NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm sitting here watching a tiny spider traverse my bedroom on a tiny thread it has somehow managed to get to span my entire room - from one wall to another, about 3 metres. This got me thinking, I like spiders - not in the sense that I keep some in a tank and give them 'cute' female names: "This is Delilah, shes a gaint golliath elphant eating spider...". I just think that they are absolutley amazing creatures; strong, flexible, fast - totally alien to the world of mamals.
I'm not at all phobic about them - granted I live in Scotland where there are no dangerous spiders at all. What do you guys think about them?

Not fussed!

I think they are amazing to watch as well.


HOWEVER.....

I'm terrified to get close to them. We DO have poisonous spiders in the South....and they scare the ba-jesus out of me in that regard. :eek:


But yes, beautiful and talented they are.

10 big black spiders in toy oven when 4 isn't cool.
Otherwise very cool.
Just wouldn't want to cross the path of the Brazilian wandering spider.

I keep telling people, it's us females you should beware of ;)

Amazing creatures, although most of the big ones are ugly bitches

We get black widdow spiders in N. USA. In the south they get those plus brown recluse spiders. Both poisonous. Still, I'm not afraid of them, and I like to see them around. They keep the mosquito population down. Mosquitos are a real nuisance, and a public health problem.

10 big black spiders in toy oven when 4 isn't cool.
Otherwise very cool.
Just wouldn't want to cross the path of the Brazilian wandering spider.

I keep telling people, it's us females you should beware of ;)

Yeah I can totally understand people being scared of them in places where they're venomous (or is it poisonous (or is it both?)?). Up where I live, on the other hand, I cannot fathom why people would refuse to share a room with them. The ones in my room keep it free from other peskey wee beasties that could no be bothered with.

OK when it comes to spiders I become a "girley mahn" I hate 'em. They don't survive long in my presence. Even though I know they are beneficial to us but, they are so incideous and efficient as killers.

dont have poisonous spiders here...never seen the need to squeal and get on like someones just died

I think they are outstanding to just sit there and watch them.

Incredibly amazing creatures, the fact alone that spider silk has a tensile strength far beyond any conventional materials astounds me. And with a much higher strength to weight ratio at that! Truly incredible creatures! :)

I like spiders. They're smarter than you give them credit for, along with all those other talents previously mentioned.

they are fascinating. but they scare the hell out of me. i would have already sprayed the thing with a half a can of raid.

I'm an arachnophob. When I see a spider, I must squash her with a big and heavy object.

Amazing as hell...but I would really rather they did their amazing thing elsewhere. Close up I'm too busy screaming like the girl I am to notice anything that great. I'm too scared of them to even throw things at them. Small ones I'm pretty okay with...provided there's quite a bit of space between me and it. Anything bigger than my thumbnail I want OUT.

You don't get poisonous ones where I live but they still scare me beyond all reason.

I hate spiders. Brrrr...those big, black, hairy legs.....

Spiders are cool.
I used to have a great big wolf spider that lived in my shower. When I got in I'd shoo him up to the top so he wouldn't drown. All the dangerous spiders in the US are small, so big spiders are all safe. If I have any doubt, I catch it and put it outside.

Generally, I am opposed to spiders. The ones with the large asses are ok, they're amusingly shaped. But the ones that look like small tarantulas... :mp5:

I generally find that legs > 4 = scary/icky critter. This explains my complete ok-ness with snakes and my extreme aversion to even most insects, including flies :p . There are some exceptions to this rule, beetles/ladybirds (or as americans call them 'ladybugs' :rolleyes: ) seem to be ok; possibly because their wingcases make look them look smoother, less weird and disgusting - unlike flies or spiders, which are all hair. And then you've got your centipedes and millipedes, but they don't really count. They're just showing off with all them legs.

If I have any doubt, I catch it and put it outside.

No! Don't put it outside, it'll die. It's probably not a wolf spider, but a large house spider (not really adapted for the outdoors). I just let them be, but do move them out of the sink/bath.

http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/insidewolf.html
*Honestly I'm not a spider nut, I just find wee beasties interesting*

If I had the option I'd call in an artillery barrage, carpet bombing, nuclear strike, something of that nature on any spider. I think they're cool, they are very, very beneficial, and the webs even are fine. HOWEVER, pictures or the like are enough to see me out of a room...*shudders* Ghads I can't stand those creatures no matter how helpful they are. Have I mentioned that I see nothing odd about trying to fire an anti-material rifle at a spider smaller than a dime? Yeah... I have no problem with scorpions however, kind of odd.

