Content Warning: Spiders! - Page 2

lionking · 12th November 2021, 12:58 AM

Originally Posted by Venom

Wow. Comparable to some tarantulas in size.

Yeah, but unlike tarantulas, very deadly. I would happily sleep surrounded by hundreds of tarantulas rather than our normal sized funnel webs, let alone this bugger.

Resume · 12th November 2021, 01:29 AM

I can't sleep as it is, and now this.

novaphile · 17th November 2021, 05:20 PM

Favourite story:

Late a night, on a country road, in pitch dark, while I was changing a blown tyre on my car, we* could hear something coming towards us on the 'soft shoulder' of the road.

Because of where we were, I was a bit worried that it may be a lamb, separated from it's mother.

Pointing my torch in that direction, I didn't find a lamb, but did find a pair of incredibly reflective eyes a ground level...

It was a huntsman, literally bigger than my hand.

It was so big, it was turning over loose gravel as it was walking towards us, and that was what we could hear.

* Note: there were four of us there that night, and I've never been happier to have company!

Delvo · 18th November 2021, 05:00 PM

I'm neither an avoider nor a fan of spiders; I just don't care much one way or the other about them. But one experience I had with them was so unexpected that it has stuck with me for over two decades since then. I was in the middle of a quiet forest, miles from anything else but more forest, in southern Missouri. I sat down for lunch, and neither I nor anything else around me was making any noise for a while. Then I noticed several small spiders, not much bigger than the minimum size to be able to spot them and identify them as spiders at all, walking around near me, starting & stopping & going again repeatedly. And occasionally, while standing still, they'd vibrate either their jaws or their chelicerae (I don't know which), and make a rapid tapping/clicking/rattling sound for a second or two which I could actually hear! The idea of something so tiny making a sound that I'd ever be able to hear was so odd that I didn't even believe it myself until I'd watched them long enough to see & hear it several times.

novaphile · 20th November 2021, 03:32 PM

Hmm...

Very interesting.

That makes me wonder if it could have been competition for territory?

arthwollipot · 10th January 2022, 06:17 PM

Spiders in the car: Check this one spot before driving to prevent a crash

tl;dr: the sun visor.

Quote:

Alis was nearly killed by a huntsman spider, but the spider never touched her.

It appeared in her car as she was driving and the shock of it caused her to swerve suddenly, rolling the vehicle and landing her in hospital.

"I'm very lucky to be alive," she says.

While there are no statistics for crashes caused by spiders specifically, being distracted is one of the leading causes of car crashes in Australia, says Allan Roark, a driving instructor in Launceston.

"It is one of the fatal five, suddenly being distracted," he says.

Mr Roark says when people get startled their fight-or-flight reflex can kick in.

"No matter which way you turn the wheel, the spider is going to travel with you. So the best thing you can do is just try and keep calm and gently put your foot on the brake.

"Try not to panic. That is a lot easier said than done, particularly if you have a fear of spiders," he says...

Puppycow · 10th January 2022, 06:30 PM

If anyone likes spiders I recently came across a Youtube channel called Dave's Little Beasties:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqV...Ly1MH4If5hx6uQ

arthwollipot · 19th September 2022, 10:42 PM

Moves as smooth as silk: scientists uncover Australian ant-slayer spider’s hunting secrets

Quote:

With stealth followed by speedy acrobatics, Euryopis umbilicata can successfully catch banded sugar ants twice its size

A mid-air cartwheel, the judicious use of sticky silk and a quick rappel down a tree, all in the blink of an eye: researchers have identified how the Australian ant-slayer spider captures prey twice its size.

The acrobatic behaviour of the Australian ant-slayer spider, Euryopis umbilicata, as it hunts and eats banded sugar ants has been documented by scientists for the first time.

During the day, the ant-slayer hides under the bark of Eucalyptus trees. At night, it perches on tree trunks and waits for the approach of unsuspecting ants. The tiny arachnid measures up to 6mm in size and its prey can be around two times larger.

“It has this crazy way of hurtling itself at an ant, doing this fabulous cartwheel then, like Spider-Man, attaching a piece of silk in mid-air to the ant,” said the study’s senior author, Prof Mariella Herberstein of Macquarie University.

