Camel Spiders

[lerxstcat]

Re: Camel Spiders

He just kept 'em long enough to scare the shit out of me, then threw them away! [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

They looked like the tarantula on first sight, that was enough; the legs would still stand up so it looked alive, since
they will sit still for long periods of time anyway.

Yeah, every once in a while he'd run in and tell me someone hit my car parked on the street (Santa Monica has little parking and he had no employee parking).
Got me the first couple times, the bastard!

He was fun to party with, but so-so as an employer.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Camel Spiders

Originally posted by lerxstcat:
Anyway, when they shed, their exoskeleton looks just like the spider. Every once in awhile I'd come in and open my desk, and there was the tarantula! Its skin, that is, but it jolted me for that second till he'd bust out laughing. That, or he'd pin it up on the wall and say "Oh shit!
Don't move, Rich! Look up - real slow!
Fucking bastard!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">[img]graemlins/brow.gif[/img] Your boss kept the molted exoskeletons of the spider? [img]graemlins/brow.gif[/img]

There's not even that much material in the molted exoskeleton since most of it is digested and "recycled" for use in the new exoskeleton. The stuff must've been very thin and delicate, I'd guess.

[chopper45hd]

Re: Camel Spiders

spiders dont bother me at all. bees...now thats another story. i get stung by a bee and i am looking for my shot.

[VitaminG]

Re: Camel Spiders

I remember being pretty freaked out by The Cure's Lullaby video, watching Robert Smith being swallowed by the giant spider.

I'm no fan of spiders, but I can handle them if need be. My wife use to just *blat* them with a shoe, but I catch them and release them into the wild. Too many episodes of "Bring 'Em Back Alive" when I was a kid, I guess. Damn you, Bruce Boxleitner!

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Camel Spiders

Yeah G-Man, you guys have some pretty evil spiders out that way I believe, one of the more troublesome "biters" run around in your yards I believe. I forgot the name, but they are some pissed off spiders that can put a mean bite on you.

[lerxstcat]

Re: Camel Spiders

I think you mean wolf spiders; they're in the houses as well. I saw one of those venomous creatures shows and they were saying, "better check your shoes in the morning!" Out pops a wolf spider which did look pretty aggressive. Supposed to be very poisonous too.

My poisonous spider experience has been with black widows. I HATE 'em, but have no trouble killing them. I just MAKE SURE I get 'em with the first smack, 'cause they're pretty fast.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Camel Spiders

Ahh, it's sorta like a wolf spider. I just went RacerX and looked it up. It is the Sidney FunnelWeb Spider.

"(The funnel web spider)is unquestionably the most dangerous spider in Australia; the red back and the paralysis tick are the only other two arachnids with potentially fatal bites."

"It is a large (6-7 cm), black, aggressive, ugly looking spider with massive fangs. These are large and powerful enough to easily penetrate a fingernail. During a bite the spider firmly grips its victim and bites repeatedly; in most cases the experience is horrific. The venom is highly toxic. Before an effective antivenom was developed, severe symptoms and death was not uncommon."


Jeeeeeez....

[RacerX]

Re: Camel Spiders

Many people aren't aware of what a dangerous place Australia is! [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Camel Spiders

Bahhh, I'm gettin' the heebie-jeebies now. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Lately, I've been waking up in the middle of the night thrashing and brushing myself off as well as spitting just to make sure there are no spiders on me or in my mouth. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[VitaminG]

Re: Camel Spiders

yea, we're not big on large predators - no leopards or cougars, lions & tigers & bears, oh my! But I think we rule for little creepy crawly shit that'll fuck you up!

[tmdiamond]

Re: Camel Spiders

Yeah, those funnel web things in Australia used to kill a bunch of folks I guess.
OK, last true, really bad spider experience.....I went to Montana State U in 85. I played in a pop metal band called Witness and our management agency, who ironically also managed Black Oak Arkansas, sent us on this pseudo-tour around Montana, Wyoming, S Dakota area. They gave us a yellow truck like a Ryder-type, a big PA, lights, etc. Me and the rhythm guitar player were in that truck while the rest of the band was in another vehicle. Well, I had with me in my lap a small plastic aquarium with my pink-toe tarantula. I bought it for 25 bucks with the thought that owning it would somehow break my fear. I never touched the thing and never took it out. I could look at it but that was it. Any other spider....forget it. Well, Art, the rhythm guy was driving and he slammed on the breaks at 7th and Main in Bozeman, Mt. It's one of the busiest intersections in the whole state. The aquarium slipped from my grip and went to the floorboard. Yep, lid came off, spider..........is OUT! I fukkin' dive out of the truck, traffic is stopped, people are honking, it was bedlam! I'm spazzed out like you would not believe, screamin bloody murder. Imagine a 6'1" dude with earrings, George Lynch-like hair, mascara, freaking out in the middle of traffic. Well, Art scooped Randy (the Tarantula's name) back into the aquarium and I calmed down. We went to our show in Dillon that night and no other problems happened.
We fed Randy a small, white mouse once. The pet store initially wouldn't sell the mouse to us because I told them what it was for. He lost a leg in that particular meal battle. It grew back in his next molt. He even flew back to Illinois with me a year or so later. Then, during his last molt, he died. That was probably 1988. I even buried him. Never touched him though....

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Camel Spiders

Did it cure your fear of spiders? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[lerxstcat]

Re: Camel Spiders

You had Kajagoogoo hair? [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] I'm sure the spider was more scared that you were!
[img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Randy, eh? Mighta named it Ronson myself
(Spiders From Mars) but if you named it Randy I guess you really tried to love it.

[lerxstcat]

Re: Camel Spiders

Originally posted by VitaminG:
yea, we're not big on large predators - no leopards or cougars, lions & tigers & bears, oh my! But I think we rule for little creepy crawly shit that'll fuck you up!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah, were I to live there I'd have to have a repeating pellet gun that would be in my reach always, for shooting the fucking spiders. Of course if it was a brown snake a pellet gun wouldn't be much
use!

Water moccasins and rattlesnakes are bad enough, and you usually have about an hour to get to the ER without dying. Some people won't even die of those snakes' bites, wheras those brown snakes are pretty much always fatal without quick medical help, right?

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Camel Spiders

Not too much afraid of snakes, even poisonous ones, just a healthy respect and knowledge of them etc. Definitely sorta terrified of close quarters with big assed spiders though...