Just my thoughts.

You know, I was reading a while back that horseshoe crabs are considered arachnids? I find that very odd...

You know, I was reading a while back that horseshoe crabs are considered arachnids? I find that very odd...

Cool. Slaters (Wood Lice) are conversly considered crabs (well crustecia anyway)

Spiders are OK by me, partially because they haven't done anything to me and partially because I hate mosquitoes. My fiancee, on the other hand, loathes spiders. She can't stand even hearing about them.

No! Don't put it outside, it'll die. It's probably not a wolf spider, but a large house spider (not really adapted for the outdoors). I just let them be, but do move them out of the sink/bath.

http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/insidewolf.html
*Honestly I'm not a spider nut, I just find wee beasties interesting*

I don't put the big spiders outside, I'm not worried about them. It's the little ones I'm suspicious of. We do have poisonous spiders here, but they're small. We have black widows and the brown recluse. The big ones are cool. Anything I recognize as safe is welcome to stay in the house. If I'm suspicious, it goes outside.

...because I hate mosquitoes.
that reminds me! i forgot my mosquito rant!

Mosquitos = DUDES. I totally respect any animal that sucks blood for a living. sure, they can kill you. but so what. At least they have CLASS. Not like flies. If Mosquitos are the vampires of the insect world, then flies are the zombies. And i'd rather be killed by vampires than zombies.

/rant

in england , the spiders are pussies, i like small ones, i like huge ones like tarantulas, but i hate small wolf spiders about the size of a two pound coin. i found three inside my boot as i picked it up then two other dead ones fell out.

Clicky (http://www.degg.org/Bilder/art/big/Arachnophobia.jpg)
It's perfectly safe.

http://www.wetnwildtaxidermy.com/GoliathTarantula2.JPG
http://www.wetnwildtaxidermy.com/GoliathTarantula4.JPG
What's freaky is that's a taxidermy site's product. Giant bird-eating tarantula for sale!

i found three inside my boot as i picked it up then two other dead ones fell out.

*is in England*

*hopes that never happens to me*

*hides*

in england , the spiders are pussies, i like small ones, i like huge ones like tarantulas, but i hate small wolf spiders about the size of a two pound coin. i found three inside my boot as i picked it up then two other dead ones fell out.

The village I come from was once in the news due to the unusually large spiders found there.

Clicky (http://www.degg.org/Bilder/art/big/Arachnophobia.jpg)
It's perfectly safe.

http://www.wetnwildtaxidermy.com/GoliathTarantula2.JPG
http://www.wetnwildtaxidermy.com/GoliathTarantula4.JPG
What's freaky is that's a taxidermy site's product. Giant bird-eating tarantula for sale!

Now that, I can say, is something to be justifyably warey of.

Clicky (http://www.degg.org/Bilder/art/big/Arachnophobia.jpg)
It's perfectly safe.
What's freaky is that's a taxidermy site's product. Giant bird-eating tarantula for sale!

I hate you. I really do. I nearly lept from my chair upon seeing that. *shudders*

Of course that whole big spiders are usually safe bit is thrown to hell if you go to Australia. Black Funnel Web spiders... supposedly the most deadly spider on earth. I don't like the idea of a huge, black, and amazingly deadly spider.

Brazilian wandering spiders are worse. 9sec I believe to go get help.

Btw, you're welcome.

Either the person or the spider here is called Jess:

http://www.gedcasserley.saddleworth.net/assets/images/Jess21.jpg

EDIT: changed to a link so as not to scare those of a sensative nature

Brazilian wandering spiders are worse. 9sec I believe to go get help.

Btw, you're welcome.

Didn't know that, any details you can hand me that don't involve a pic? I'm strangely wary of googleing the subject, too likely that I'll be getting a pic with my info.

Yeah, thanks.

ProMonkians: See my previous post to Randomea.

I think they are amazing to watch as well.


HOWEVER.....