“Then it keeps on twirling away from the ant while the ant is being captured. At that stage [the prey’s] fate is sealed.”

All the steps in the spider’s attack sequence occur within less than a second, which Herberstein described as an “unbelievable” feat.

arthwollipot · 15th February 2023, 10:30 PM

Three new spider species discovered in alpine Australia during Bush Blitz expedition

Quote:

A warrior huntsman with a shield on its chest is among three mysterious spider species uncovered as part of an expedition through Australia's alpine region.

The 11-day Australian Alps Bush Blitz expedition to discover new species has also revealed a 3-millimetre jumping spider that "looks like a licorice all-sort", along with a wraparound spider that impersonates a tree branch.

Museums Victoria Research Institute arachnologist Joseph Schubert discovered the new spiders, and hoped to uncover more species before the expedition ends.

"Most people associate spiders with the outback dunny door, but spiders are hugely diverse," he said.

"From the infamous shield huntsman with war paint on his legs and a shield on his chest to frighten off predators, to the tiny jumping spiders that look like eight-eyed puppies."

Mr Schubert said spiders were also experts at camouflage.

"The wraparound spider is a ferocious nocturnal mini-hunter that impersonates a tree branch during the day to hide from predators," he said.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek lauded the finds as exciting.

Skeptic Ginger · 16th February 2023, 12:30 AM

Australia has an "alpine region"?

Darat · 16th February 2023, 04:37 AM

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger

Australia has an "alpine region"?

Yep as well as tropical rainforests, temperate, equatorial zones and so on. The inside bit is a tad dry and dusty but around the edges it has immense variety.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enviro...ap_MJC01_1.svg

Skeptic Ginger · 16th February 2023, 04:47 AM

Originally Posted by Darat

Yep as well as tropical rainforests, temperate, equatorial zones and so on. The inside bit is a tad dry and dusty but around the edges it has immense variety.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enviro...ap_MJC01_1.svg

I don't see alpine on that map.

Quote:

Of, relating to, or characteristic of the Alps or their inhabitants.
Of or relating to high mountains.
Living or growing on mountains above the timberline.

Darat · 16th February 2023, 04:57 AM

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger

I don't see alpine on that map.

If you want to be pedantic then yes nowhere in the world can you have an "alpine environment" other than in the actual Alps...

However scientists and the Australian government don't use the label in such a pedantic manner, for example: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environmen...and%20Victoria.

Or more informally:

https://theconversation.com/ecocheck...0in%20Tasmania.

Skeptic Ginger · 16th February 2023, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by Darat

If you want to be pedantic then yes nowhere in the world can you have an "alpine environment" other than in the actual Alps...

However scientists and the Australian government don't use the label in such a pedantic manner, for example: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environmen...and%20Victoria.

Or more informally:

https://theconversation.com/ecocheck...0in%20Tasmania.

I don't live near the Alps but we have lots of alpine lakes here in the Cascades. It's not being pedantic. I didn't think they had mountains that tall in Oz.

Blue Mountain · 16th February 2023, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Three new spider species discovered in alpine Australia during Bush Blitz expedition

It's common knowledge that everything is Australia is deadly and out to kill you. So how many of that expedition returned alive?

Ziggurat · 16th February 2023, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by Blue Mountain

It's common knowledge that everything is Australia is deadly and out to kill you. So how many of that expedition returned alive?

https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2...he-devil-above

"In this war, the spiders are our allies."

SteveAitch · 16th February 2023, 11:40 AM

The spiders of England are almost boringly harmless, though they do tend to make some people scream when found in the bath, usually this sort

House spider by Steve Higgins, on Flickr

Male house-spider, usually only seen when on the prowl for females.

Spektator · 16th February 2023, 03:42 PM

Brown recluse spiders are no fun. Still have a small scar on my forearm where a small one bit me twenty years ago. Back then the wound, after necrotizing and sloughing, became the size of a quarter. Good thing there's a thread warning. Spiders.

novaphile · 16th February 2023, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by Spektator

Brown recluse spiders are no fun. Still have a small scar on my forearm where a small one bit me twenty years ago. Back then the wound, after necrotizing and sloughing, became the size of a quarter. Good thing there's a thread warning. Spiders.

Less than fun fact.

