faetal on 13/1/2014 at 18:33
Quote Posted by NuEffect
Come with us to Africa this December and I'll disabuse you of any notion that they are anything but pure evil in a terrifying form.
Cool.
1) Which bit are we going to?
2) What do I need to bring?
3) Can I call you "Duke"?
DDL on 13/1/2014 at 18:42
Hah fuck, I just had to wiki Brazilian wandering spiders. They're built like small bitey spiders, but big.
Quote:
This and other species of the genus Phoneutria have medically significant venom and should generally not be handled.
"Medically significant venom" is possibly my favourite phrase of the week.
Oh god, it gets worse:
Quote:
Aside from causing intense pain, the venom of the spider can also cause priapism in humans. Erections resulting from the bite are uncomfortable, can last for many hours and can lead to impotence.
I'm not even arachnophobic, but jesus wept: how much more proof does one need that
there is no god?
Also, that would make an awesome skyrim monster. "You have contracted priapism!"
SubJeff on 13/1/2014 at 18:44
Malawi.
Bring sensible clothes, cash and your ATA certificate*.
No.
* African Threat Assessment: The ability to distinguish between a bunch of good natured locals who are up for some beers and hunting and a gang of AK47 laden bandits.
faetal on 13/1/2014 at 18:55
Ok, no snappy monicker means the deal is off. Can you at least take some macro photos of the spiders?
SubJeff on 13/1/2014 at 19:36
I only get within flamethrower range.
Malawi has Baboon Spiders, Harpactirinae - a sub-family of tarantulas. I don't like them (I've been bitten) but they are not the real horrors.
Inline Image:
http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4077/4778261360_981eab237d_z.jpgI don't know what these are called but they are all over the damn place.
The small one will fill you palm.
The small one.
faetal on 13/1/2014 at 19:52
Unless they chase you, I'm not bothered. I'm fascinated. I'd tend to avoid jumping spiders or funnel webs as they're a bit unpredictable, but the ones which move slow or fuck about in webs all day are just fine. The first thing I thought when I saw that picture was "wow". Is it a Golden orb weaver maybe?
I've handled European funnel webs before (very aggressive, but the bite is only a bad bee-sting), which is a bit nerve-wracking as they do that thing with the front legs up and chelicera in your face, but so long as you have a basic understanding of their movement behaviour, you know where not to have your hand.
Sydney funnel webs on the other hand - fuck that shit. Also, Huntsman spiders, which not especially dangerous, get very big, can move faster than a fuck and can jump pretty far too. So yeah, not down with anything too mobile.
june gloom on 13/1/2014 at 21:35
We get some tiny, tiny jumping spiders and they don't bother me in the slightest, oddly enough. I think it's because they never come inside, they never even try, they're kind of cute in that whole jerky clockwork animation kind of way, and they kind of abjectly refuse to bite. They're almost friendly, and their roaming nature means they're more likely to stay outside where the bugs are.
All other spiders? Kill it with fire. Including the 100+ or so of different varieties and species that make their homes on the side of my freaking house.
Jason Moyer on 13/1/2014 at 22:07
Unless a spider freaks me out, I generally leave it alone. If I feel uncomfortable co-habitating with it, I'll grab a piece of paper and use it to place it outside.
In all honestly, I'd rather have an infestation of spiders than the stinkbugs we currently have to deal with for 1/4 of the year.
Malleus on 13/1/2014 at 22:16
I cultivate a few in the house. Steatoda types and cellar spiders mostly. They actually catch shit. I wish I could high five them every time I find a mosquito in their nets.