I'm terrified to get close to them. We DO have poisonous spiders in the South....and they scare the ba-jesus out of me in that regard. :eek:


But yes, beautiful and talented they are.
How poisinous?

grrr look at the soize 'o' it
http://img138.exs.cx/img138/6453/spider1ys.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
BTW has anyone seen a camel spider, they can jump up to 60cm and live in iraq and southern US states, they nasty buggers. this is actually two joined together (http://67.19.222.106/photos/images/camelspider.jpg)

EDIT: gasp if you see a face, its blocked your IP address, the real pic looks cool

Didn't know that, any details you can hand me that don't involve a pic? I'm strangely wary of googleing the subject, too likely that I'll be getting a pic with my info.

Yeah, thanks.

ProMonkians: See my previous post to Randomea.

Sorry, posted before I saw your post. But that's not a Brazillian, it's a Goliath Bird Eating Spider.

As for brazzilans here's the specs:

The Brazilian Wandering Spider is not for the "pet keeper". Brazilian Wandering Spiders are extremely fast, extremely venomous, and extremely aggressive. These large and dangerous true spiders are ranked among the most venomous spiders known to man. In fact, the Brazilian Wandering Spider is the most venomous spider in the New World! In South America, these true spiders are commonly encountered in peoples' homes, supposedly hiding in peoples' shoes, hats, and other clothes. The Brazilian Wandering Spider does not remain on a web, rather, it wanders the forest floor, hence the name. The Brazilian Wandering Spider has another distinguished common name - the Banana Spider. The Brazilian Wandering Spider was given the name "Banana Spider" because there have been cases where these spiders unintentionally appeared on banana boats heading for the United States. The Brazilian Wandering Spider should be held with the highest respect. For those who manage to obtain one of these deadly spiders, always remain vigilant and don't get bitten!

that reminds me! i forgot my mosquito rant!

Mosquitos = DUDES. I totally respect any animal that sucks blood for a living. sure, they can kill you. but so what. At least they have CLASS. Not like flies. If Mosquitos are the vampires of the insect world, then flies are the zombies. And i'd rather be killed by vampires than zombies.

/rant
They cause small, itchy raised welts. I hate having dozens of them on me after just going out on a summer night. They should be exterminated. I wouldn't mind seeing every mosquito go extinct. Mosquitos suck in more ways than one. So do their fans.

They cause small, itchy raised welts. I hate having dozens of them on me after just going out on a summer night. They should be exterminated. I wouldn't mind seeing every mosquito go extinct. Mosquitos suck in more ways than one. So do their fans.

Seconded!
No mosquitos where I live (yet) but we do have their delinquint cousins the Midgee, very small, very very numerous, and absolutley no natural preditors.

Beaumont, Texas has got to have the worst mosquitoes of anyplace in the contiginous United States. And I've lived in Florida.

The Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer) is regarded by some as the most dangerous spider in the world. It is highly venomous and not reluctant to attack people who appear threatening to it. However, recent studies indicate that it only injects venom in about one-third of its bites and may only inject a small amount in another third. Thus the effects of the bites from this spider can range from only a couple of pin pricks to a full-blown envenomation. The Sydney funnel-web spider apparently injects venom in every bite and may thus in effect be more dangerous -- though either spider's venom can lead to a medical emergency.

The Brazilian wandering spider is reputed to hide in clusters of bananas occasionally. As a result, any large spider appearing in a bunch of bananas should be treated with due care.

pic here (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Brazilian_wandering_spider_front.jpg)
http://www.rochedalss.eq.edu.au/spider/wandering.htm <- more info with pics
Wait...Wikepedia stole that pic!

Phoneutria nigriventer (Brazilian wandering spider) contains extremely toxic venom with the potential danger of this specie compounded by the fact that this large spider is extremely aggressive and often bites multiple times in quick succession. The immediate effects are intense local pain and edema followed by severe, painful and potentially life-threatening systemic effects such as arrythmic heartbeat, clotting inhibition, priapism, pulmonary edema, and vomiting [164, 165].

The toxins of Phoneutria shares strong structural similarity, particularily in the location of the cysteine residues, with neurotoxins from Agelenopsis aperta and Hololena curta [102].

