NationStates Jolt Archive

I know of at least three incidents, where spiders have been living inside a humans ear and I dont mean mites:
1) http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-10447559,00.html
2) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3104168.stm
3) http://www.news24.com/News24/Backpage/AnimalAntics/0,,2-1343-1348_1861414,00.html

Have you heard of such stories? Would you freak out if you had a spider in your ear? Would that be a cool method to extract information from arachnophobic terrorists, by threatening to let spiders creep inside them?
A Brown Recluse inside your ear could get nasty, but I think they are too large to fit in.

That fucking settles it. I'm never taking my earmuffs off again.

Simonist']That fucking settles it. I'm never taking my earmuffs off again.

hah. wait till you glue your tinfoil hat on! that's always fun.

Dude, shut up....

...I'm arachnophobic...:eek:

That would scare me to no end...

...Thank you for giving me another fear!

ok not much freaks me out, but THIS does. :eek: I have heard of this nightmarish occurence and each time I lose sleep over it. I also read somewhere once that humans eat an average of 15 spiders in their lifetime due to them crawling into your mouth when youre asleep. UGH.

*freaked out and plans to buy ear plugs now*

Did u kno. :) In the average human's life time u eat atleast 3 spiders while ur sleeping but above there is a 15 I heard its 3 but still :eek:

ok not much freaks me out, but THIS does. :eek: I have heard of this nightmarish occurence and each time I lose sleep over it. I also read somewhere once that humans eat an average of 15 spiders in their lifetime due to them crawling into your mouth when youre asleep. UGH.no, that's a myth: http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/whileyousleep.html

spiders creeping into ears at night or when you put on a helmet with a spider inside is reality

no, that's a myth: http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/whileyousleep.html

spiders creeping into ears at night or when you put on a helmet with a spider inside is reality

Well you cant say that it is impossible for a spider to crawl into your mouth while you sleep. I have sleep apnea so I stop breathing for several seconds (up to like 15 or 20 sometimes) and thats plenty time for those bastards to get in my mouth!


God I am not going to sleep. I need a volunteer to stay up online with me tonight.

Dude, shut up....

...I'm arachnophobic...:eek:

That would scare me to no end...

...Thank you for giving me another fear!


Don't worry..They'll be there when you are taking a shower, eating, of course sleeping..They are freaking everywhere...Sucks for you :p

I'm not really worried about my ear, although I have to confess that I don't like spiders with long legs.

But there is only one spider around here that I genuinely look out for, and that's the redback. What a nasty animal - they like to hide in shoes, and under edges and so on.

http://www.ento.csiro.au/insect_id/images/images_spiders/redback1.jpg

I'm not really worried about my ear, although I have to confess that I don't like spiders with long legs.

But there is only one spider around here that I genuinely look out for, and that's the redback. What a nasty animal - they like to hide in shoes, and under edges and so on.

http://www.ento.csiro.au/insect_id/images/images_spiders/redback1.jpg
We call it the black widow.

I'm not really worried about my ear, although I have to confess that I don't like spiders with long legs.

But there is only one spider around here that I genuinely look out for, and that's the redback. What a nasty animal - they like to hide in shoes, and under edges and so on.

http://www.ento.csiro.au/insect_id/images/images_spiders/redback1.jpg
Huh... that looks like a black widow with the markings on the back instead of her front.

I actually don't mind spiders all that much, though I will kill widows on sight.

Here:

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/pictures/Arachnida.html

Arm yourselves so you can recognize the really dangerous ones.

Look at this bastard:

http://www.extremescience.com/BiggestSpider.htm

I had a phobia of insects entering various orifices while I was asleep even before I heard of such cases. Now I'm even more paranoid. Thanks.

I don't really mind Black Widows since they usually get eaten by wasps before they get in the house, but those ...evil WolfSpiders will be the death of me. One hatched her 1,000 + babies in my shoe once... I had to douse it completely with bleach before I could stand to put it back on my foot.

Brown Recluses are almost as bad, but it doesn't take 5 hits with a broom to kill them.

pictures of necrotic arachnidism like these really scare me:
http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/images/bite_696e.jpg
http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/images/bite_1797c.jpg

pictures of necrotic arachnidism like these really scare me:
http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/images/bite_696e.jpg
http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/images/bite_1797c.jpg


god. that looks more like a dinosaur bite.

We call it the black widow.
Huh... that looks like a black widow with the markings on the back instead of her front.

