Shadowex3

I try my best to avoid Anoles but the little lizards are only a few inches at best and everywhere once it warms up so it's nearly impossible to not flatten a handfull on a long ride.

Now crocs and monitor lizards... those I'm not sure what I'd do about.

pathdoc

I have a theory on how not to run over squirels. Simply aim your front wheel directly at the varmit. It is virtually impossible to hit one intentionally due to their eratic quick movements. If you try to avoid them, they run to the exact spot where you aimed your wheel. Just try it once. I've never been able to hit one.

Boudicca

I think I killed the wasp that ended up in my helmet. But it stung me first.

mcflyfisher

While doing a group tour in the late 80's I was riding in second or third position in the draft line. The riders in front of my didn't mention the little painted turtle that was just to the right of them. My wheel strayed to the right and crunch. Not my favorite day on the bike.

Ray R

Fifteen years ago I was coming around the corner in the dark on a rural two lane road, hauling ass on a slight downhill. At that time the best lighting I had was a Nightsun. A skunk moseyed into the lane ahead of me and stopped when I lit it up, facing me with tail held ready for action. I was moving way too fast to do anything but steer for the shoulder. I made it to work unsprayed. The adrenaline was a performance boost for sure!

In '93 I was in Fribourg, Switzerland. Riding through a park I ran into a bunch of pigeons on the pavement. There must have been a hundred of the winged rats. They bounced off me on all sides as they took to the air.

The ground squirrels at the San Diego Velodrome are a constant problem due to people throwing their trash into the infield instead of using the trash containers. I had just exited turn 2 and was boiling down the backstraight when one ran out onto the track in front of me and stopped where the pursuit line crosses the stayers line. I zigged left and it moved left, I zigged right and it moved right, then "snap!" After my effort I got a shovel and commended the corpse to the foodchain of Florida Canyon. It had a goofy bug-eyed, buck toothed expression on its dead face. The blood stayed on the track until the rains came in December.

The scariest encounter with a large animal was a couple of years ago. I was a motorcycle referee for a local road race out in east San Diego County. Encroaching development has forced our road races farther and farther east. I was following one of the men's fields down a slight descent at about 35 mph, about 50 meters behind. Suddenly a large mule deer jumped out from the sage scrub directly in front of me after the riders had passed. It just barely cleared me. I could practically see my reflection in its left eye as it looked at me. At the finish line the driver of the neutral support vehicle who was behind me said, "Looks like you almost had venison for breakfast." That would have hurt!

achoo

I pretty much did the same with a skunk about a month ago. I came around a slight bend and a skunk was waddling out in front of me. I started slowing to stop and miss it before I realized it was a skunk. When I made the ID, I immediately got off the brakes and went around him as fast as I could. I buzzed past the skunk and it got really agitated and started hissing, jumping around, and raising its tail.

The guy about 50 yards behind me who was trying his damnedest to catch up must have came around the bend right into the line of fire because I never saw him again.

pathdoc

I had a bobcat trot across the road about 15 feet in front of me. Really no chance of hitting it but sure scared me. I think he could do quite a number on you.

I once read a story of guy here on bikeforums who actually ran directly into a bear. Now that would get your adrenaline pumping. Bear was so scared it ran off. Thank God.