The lethal neurotoxin PhTx1 is made up of a single polypeptide of 77 amino acid residues containing significant amount of cysteines with the primary structure showing no homology to other identified spider toxins [166]. However, studies involving cDNA libraries constructed from the venom glands and subsequent production of a clone coding for Tx1 revealed that the structure of the preprotoxin initially synthesized by the Tx1 gene shows similarity in structure and also in processing with the synthesis and processing of omega-agatoxin IA from Agelenopsis aperta [167]. PhTx2 - inhibits the closure of voltage-sensitive Na+ channels and causes a rapid increase in the intrasynaptosomal free Ca2+ concentration and a dose-dependent release of glutamate [168]. Neurotoxin PhTx2 variants -1, -5, and -6 produce spastic paralysis in lab mice with the variant PhTx2-9 causing only tail erection and scratching. [169]. Phtx2-1, -5, and -6 show strong homology and are all similar in size (53, 49, and 48 amino acids respectively) while PhTx2-9 is smaller, 32 amino acids, and shows limited similarity [169]. PhTx3 inhibits Ca(2+)-dependent glutamate release and the increase in cytosolic free Ca2+ in response to membrane depolarization, this site of action is coupled to the process of release of acetylcholine in brain and autonomic nervous system [170]. Injection of laboratory mice with 5 micrograms/mouse, Tx3-3 and Tx3- 4 caused rapid general flaccid paralysis followed by death in 10-30 min; Tx3-2 induced immediate clockwise gyration and flaccid paralysis after 6 hr; Tx3-1, Tx3-5 and Tx3-6 produced paralysis only in the posterior limbs and gradual decreases in movement and aggression during 24 hr. [102].

Categories: Spiders
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One day I was taking the trash out and on the side of my garage about two feet in front of me was this massive wolf spider. Immediatly I kick and press into the damn thing only to hear it crack and then run away when I lifted my foot.

I also had a black widow crawl on my arm, only a male but big nonetheless. I shake the thing off of me and it lands about five feet away, and starts running at me lol. So I crush the thing with my barefoot (disgusting I know).

My friend lived in Japan for a while and I've heard some real terror storiesfrom him concerning spiders.

more arachno, less anarcho

more arachno, less anarcho

Anarcho-arachnos - spiders who tear down the disgusting web of society and free the flys from their oppressive regiems!
not that makes much sense like, but...

i ws just stating that this is getting off topic. ironiclly this statement if off topic,

i think spiders are interesting and kinda cool but i have mild arachnophobia that overrides all of that. if the spider is small, it can be in the room if it is at least 10 feet away. if it is in the bathroom, it has to go (no i don't kill it, i catch it and put it outside. if that kills it, too bad). also it has to be little thin wispy kinda spider, if it has any body to it i'm scared to death.
where i work, sometimes i see these MASSIVE spiders, they have huge amazing webs but i am so incredibly scared of them. also they are often found in the filter of my pool, which is why i won't touch it with my hand i have to use a stick. god forbid a spider actually TOUCH me, i flip. jump, yelp, have a little fit in the air, heart races.
i don't know of any poisonous ones where i live, but it doesn't help.
funny thing is i could actually see myself holding a tarantula and not having a problem.
i'm gonna try and find a pic of the giant one i saw.
also on my deck once i saw this massive, FURRY white spider with brown stripes and i remember it too this day. it was horrible.

You don't get poisonous ones where I live but they still scare me beyond all reason.

Being nitpicky... BUT! Technically all spiders are poisonous/venomous. It's just that a lot of them aren't enough so to kill a person.

Moving on, I'm not bothered by spiders. Though it's annoying when my sister spazzes at them and I have to go and put them outside. Can't really blame the spiders for that, though. Some spiders are pretty damn cool.

Lol, I think the smaller ones are kinda cute. The spider is actually this nation's national animal (and has been since it was founded, lol).

And to the person who like mosquitos...

INSECTS ARE NOT VAMPIRES AND ZOMBIES. ZOMBIES ARE FREAKING CORPSES THAT HAVE BEEN REANIMATED BY SOME FREAKY THING THAT NEEDS TO DIE! VAMPIRES ARE UNDEAD THAT NEVER REALLY DIED AND FEED OFF LIVING BLOOD!

And yes, I do know of whence I speak, A) I play DnD and our DM loves throwing zombies at us, B) I'm writing a book on Vampires, and have done a great deal of research on them.

No, Republicans are vampires. And religious fundamentalists are zombies.

And I know from whence I speak because my DM sends the evil creatures to deny elven rights and make war on dwarves to steal their gold.