I actually don't mind spiders all that much, though I will kill widows on sight.
Yeah, wiki says they're related, although apparently not exactly the same thing. They're both part of the "Latrodectus" family.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redback_spider

God I am not going to sleep. I need a volunteer to stay up online with me tonight.
*croons softly*
I'll keep you up long into the night, baby. Just say the words.

I actually don't mind spiders all that much, though I will kill widows on sight.
They used to do that in India too, but then British showed up and put a stop to it. Stupid, really, as I enjoy the practice quite alot, though sometimes you get a screamer and . . .
Oh, you were talking about those widows! Nevermind.

[QUOTE=H N Fiddlebottoms VIII]*croons softly*
I'll keep you up long into the night, baby. Just say the words.

You musical silver tongue devil;) If this spider business keeps up, I'm gonna take you up on that.

They used to do that in India too, but then British showed up and put a stop to it. Stupid, really, as I enjoy the practice quite alot, though sometimes you get a screamer and . . .
Oh, you were talking about those widows! Nevermind.

LOL

I don't really mind Black Widows since they usually get eaten by wasps before they get in the house, but those ...evil WolfSpiders will be the death of me. One hatched her 1,000 + babies in my shoe once... I had to douse it completely with bleach before I could stand to put it back on my foot.
Where I lived in Nevada, we have lots of problems with widows. My fiancee (who is Japanese and had never even heard of one) gave me the fight of my life when I discovered a widow making her web outside my door.

I pointed it out to my friends and asked them to wait while I got the spray and she proceeded say, "What? This?" and then poked the spider!

We had to explain to her that, unlike Japan, there are spiders in the US that can kill you, or at least really hurt you.

I like wolf spiders though, they look neat and eat mosquitos, which excuses a lot of faults in my book.

Brown Recluses are almost as bad, but it doesn't take 5 hits with a broom to kill them.
That's another bad one, but I've only seen one once, Nevada is just too dry for them.

They used to do that in India too, but then British showed up and put a stop to it. Stupid, really, as I enjoy the practice quite alot, though sometimes you get a screamer and . . .
Oh, you were talking about those widows! Nevermind.
WILL you stop that?! I'm going to get a lot of questions in Japanese here if I keep giggling at my computer when I'm supposed to be a serious public servant like the rest of the teachers! ;)

I like wolf spiders though, they look neata word i would never use to describe wolf spiders.

A Brown Recluse bit my dad on the scrotum once. It was not pretty.

And before the assholes ask me what I'm doing looking at my dad's scrotum, he was partially paralyzed and both legs were amputated. I assisted in his care before he died. Unfortunately, his scrotum was not paralyzed.

a word i would never use to describe wolf spiders.
Really? What's not neat about them?
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/philjs/Stengl/images/Rabida.jpg

I've never met a spider's ass I couldn't kick. That includes wolf spiders and black widows. Never seen a Brown Recluse but I'm confident it's fate will be the same.

Most spiders I just pick up and put outside, but wolf spiders and black widows are on a kill on sight basis with me.

Sheesh... what a bunch of pansies, they're just spiders. :rolleyes:

you guys are such wimps! its a good thing you dont live in new mexico

we have black widows, tarantulas, brown recluses, scorpions, rattle snakes, plague, hanta virus, sun stroke, im sure theres more but im so used to it that i cant be bothered to worry about them.

Have you heard of such stories? Nope.Would you freak out if you had a spider in your ear?Nope. Would that be a cool method to extract information from arachnophobic terrorists, by threatening to let spiders creep inside them?You're sickening. There's nothing even remotely cool about what you've just described.A Brown Recluse inside your ear could get nasty, but I think they are too large to fit in.
I like spiders. We only have the relatively rare Black Widow spider around these parts to worry about, and even then I'm not too worried about them.

See, spider is my animal-spirit. They protect me.

Sheesh... what a bunch of pansies, they're just spiders. :rolleyes:

Yeah, I'm actually more worried about the wild pack of dogs that used to roam the woods near my house. Them and those damn black bears that keep straying into the neighborhood.

Hey, don't put scorpions in the same class as spiders, it's just mean.

The scorpions in Oklahoma I've come across are only about as poisonous as a wasp though, so I can't really talk from much experience.

So if I get bitten by a radioactive spider in the ear instead of the wrist do I still get to become Spider-Man?

The biggest ones we get here in Brisbane are the Huntsman Spiders. They don't really make webs, they run around and eat anything.

They're just rather big sometimes (ie, bigger than my fully stretched hand), so they scare a lot of people, and a shoe can sometimes not be big enough to take 'em out. Plus, they take a lot of insect spray before they die.