Pretty much any spider that can pierce your skin, can give you a nectrotizing wound.

It's a side effect of the food they eat and how it is digested (apparently).

I've been bitten by huntsmen a few times, and the wounds were painful, deep, bled a lot, but didn't show any signs of infection/necrotizing. I'm very happy about the latter.

IsThisTheLife · 16th February 2023, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by Blue Mountain

It's common knowledge that everything is Australia is deadly and out to kill you. So how many of that expedition returned alive?

The stats might be reassuring now, but go back 60 years or more when there was no anti-venom for most of the critters in question and it was a different matter. From what I gather getting bitten by a Red Back, Eastern Brown or whatever is still quite an unpleasant experience even in the knowledge that you're not going to die.

arthwollipot · 16th February 2023, 05:37 PM

I recently got over a phase of watching Americans react to youtube videos about Australia and one of the most common reactions is "wait, it snows in Australia?"

Yes, it snows. We have a mountain range that is literally called the Snowy Mountains. It's not a huge area, but it's definitely classified as alpine. And it has reasonable skiing.

Originally Posted by SteveAitch

Male house-spider, usually only seen when on the prowl for females.

That looks like a wolf spider to me. How large was it?

novaphile · 16th February 2023, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by IsThisTheLife

The stats might be reassuring now, but go back 60 years or more when there was no anti-venom for most of the critters in question and it was a different matter. From what I gather getting bitten by a Red Back, Eastern Brown or whatever is still quite an unpleasant experience even in the knowledge that you're not going to die.

Eastern Browns are probably one of the best snakes to have bite you.

They are very picky and usually only envenomate their prey, i.e. defensive bites are just wounds without venom. Unfortunately, this doesn't hold true for the juveniles, so don't pick up the cute little baby snakes. I've heard that they can deliver an adult load of venom even when they look like little brown earthworms.

However, best advice is always: "Don't mess with snakes."

IsThisTheLife · 16th February 2023, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by SteveAitch

The spiders of England are almost boringly harmless, though they do tend to make some people scream when found in the bath, usually this sort

House spider by Steve Higgins, on Flickr

Male house-spider, usually only seen when on the prowl for females.

There are Tube Webs, which I believe are are relatives of Funnel Webs (they look similar), which bite quite readily and can hurt. I was in an internet room in Richmond c. 2005 when a quite large one appeared on the floor and a guy picked it up to evict it (to save it from being trodden on), it chomped his finger tip and actually drew blood, two little beads, he felt it the bite itself and then apparently it stung a bit.

arthwollipot · 16th February 2023, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by IsThisTheLife

There are Tube Webs, which I believe are are relatives of Funnel Webs (they look similar), which bite quite readily and can hurt. I was in an internet room in Richmond c. 2005 when a quite large one appeared on the floor and a guy picked it up to evict it (to save it from being trodden on), it chomped his finger tip and actually drew blood, two little beads, he felt it the bite itself and then apparently it stung a bit.

I know someone who managed to be bitten by a huntsman spider, which are very large and look quite scary but are quite inoffensive and actually good to have around because they eat smaller spiders and insects like cockroaches. She had a small itchy rash at the site for about a day, and then it went away.

IsThisTheLife · 16th February 2023, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by novaphile

Eastern Browns are probably one of the best snakes to have bite you.

They are very picky and usually only envenomate their prey, i.e. defensive bites are just wounds without venom. Unfortunately, this doesn't hold true for the juveniles, so don't pick up the cute little baby snakes. I've heard that they can deliver an adult load of venom even when they look like little brown earthworms.

However, best advice is always: "Don't mess with snakes."

Yep. That said, when my niece was a toddler up in FNQ, if my brother found a venomous snake on the property (or anywhere near it for that matter) he killed them without compunction.

arthwollipot · 16th February 2023, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by IsThisTheLife

Yep. That said, when my niece was a toddler up in FNQ, if my brother found a venomous snake on the property (or anywhere near it for that matter) he killed them without compunction.

That would be illegal in most states these days.

IsThisTheLife · 16th February 2023, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

That would be illegal in most states these days.

