the SPIDER thread

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 5:10 am

in deference to BR's sensitive nature :rolleyes: , i thought a spider thread that she doesn't have to look at would be good. all things 8-legged here! pictures! anecdotes! big ugly hairy spiders! post 'em! :wah:

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 5:32 am

here is the notorious camel spider....check out the size of that bugger!! when my son was in egypt he and his mates sprayed an entire can of raid on one of these things...it lay down for a couple minutes, got up, shook it off and walked away!

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Peg · Post by **Peg** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:10 am

A little info on camel spiders found on snopes.com

Camel spiders (so named because, like camels, they can be found in sandy desert regions, although they aren't technically spiders) grow to be moderately large (about a 5"-6" leg span), but nowhere near as large as dinner plates; they can move very quickly in comparison to other arthropods (a top speed of maybe 10 MPH), but nothing close 25 MPH; they make no noise; and they capture prey without the use of either venom or anesthetic. Camel spiders rely on speed, stealth, and the (non-venomous) bite of powerful jaws to feed on small prey such as other arthropods (e.g., scorpions, crickets, pillbugs), lizards, and possibly mice or birds. They use only three pairs of legs in running; the frontmost pair (called pedipalpa) is held aloft and used in a similar manner to the antennae of insects. Camel spiders shun the sun and generally hide during the day, coming out at night to do their hunting.

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:13 am

I just flush the little buggers...or suck 'em up in ma hoover! *fwoop* hehe :wah:

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:13 am

Oh my goodness....bye bye...

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:22 am

This is the best spider....a TOY one...

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 10:44 am

The only spiders that bother me are the daddy long legs that decide they need a shower when I'm taking one.

SOJOURNER · Post by **SOJOURNER** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 12:50 pm

I've always liked this one............................

Yo Yo · Post by **Yo Yo** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 1:51 pm

A Yo Yo spider!

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:40 pm

LC has frogmarched me the heck into here and is going to take me cuffs off just long enough for me to park my pet spidee here where he belongs, insteada where I put him before which is an offence under part 45 B ii of the Forum Feral Fiends law. (I'll get me own back, later!!) .... But fer now... Here's the little beauty who got onto the lense of the official police traffic cam in Sydney.

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lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:45 pm

that is a very cool pic! but i hope you'll leave him in BR's thread too as a little pressie!

cars · Post by **cars** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:48 pm

AussiePam wrote: LC has frogmarched me the heck into here and is going to take me cuffs off just long enough for me to park my pet spidee here where he belongs, insteada where I put him before which is an offence under part 45 B ii of the Forum Feral Fiends law. (I'll get me own back, later!!) .... But fer now... Here's the little beauty who got onto the lense of the official police traffic cam in Sydney.

Wow Pam, nice optics, that looks like a spider that could attack Sydney!:rolleyes:

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:54 pm

here's the infamous stowaway brazilian wandering spider who terrorized England after chomping down on some dumbass chef who picked him up! twice! :yh_doh

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AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:55 pm

You're just setting me up, aren't you LC, so that when BR sees the spedidlee she'll freak out and come after me with a very large bicycle chain!! And you'll probably run a book on the ensuing fisticuffs.. as we wrassle in girlish high spirits in the mud and the blood and the beer ... hic... Cars - here's the spidee that became famous for hiding under the seat in the outback aussie dunny.

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AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:57 pm

Ahhh ... pam has an idea... Why don't we run some no doubt illegal backroom spider fights, LC. Your Brazilean Beauty against my Ruffian Redback!!!!???

But first.... I gottttttta have cofffffffffffffffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:00 pm

AussiePam wrote: Ahhh ... pam has an idea... Why don't we run some no doubt illegal backroom spider fights, LC. Your Brazilean Beauty against my Ruffian Redback!!!!???after a quick perusal of the statutes, i find there is no prohibition against spideefights. but the wandering spider wandered off to aberdeen in search of sheep i think! :-3

neonate · Post by **neonate** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:09 pm

My very first post!

...and I can see I am going to have to get 'decorating'.

All in good time.

Just to say...I adore spiders, but in England the biggest buggers we encounter are 'Tegenaria gigantea'. These may not be of 'dinner plate' dimensions, but they have an eccentricity and charm all of their own.

In the autumn, which is when they come into our homes, having forsaken the harsh conditions of our chilly, post-summer English gardens, they prove themselves to be endearing creatures of habit, who often follow what I describe as nightly 'pilgramages' - they can be found travelling the same route, every evening. If this route happens to involve the edge of a table, they land on the carpet with an audible 'plop'.

