out of here....."

<evil sniggering>

"we shall defend our patch of honeycombed soil and be rid of that meddling human...once and for all"

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Here it is, viewer discretion advised. Not for the squeamish.

Apologies in advance for the sound of yapping hounds in the background...they're beyond vicious
Also sorry for the poor vid quality, again, crummy camera in one hand, index finger about to be torn away by the tendons on the other

[VIDEO]

]

Definitely telling you to "bug off"

 

[Deleted member 149562]

@Slaphppy7

Have you been in contact with Texas A&M yet?

They might be able to shed some light on these blighters and could potentially visit your property to see them for themselves in situ which would help get a definitive identification and how to remove them

https://beaumont.tamu.edu/personnel/faculty_page/Mway_default.htm - entomologist

Home - Department of Entomology

Welcome to the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University. We are one of the top entomology departments in the United States.

entomology.tamu.edu

 

[Slaphppy7]

Definitely watch your back in the shower then.......

Ay-yi-yi!

 

[Slaphppy7]

@Slaphppy7

Have you been in contact with Texas A&M yet?

They might be able to shed some light on these blighters and could potentially visit your property to see them for themselves in situ which would help get a definitive identification and how to remove them

https://beaumont.tamu.edu/personnel/faculty_page/Mway_default.htm - entomologist

Home - Department of Entomology

Welcome to the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University. We are one of the top entomology departments in the United States.

entomology.tamu.edu

No, I have not...thanks much for the links, will contact today.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

No, I have not...thanks much for the links, will contact today.

Texas A&M entomology dept will be helpful cos in all seriousness, those bugs or whatever they are could be harmful...joking aside, you don't want to become ill or worse as a result of interaction with them

TAM are world renowned in the research of creepy crawlies like these, if they are unable to identify them, they will know who can and will not only tell you what they are and if they can do harm but also put your mind at ease along with how to get rid of them permanently

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Texas A&M entomology dept will be helpful cos in all seriousness, those bugs or whatever they are could be harmful...joking aside, you don't want to become ill or worse as a result of interaction with them

Super useful info! I do hope someone can identify them soon. The mystery has been fun, but really curious about the answers too!

TAM are world renowned in the research of creepy crawlies like these, if they are unable to identify them, they will know who can and will not only tell you what they are and if they can do harm but also put your mind at ease along with how to get rid of them permanently

I don't think @Slaphppy7 necessarily wants to get rid of them. If they're not harmful or invasive. Just wants to find out what they are! But it's a great point that without knowing anything about them, they could potentially carry a toxin or disease, and caution is a good idea.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Another couple of potential identifiers...

https://www.houstonzoo.org/about/contact-us/ - Houston Zoo

https://sazoo.org/contact-us/ - San Antonio Zoo

Both have significant entomology departments and entomologists who might be able to help with the bugs identification and what to do about them and like TAM being in Texas they will also have a more extensive knowledge of the local wildlife than someone out of State.