So if I get bitten by a radioactive spider in the ear instead of the wrist do I still get to become Spider-Man?

I think you just get a tumor the size of a VW.

God, could you at least put a picture warning in the thread title?! *shudders*

I'm stupid enough to even read this thread, but at least I did avoid the links. But no, Neu Leonstein has to put one of the evil buggers right up for the world to see. ACK!

At least I was able to avoid the other one(s) by snapping my eyes shut and scrolling down like crazy.

Great, now I have to go to bed thinking about this. Um, since I'm certainly not going to click the OP's links - is there anything essential I need to know? Like, how to not get spiders to nest in my ear?

Yeah, I'm actually more worried about the wild pack of dogs that used to roam the woods near my house. Them and those damn black bears that keep straying into the neighborhood.

That is definitely a more legitimate subject of worry. Really, a spider biting you in your ear would be like you chewing on your drywall or carpeting. It's just not done...

you guys are such wimps! its a good thing you dont live in new mexico

we have black widows, tarantulas, brown recluses, scorpions, rattle snakes, plague, hanta virus, sun stroke, im sure theres more but im so used to it that i cant be bothered to worry about them.

I think Australia kicks your ass anyday on that front. Well, maybe not toward diseases.. but those little adorable critters are pretty much at the top as far as deadly goes.

The scorpions in Oklahoma I've come across are only about as poisonous as a wasp though, so I can't really talk from much experience.
they aren't too bad here, when I was in AZ though I got stung by a scorpion and my entire leg went numb, I called my doctor and he said "yeah, that's what happens, if you have a seizure call 911" like it was nothing....I missed Oklahoma so bad then, if you find a scorpion here it's not so scary if it stings you it hurts but you won't have seizures.

Look at this bastard:

http://www.extremescience.com/BiggestSpider.htm

So cute!

That is definitely a more legitimate subject of worry. Really, a spider biting you in your ear would be like you chewing on your drywall or carpeting. It's just not done...

Black Bears are kind of small though, not too worried about them. That pack of dogs worries me sometimes though because I don't know how many there are. I heard like 5 or 6 and they're all pretty big.

For the most part they leave us alone though.

The biggest ones we get here in Brisbane are the Huntsman Spiders. They don't really make webs, they run around and eat anything.

They're just rather big sometimes (ie, bigger than my fully stretched hand), so they scare a lot of people, and a shoe can sometimes not be big enough to take 'em out. Plus, they take a lot of insect spray before they die.lol, next time you have to take a shit watch out

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/australian/huntsman/Heteropoda_ZZ279_F2649.jpg

This thread makes me even more glad than normal that I live in Northern Ireland.

No snakes, no spiders bigger than an inch (and they all run as quick as they can when they spot you)....the most dangerous thing that could happen with an animal here is that a bird might crap on you.

they aren't too bad here, when I was in AZ though I got stung by a scorpion and my entire leg went numb, I called my doctor and he said "yeah, that's what happens, if you have a seizure call 911" like it was nothing....I missed Oklahoma so bad then, if you find a scorpion here it's not so scary if it stings you it hurts but you won't have seizures.

O_O Geez.. yeah, all I got were purple bumps from my encounter.

The biggest ones we get here in Brisbane are the Huntsman Spiders. They don't really make webs, they run around and eat anything.

They're just rather big sometimes (ie, bigger than my fully stretched hand), so they scare a lot of people, and a shoe can sometimes not be big enough to take 'em out. Plus, they take a lot of insect spray before they die.
Nevada has tarantulas, which are out biggest, but honestly, except during mating season when they like to hang out on roads and get squished (they're not too bright) you don't see them much.

Japan though has a spider called a Joro-gumo. These things are HUGE, though not dangerous to humans. They love to spin huge, very strong, and sticky webs everywhere though.
http://www.cyberoz.net/city/sekine/Photo/Ph0301a.jpg
www.cyberoz.net/ city/sekine/zukax301.htm

they aren't too bad here, when I was in AZ though I got stung by a scorpion and my entire leg went numb, I called my doctor and he said "yeah, that's what happens, if you have a seizure call 911" like it was nothing....I missed Oklahoma so bad then, if you find a scorpion here it's not so scary if it stings you it hurts but you won't have seizures.

Heh. The seriousness of most things in North America is really exaggerated. If you're an adult, you've really got to screw up to get yourself in a position to worry. While certain spiders could lead to necrosis, that's more of a side effect. I'd imagine the worst toxin to be.. hmm.. coral snake? Between them and rattlers you might have a problem, but if you're a little careful, and not messing with the babies, you probably should walk away from it fine.