I am excessively fond of invertibrates.

abbey · Post by **abbey** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:11 pm

lady cop wrote: in deference to BR's sensitive nature :rolleyes: , i thought a spider thread that she doesn't have to look at would be good. all things 8-legged here! pictures! anecdotes! big ugly hairy spiders! post 'em! :wah: You are sooooooo cruel, you know she wont resist looking! :wah:

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:13 pm

Nick's Spiders - Tegenaria gigantea hi Neonate, welcome to FG! and here's your spider..............Abbey, you have these in the house?

abbey · Post by **abbey** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:16 pm

lady cop wrote: Nick's Spiders - Tegenaria gigantea hi Neonate, welcome to FG! and here's your spider..............Abbey, you have these in the house?

Not that i've noticed, but i do live up north it maybe a little chilly for those hairy buggers.

neonate · Post by **neonate** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:18 pm

Lady Cop - Thank you!

What a lovely lady.

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:19 pm

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:20 pm

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:20 pm

abbey wrote: Not that i've noticed, but i do live up north it maybe a little chilly for those hairy buggers.they probably crawl into bed with you while you're sleeping.

to keep warm. (watch, Abbey will be calling me at 0200 again tonight! LOL)

neonate · Post by **neonate** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:21 pm

Abbey - hello.

I think I might have read somewhere that 'tegenaria' are southern softies, so might not be bothering you oop north.

'Nick's Spider Pages' is on of my favourite sites, by the way.

abbey · Post by **abbey** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:22 pm

lady cop wrote: they probably crawl into bed with you while you're sleeping.

to keep warm. (watch, Abbey will be calling me at 0200 again tonight! LOL) :wah: 0300, :sneaky: you gone Skype yet?

abbey · Post by **abbey** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 3:24 pm

neonate wrote: Abbey - hello.

I think I might have read somewhere that 'tegenaria' are southern softies, so might not be bothering you oop north.

'Nick's Spider Pages' is on of my favourite sites, by the way.Hiya Neo, they'll have to grow more hair on their legs if they want to invade us! :wah:

cars · Post by **cars** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 4:08 pm

AussiePam wrote: You're just setting me up, aren't you LC, so that when BR sees the spedidlee she'll freak out and come after me with a very large bicycle chain!! And you'll probably run a book on the ensuing fisticuffs.. as we wrassle in girlish high spirits in the mud and the blood and the beer ... hic... Cars - here's the spidee that became famous for hiding under the seat in the outback aussie dunny.

Wow Pam, that's a nasty looking spidee to find in the Dunkin Dunny! Sure wouldn't want that one to take a bite on the Jonny!!:p :rolleyes:

Annie Mouse · Post by **Annie Mouse** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 4:58 pm

We get Banana Spiders here - the females are rather large and colorful

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AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 5:21 pm

Welcome Neonate. Interesting choice for your first FG thread!! Grin. That bodes well. And I quite agree Cars, though I understand a bite on the bum is more usual... Hee heee.... LC - I expect we have enough arachnids in this thread to stage a few little bouts. Neo - LC is our resident PolicePerson and may expect you to contribute a little to the special Pam/LC retirement fund, and to leave your credit cards, and any hardware you're packing at the bar in Bothwell's pub (which I'm sure you'll find your way to before too long - just follow the cobweb trails). And hi Annie Mouse - don't think we've met... do we have any mouse eating spiders in here.. better watch o ut!!

Annie Mouse · Post by **Annie Mouse** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:44 am

Howdy, AussiePam - I like your name

Don't know of any spiders that are mouse-eaters, but I'll have to be extra-careful. Personally, I'm terrified of them, altho I don't run and scream anymore. Just grab one of the multiple cans of RAID I keep in every room and hose 'em down

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:17 am

SnoozeControl wrote: To celebrate both this thread and the upcoming holiday, I changed my avatar to the Scary Easter Spider.:)that's the spirit Snooze!

SOJOURNER · Post by **SOJOURNER** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 10:24 am

Yo Yo wrote: A Yo Yo spider!

It is yours, if you want it.................

vampress.rozz · Post by **vampress.rozz** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 11:12 am

neonate wrote:

I think I might have read somewhere that 'tegenaria' are southern softies, so might not be bothering you oop north.
Speaking as a southern softie myself the bit that me go yuck was not the spider but the neonate wrote: audible plop . Pleased to say hi neonate:)

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 2:14 pm

Annie Mouse wrote: Howdy, AussiePam - I like your name

Don't know of any spiders that are mouse-eaters, but I'll have to be extra-careful. Personally, I'm terrified of them, altho I don't run and scream anymore. Just grab one of the multiple cans of RAID I keep in every room and hose 'em down

Hi Vampress - don't think we've met. Neat name. And thanks, Annie Mouse - Pam is my real name and I'm and Aussie, so it wasn't too creative. Grin. I get big hairy huntsman spiders here in Canberra - they are relatively harmless, but I don't like them in the house and chuck them out. I sometimes find redbacks in the garden. They can give you a painful bite but you treat it with ice, not compression bandages and antivenene. In Sydney, you do have to watch out for funnel webs - which really are nasty, and aggressive with it.