Of course. I doubt my brother gave a ****, and neither would I. ETA >> as I recall he only had to resort to killing them twice in several years.

novaphile · 16th February 2023, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

I know someone who managed to be bitten by a huntsman spider, which are very large and look quite scary but are quite inoffensive and actually good to have around because they eat smaller spiders and insects like cockroaches. She had a small itchy rash at the site for about a day, and then it went away.

The small itchy rash suggests a histamine response, probably to a foreign protein left behind by the bite. (Really stretching for the last part)

SteveAitch · 16th February 2023, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

...

That looks like a wolf spider to me.

Not hairy enough?

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

How large was it?

Ooooh, all of about 3 inches, including the legs.

arthwollipot · 16th February 2023, 11:37 PM

Originally Posted by novaphile

The small itchy rash suggests a histamine response, probably to a foreign protein left behind by the bite. (Really stretching for the last part)

Sounds like a reasonable suggestion.

Originally Posted by SteveAitch

Not hairy enough?

Ooooh, all of about 3 inches, including the legs.

That's about right for a wolf spider. There are lots of different genera of wolf spider, though, and I'm not an expert in spider taxonomy, so it would be hard to say. It has the general morphology of a wolfie though.

novaphile · 17th February 2023, 01:11 AM

I get a lot of wolf spiders in my garden, and rarely in my house, and they do look a lot like the spider in the UK.

They're fascinating to watch in action, they run very quickly and leap on their prey!

From my own experience, I'd say that most of the little itchy welts that I get when weeding, are probably from them. And I've bitten by a wolf spider when I picked it up to take it out of my house.

(Yes, I know, you'd think I'd learn by now.)

The females are often only visible because they're lugging a huge egg case around with them, their camouflage is excellent.

arthwollipot · 14th March 2023, 04:49 PM

Spiders were the subject of a recent episode of the Infinite Monkey Cage podcast, and it was one of the most entertaining in ages, thanks to some very, very funny ecologists. Seriously, the scientists were funnier than the comedian in this episode.

Absolutely worth a download.

And it's not very often that you see the phrase "very, very funny ecologists". Trust me.

12th November 2021, 12:58 AM	#41
lionking In the Peanut Gallery Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 52,855	Originally Posted by Venom Wow. Comparable to some tarantulas in size. Yeah, but unlike tarantulas, very deadly. I would happily sleep surrounded by hundreds of tarantulas rather than our normal sized funnel webs, let alone this bugger.
	__________________ A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. Sir Winston Churchill

12th November 2021, 01:29 AM	#42
Resume Troublesome Passenger Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 21,562	I can't sleep as it is, and now this.
	__________________ "Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears… To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies." -Octavia E. Butler

17th November 2021, 05:20 PM	#43
novaphile Quester of Doglets Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sunny South Australia Posts: 4,387	Favourite story: Late a night, on a country road, in pitch dark, while I was changing a blown tyre on my car, we* could hear something coming towards us on the 'soft shoulder' of the road. Because of where we were, I was a bit worried that it may be a lamb, separated from it's mother. Pointing my torch in that direction, I didn't find a lamb, but did find a pair of incredibly reflective eyes a ground level... It was a huntsman, literally bigger than my hand. It was so big, it was turning over loose gravel as it was walking towards us, and that was what we could hear. * Note: there were four of us there that night, and I've never been happier to have company!
	__________________ We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato.

20th November 2021, 03:32 PM	#45
novaphile Quester of Doglets Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sunny South Australia Posts: 4,387	Hmm... Very interesting. That makes me wonder if it could have been competition for territory?
	__________________ We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato.

10th January 2022, 06:17 PM	#46
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 80,749	Spiders in the car: Check this one spot before driving to prevent a crash tl;dr: the sun visor. Quote: Alis was nearly killed by a huntsman spider, but the spider never touched her. It appeared in her car as she was driving and the shock of it caused her to swerve suddenly, rolling the vehicle and landing her in hospital. "I'm very lucky to be alive," she says. While there are no statistics for crashes caused by spiders specifically, being distracted is one of the leading causes of car crashes in Australia, says Allan Roark, a driving instructor in Launceston. "It is one of the fatal five, suddenly being distracted," he says. Mr Roark says when people get startled their fight-or-flight reflex can kick in. "No matter which way you turn the wheel, the spider is going to travel with you. So the best thing you can do is just try and keep calm and gently put your foot on the brake. "Try not to panic. That is a lot easier said than done, particularly if you have a fear of spiders," he says...
	__________________ Слава Україні! Героям Слава! 20220224 - 20230224 Last edited by arthwollipot; 10th January 2022 at 06:18 PM.