I think I already told the story in FG a while back. When my youngest daughter was about 10 she was an elite gymnast and practised all the time. We were on vacation down the south coast and it has been raining. She was practising her backflips inside the garage and called me to say there was a funny spider on the wall. I went to investigate and saw a male funnelweb, all reared up, ready to jump. I don't remember details because parent-child-survival mode kicked in instantly. I must have removed my shoe and done a martial arts type leap across the room and clobbered the bugger all in split second slowmo fast time. You dont' get a second shot. Afterwards, I remember having a fit of the screaming heebie jeebies...

PS - In funnelwebs, it's the male which is deadlier than the female

PPS - Having said all that, each year quite a few people get funnelweb spider bites, but hospitals are well equipped to deal with them, and there have been no fatalities in a long time.... (touch wood)

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 2:22 pm

G'day Arnold. Would you like me to send you a funnelweb? They just get bad press. I understand that in reality they can be affectionate, and if housetrained, can become a loyal and rewarding family pet.

Searching the blonde memory bank, I recall that a funnelweb spider was discovered a few years ago running proud and free somewhere in Kent. I think it had stowed away in a returning visitor's luggage. Sadly, I believe it was terminated.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 2:37 pm

Well, all that remains then (no squashed spider pun intended) is for me to select a suitable book. Something Aussie... Picnic at Hanging Rock comes to mind. Those school girls vanished the heck outta the known world, just like your good lady will no doubt vanish the heck outta the shower ...

pantsonfire321@aol.com · Sun Apr 09, 2006 11:40 pm

ArnoldLayne wrote: I love spiders and never ever kill them. Not even the one I found last week that was slightly bigger than our sofa. I just swiped at it with a cricket bat a few times untill it agreed to sleep in the garden. We have no flies round the dustbin area and the noisy neighbourhood dogs have shut up completely.

Seriously

When my family visited me when I worked in Africa, my son found a Baboon spider in the garden (similar to a tarantula), under a roof tile and would throw in the occasional cricket and watch it grab it. He was 16 at the time and his fascination never stopped and for a while after kept a Chilean Rose Tarantula as a pet. He now keeps a Python and some giant African Snails

No I dont know why either

Now the Baboon spider comes in lots of different colours and markings and i've kept most of them, the Sunburst Baboon spider (pterinochilus murinus) the King Baboon spider (citharischius crawshayi)the Zambian Grey Mustard Baboon spider (pterinochilus meridionalis) the Feather Leg Baboon spider (stromatopelma calceata)the Voi Baboon spider (eucratoscelus longiceps)the Horned Baboon spider ( ceratogyrus brachycephalus) Ornamental Baboon ,Camaroon Rusty red ,Goliath,Indian ornamental,there are many more and i can't be arsed to write them all down some are arboreal some ground dwellers all are aggressive their sizes vary and the goliath at a 10inch leg span is by far the largst.They do bite so should only really be kept by experianced keepers .The beginners spider would have to be the Chili rose very docile and easy to handle .My favorites are the Pink Toe ,Tiger rump and Cobalt Blue ,if you have never seen a spider molt/shed you should its fascinating. When the hurbert gets out of her pit i'll get her to post some picture's- if you want anymore boring spider facts i'm your girl ....and if you think that's boring don't mention chameleons i could waffle all day about them.

minks · Post by **minks** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 8:53 am

ArnoldLayne wrote: Wow very impressive Pants. I look forward to some pics, I genually think they are fascinating and would never kill them. The average household spider is always welcome in my house. I would suppose from your post that my son discovered a ground dwelling variety, it was the size of a small tarantula.

My son did have his Chilean Rose long enough for me to see it molt

My dear old dad used to keep chameleons when he was in the army in Kenya although I have no idea what species, again fascinating creatures though

These put our little dull pale spiders to shame...

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:39 pm

Mpls. Woman Finds Black Widow Spider In Grapes .........

guppy · Post by **guppy** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 2:42 pm

lady cop;472316 wrote: Mpls. Woman Finds Black Widow Spider In Grapes .........

oh , come on now......guppy scratched grapes off the grocery list........:-3

weber · Post by **weber** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:23 pm

Spiders galore:eek:

http://www.heathersanimations.com/spiders.html