18th November 2021, 05:00 PM	#44
Delvo Дэлво Δελϝο דֶלְבֹֿ देल्वो Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: North Tonawanda, NY Posts: 10,931	I'm neither an avoider nor a fan of spiders; I just don't care much one way or the other about them. But one experience I had with them was so unexpected that it has stuck with me for over two decades since then. I was in the middle of a quiet forest, miles from anything else but more forest, in southern Missouri. I sat down for lunch, and neither I nor anything else around me was making any noise for a while. Then I noticed several small spiders, not much bigger than the minimum size to be able to spot them and identify them as spiders at all, walking around near me, starting & stopping & going again repeatedly. And occasionally, while standing still, they'd vibrate either their jaws or their chelicerae (I don't know which), and make a rapid tapping/clicking/rattling sound for a second or two which I could actually hear! The idea of something so tiny making a sound that I'd ever be able to hear was so odd that I didn't even believe it myself until I'd watched them long enough to see & hear it several times.

10th January 2022, 06:30 PM	#47
Puppycow Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Yokohama, Japan Posts: 27,884	If anyone likes spiders I recently came across a Youtube channel called Dave's Little Beasties: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqV...Ly1MH4If5hx6uQ
	__________________ A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool. William Shakespeare

19th September 2022, 10:42 PM	#48
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 80,749	Moves as smooth as silk: scientists uncover Australian ant-slayer spider’s hunting secrets Quote: With stealth followed by speedy acrobatics, Euryopis umbilicata can successfully catch banded sugar ants twice its size A mid-air cartwheel, the judicious use of sticky silk and a quick rappel down a tree, all in the blink of an eye: researchers have identified how the Australian ant-slayer spider captures prey twice its size. The acrobatic behaviour of the Australian ant-slayer spider, Euryopis umbilicata, as it hunts and eats banded sugar ants has been documented by scientists for the first time. During the day, the ant-slayer hides under the bark of Eucalyptus trees. At night, it perches on tree trunks and waits for the approach of unsuspecting ants. The tiny arachnid measures up to 6mm in size and its prey can be around two times larger. “It has this crazy way of hurtling itself at an ant, doing this fabulous cartwheel then, like Spider-Man, attaching a piece of silk in mid-air to the ant,” said the study’s senior author, Prof Mariella Herberstein of Macquarie University. “Then it keeps on twirling away from the ant while the ant is being captured. At that stage [the prey’s] fate is sealed.” All the steps in the spider’s attack sequence occur within less than a second, which Herberstein described as an “unbelievable” feat.
	__________________ Слава Україні! Героям Слава! 20220224 - 20230224

15th February 2023, 10:30 PM	#49
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 80,749	Three new spider species discovered in alpine Australia during Bush Blitz expedition Quote: A warrior huntsman with a shield on its chest is among three mysterious spider species uncovered as part of an expedition through Australia's alpine region. The 11-day Australian Alps Bush Blitz expedition to discover new species has also revealed a 3-millimetre jumping spider that "looks like a licorice all-sort", along with a wraparound spider that impersonates a tree branch. Museums Victoria Research Institute arachnologist Joseph Schubert discovered the new spiders, and hoped to uncover more species before the expedition ends. "Most people associate spiders with the outback dunny door, but spiders are hugely diverse," he said. "From the infamous shield huntsman with war paint on his legs and a shield on his chest to frighten off predators, to the tiny jumping spiders that look like eight-eyed puppies." Mr Schubert said spiders were also experts at camouflage. "The wraparound spider is a ferocious nocturnal mini-hunter that impersonates a tree branch during the day to hide from predators," he said. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek lauded the finds as exciting.
	__________________ Слава Україні! Героям Слава! 20220224 - 20230224

16th February 2023, 12:30 AM	#50
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 93,353	Australia has an "alpine region"?

16th February 2023, 04:37 AM	#51
Darat Lackey Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: South East, UK Posts: 108,048	Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger Australia has an "alpine region"? Yep as well as tropical rainforests, temperate, equatorial zones and so on. The inside bit is a tad dry and dusty but around the edges it has immense variety. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enviro...ap_MJC01_1.svg
	__________________ I wish I knew how to quit you

16th February 2023, 04:47 AM	#52
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 93,353	Originally Posted by Darat Yep as well as tropical rainforests, temperate, equatorial zones and so on. The inside bit is a tad dry and dusty but around the edges it has immense variety. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enviro...ap_MJC01_1.svg I don't see alpine on that map. Quote: Of, relating to, or characteristic of the Alps or their inhabitants. Of or relating to high mountains. Living or growing on mountains above the timberline.

16th February 2023, 04:57 AM	#53
Darat Lackey Administrator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: South East, UK Posts: 108,048	Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger I don't see alpine on that map. If you want to be pedantic then yes nowhere in the world can you have an "alpine environment" other than in the actual Alps... However scientists and the Australian government don't use the label in such a pedantic manner, for example: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environmen...and%20Victoria. Or more informally: https://theconversation.com/ecocheck...0in%20Tasmania.
	__________________ I wish I knew how to quit you

16th February 2023, 07:48 AM	#54
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 93,353	Originally Posted by Darat If you want to be pedantic then yes nowhere in the world can you have an "alpine environment" other than in the actual Alps... However scientists and the Australian government don't use the label in such a pedantic manner, for example: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environmen...and%20Victoria. Or more informally: https://theconversation.com/ecocheck...0in%20Tasmania. I don't live near the Alps but we have lots of alpine lakes here in the Cascades. It's not being pedantic. I didn't think they had mountains that tall in Oz.

16th February 2023, 08:18 AM	#55
Blue Mountain Resident Skeptical Hobbit Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Waging war on woo-woo in Winnipeg Posts: 7,281	Originally Posted by arthwollipot Three new spider species discovered in alpine Australia during Bush Blitz expedition It's common knowledge that everything is Australia is deadly and out to kill you. So how many of that expedition returned alive?
	__________________ The social illusion reigns to-day upon all the heaped-up ruins of the past, and to it belongs the future. The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste, preferring to deify error, if error seduce them. Gustav Le Bon, The Crowd, 1895 (from the French)

16th February 2023, 10:48 AM	#56
Ziggurat Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 53,339	Originally Posted by Blue Mountain It's common knowledge that everything is Australia is deadly and out to kill you. So how many of that expedition returned alive? https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2...he-devil-above "In this war, the spiders are our allies."
	__________________ "As long as it is admitted that the law may be diverted from its true purpose -- that it may violate property instead of protecting it -- then everyone will want to participate in making the law, either to protect himself against plunder or to use it for plunder. Political questions will always be prejudicial, dominant, and all-absorbing. There will be fighting at the door of the Legislative Palace, and the struggle within will be no less furious." - Bastiat, The Law

16th February 2023, 11:40 AM	#57
SteveAitch Muse Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: St Aines Posts: 752	The spiders of England are almost boringly harmless, though they do tend to make some people scream when found in the bath, usually this sort House spider by Steve Higgins, on Flickr Male house-spider, usually only seen when on the prowl for females.
	__________________ If this board is too exciting for you, try my Flickr pages. Warning: may cause narcolepsy! Some people call me 'strange'. I prefer 'unconventional'. But I'm willing to compromise and accept 'eccentric'...

16th February 2023, 03:42 PM	#58
Spektator Watching . . . always watching. Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Southeastern USA Posts: 2,145	Brown recluse spiders are no fun. Still have a small scar on my forearm where a small one bit me twenty years ago. Back then the wound, after necrotizing and sloughing, became the size of a quarter. Good thing there's a thread warning. Spiders.

16th February 2023, 04:34 PM	#59
novaphile Quester of Doglets Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sunny South Australia Posts: 4,387	Originally Posted by Spektator Brown recluse spiders are no fun. Still have a small scar on my forearm where a small one bit me twenty years ago. Back then the wound, after necrotizing and sloughing, became the size of a quarter. Good thing there's a thread warning. Spiders. Less than fun fact. Pretty much any spider that can pierce your skin, can give you a nectrotizing wound. It's a side effect of the food they eat and how it is digested (apparently). I've been bitten by huntsmen a few times, and the wounds were painful, deep, bled a lot, but didn't show any signs of infection/necrotizing. I'm very happy about the latter.
	__________________ We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato.

16th February 2023, 05:31 PM	#60
IsThisTheLife Muse Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 932	Originally Posted by Blue Mountain It's common knowledge that everything is Australia is deadly and out to kill you. So how many of that expedition returned alive? The stats might be reassuring now, but go back 60 years or more when there was no anti-venom for most of the critters in question and it was a different matter. From what I gather getting bitten by a Red Back, Eastern Brown or whatever is still quite an unpleasant experience even in the knowledge that you're not going to die.
IsThisTheLife Muse Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 932	__________________ "There is no sin except stupidity." "He could have undermined the messaging so much that he can actually control exactly what people think and that, that is our job." - Mika Brzezinski, MSNBC

16th February 2023, 05:37 PM	#61
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 80,749	I recently got over a phase of watching Americans react to youtube videos about Australia and one of the most common reactions is "wait, it snows in Australia?" Yes, it snows. We have a mountain range that is literally called the Snowy Mountains. It's not a huge area, but it's definitely classified as alpine. And it has reasonable skiing. Originally Posted by SteveAitch Male house-spider, usually only seen when on the prowl for females. That looks like a wolf spider to me. How large was it?
	__________________ Слава Україні! Героям Слава! 20220224 - 20230224

16th February 2023, 05:57 PM	#62
novaphile Quester of Doglets Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sunny South Australia Posts: 4,387	Originally Posted by IsThisTheLife The stats might be reassuring now, but go back 60 years or more when there was no anti-venom for most of the critters in question and it was a different matter. From what I gather getting bitten by a Red Back, Eastern Brown or whatever is still quite an unpleasant experience even in the knowledge that you're not going to die. Eastern Browns are probably one of the best snakes to have bite you. They are very picky and usually only envenomate their prey, i.e. defensive bites are just wounds without venom. Unfortunately, this doesn't hold true for the juveniles, so don't pick up the cute little baby snakes. I've heard that they can deliver an adult load of venom even when they look like little brown earthworms. However, best advice is always: "Don't mess with snakes."
	__________________ We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato.

16th February 2023, 05:57 PM	#63
IsThisTheLife Muse Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 932	Originally Posted by SteveAitch The spiders of England are almost boringly harmless, though they do tend to make some people scream when found in the bath, usually this sort House spider by Steve Higgins, on Flickr Male house-spider, usually only seen when on the prowl for females. There are Tube Webs, which I believe are are relatives of Funnel Webs (they look similar), which bite quite readily and can hurt. I was in an internet room in Richmond c. 2005 when a quite large one appeared on the floor and a guy picked it up to evict it (to save it from being trodden on), it chomped his finger tip and actually drew blood, two little beads, he felt it the bite itself and then apparently it stung a bit.
IsThisTheLife Muse Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 932	__________________ "There is no sin except stupidity." "He could have undermined the messaging so much that he can actually control exactly what people think and that, that is our job." - Mika Brzezinski, MSNBC

16th February 2023, 06:00 PM	#64
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 80,749	Originally Posted by IsThisTheLife There are Tube Webs, which I believe are are relatives of Funnel Webs (they look similar), which bite quite readily and can hurt. I was in an internet room in Richmond c. 2005 when a quite large one appeared on the floor and a guy picked it up to evict it (to save it from being trodden on), it chomped his finger tip and actually drew blood, two little beads, he felt it the bite itself and then apparently it stung a bit. I know someone who managed to be bitten by a huntsman spider, which are very large and look quite scary but are quite inoffensive and actually good to have around because they eat smaller spiders and insects like cockroaches. She had a small itchy rash at the site for about a day, and then it went away.
	__________________ Слава Україні! Героям Слава! 20220224 - 20230224

16th February 2023, 06:01 PM	#65
IsThisTheLife Muse Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 932	Originally Posted by novaphile Eastern Browns are probably one of the best snakes to have bite you. They are very picky and usually only envenomate their prey, i.e. defensive bites are just wounds without venom. Unfortunately, this doesn't hold true for the juveniles, so don't pick up the cute little baby snakes. I've heard that they can deliver an adult load of venom even when they look like little brown earthworms. However, best advice is always: "Don't mess with snakes." Yep. That said, when my niece was a toddler up in FNQ, if my brother found a venomous snake on the property (or anywhere near it for that matter) he killed them without compunction.
IsThisTheLife Muse Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 932	__________________ "There is no sin except stupidity." "He could have undermined the messaging so much that he can actually control exactly what people think and that, that is our job." - Mika Brzezinski, MSNBC

16th February 2023, 06:02 PM	#66
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 80,749	Originally Posted by IsThisTheLife Yep. That said, when my niece was a toddler up in FNQ, if my brother found a venomous snake on the property (or anywhere near it for that matter) he killed them without compunction. That would be illegal in most states these days.
	__________________ Слава Україні! Героям Слава! 20220224 - 20230224

16th February 2023, 08:42 PM	#67
IsThisTheLife Muse Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 932	Originally Posted by arthwollipot That would be illegal in most states these days. Of course. I doubt my brother gave a ****, and neither would I. ETA >> as I recall he only had to resort to killing them twice in several years.
IsThisTheLife Muse Join Date: Jan 2019 Posts: 932	__________________ "There is no sin except stupidity." "He could have undermined the messaging so much that he can actually control exactly what people think and that, that is our job." - Mika Brzezinski, MSNBC Last edited by IsThisTheLife; 16th February 2023 at 08:43 PM.

16th February 2023, 11:13 PM	#68
novaphile Quester of Doglets Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sunny South Australia Posts: 4,387	Originally Posted by arthwollipot I know someone who managed to be bitten by a huntsman spider, which are very large and look quite scary but are quite inoffensive and actually good to have around because they eat smaller spiders and insects like cockroaches. She had a small itchy rash at the site for about a day, and then it went away. The small itchy rash suggests a histamine response, probably to a foreign protein left behind by the bite. (Really stretching for the last part)
	__________________ We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato.

16th February 2023, 11:34 PM	#69
SteveAitch Muse Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: St Aines Posts: 752	Originally Posted by arthwollipot ... That looks like a wolf spider to me. Not hairy enough? Originally Posted by arthwollipot How large was it? Ooooh, all of about 3 inches, including the legs.
	__________________ If this board is too exciting for you, try my Flickr pages. Warning: may cause narcolepsy! Some people call me 'strange'. I prefer 'unconventional'. But I'm willing to compromise and accept 'eccentric'...

16th February 2023, 11:37 PM	#70
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 80,749	Originally Posted by novaphile The small itchy rash suggests a histamine response, probably to a foreign protein left behind by the bite. (Really stretching for the last part) Sounds like a reasonable suggestion. Originally Posted by SteveAitch Not hairy enough? Ooooh, all of about 3 inches, including the legs. That's about right for a wolf spider. There are lots of different genera of wolf spider, though, and I'm not an expert in spider taxonomy, so it would be hard to say. It has the general morphology of a wolfie though.
	__________________ Слава Україні! Героям Слава! 20220224 - 20230224

17th February 2023, 01:11 AM	#71
novaphile Quester of Doglets Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Sunny South Australia Posts: 4,387	I get a lot of wolf spiders in my garden, and rarely in my house, and they do look a lot like the spider in the UK. They're fascinating to watch in action, they run very quickly and leap on their prey! From my own experience, I'd say that most of the little itchy welts that I get when weeding, are probably from them. And I've bitten by a wolf spider when I picked it up to take it out of my house. (Yes, I know, you'd think I'd learn by now.) The females are often only visible because they're lugging a huge egg case around with them, their camouflage is excellent.
	__________________ We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato.

14th March 2023, 04:49 PM	#72
arthwollipot Observer of Phenomena Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ngunnawal Country Posts: 80,749	Spiders were the subject of a recent episode of the Infinite Monkey Cage podcast, and it was one of the most entertaining in ages, thanks to some very, very funny ecologists. Seriously, the scientists were funnier than the comedian in this episode. Absolutely worth a download. And it's not very often that you see the phrase "very, very funny ecologists". Trust me.
	__________________ Слава Україні! Героям Слава! 20220224 - 20230224