Unless you're ninety, or nine. Then you're boned.

Black Bears are kind of small though, not too worried about them. That pack of dogs worries me sometimes though because I don't know how many there are. I heard like 5 or 6 and they're all pretty big.

For the most part they leave us alone though.

Black Bears generally aren't a big deal when they come snooping around, they generally only come close to civilization looking for food and they don't consider humans as meals. The dogs even I would worry about; if one catches rabies it goes through the rest of the pack bloody quickly and wild dogs can be ambitious even when they are in their right minds.

Japan though has a spider called a Joro-gumo. These things are HUGE, though not dangerous to humans. They love to spin huge, very strong, and sticky webs everywhere though.
http://www.cyberoz.net/city/sekine/Photo/Ph0301a.jpg
www.cyberoz.net/ city/sekine/zukax301.htm

That thing is awesome! Beautiful even!

.
http://www.cyberoz.net/city/sekine/Photo/Ph0301a.jpg
www.cyberoz.net/ city/sekine/zukax301.htm
That is a creature of immeasurable beauty. I'm jealous.

Heh. The seriousness of most things in North America is really exaggerated. If you're an adult, you've really got to screw up to get yourself in a position to worry. While certain spiders could lead to necrosis, that's more of a side effect. I'd imagine the worst toxin to be.. hmm.. coral snake? Between them and rattlers you might have a problem, but if you're a little careful, and not messing with the babies, you probably should walk away from it fine.

Unless you're ninety, or nine. Then you're boned.
I got bit by a copperhead once at church camp, but he didn't get very much venom in, basically I pulled back and he just scratched the surface of my skin, it hurt, my foot turned blue, then the nurse washed it out and I just had a sore foot for a few days, I could walk on it and everything. ;) I am still terrified of snakes though.......

So don't ever visit Japan without industrial bug spray...

This thread makes me even more glad than normal that I live in Northern Ireland.

No snakes, no spiders bigger than an inch (and they all run as quick as they can when they spot you)....the most dangerous thing that could happen with an animal here is that a bird might crap on you.

Your safe from that nowhere. I've had a bird shit on me before :cool:. Nothing I enjoyed.


Spiders don't phase me. I only killed the Black Widows and a Brown Recluse when I was in Texas... Apparently you're not supposed to even go near the latter, am I right?

Between them and rattlers you might have a problem, but if you're a little careful, and not messing with the babies, you probably should walk away from it fine.
I dunno about that. Getting bit by a western diamond back isn't a joke. If you know how to treat it and can get medical attention you should be fine, yes.

I always treat those snakes very respectfully and try to make a lot of noise and virbrations when I'm in their country.

Lamprey are much more "killer'esq" looking.

Japan though has a spider called a Joro-gumo.
We've got similar ones here, although not as pretty.

I ran into one of their webs the other night. I deliver pizzas, so I walked through someone's lawn in the dark, between two trees and...well, you can imagine the rest.
I never did find that spider. Maybe it's in my ear.

That is a creature of immeasurable beauty. I'm jealous.
You can have them. They're all over the place in my town and I had to try and chase a few off of my car (and her legs were far bigger than my out streached hand).

They are harmless, but the first time I saw one when I came to Japan I thought I had found the source to tall of Japan's large spider goblin stories. ;)

I think Australia kicks your ass anyday on that front. Well, maybe not toward diseases.. but those little adorable critters are pretty much at the top as far as deadly goes.
yeah those lucky bastards have 6 of the top 10 most poisonous snakes AND 6 of the top 10 most poisonous spiders.

Walking through a spider's nest but never finding the spider is always the worst feeling ever.

Spiders don't phase me. I only killed the Black Widows and a Brown Recluse when I was in Texas... Apparently you're not supposed to even go near the latter, am I right?

You shouldn't really go near either, but who are they going to complain to anyway?

I dunno about that. Getting bit by a western diamond back isn't a joke. If you know how to treat it and can get medical attention you should be fine, yes.

I always treat those snakes very respectfully and try to make a lot of noise and virbrations when I'm in their country.

I'm not trying to say it's a joke, but the odds are seriously in your favor to live. If you seek treatment ASAP as well, it isn't nearly a death sentence, just an annoyance to pain in the ass depending on how much it bothers you. =P

Walking through a spider's nest but never finding the spider is always the worst feeling ever.
I just let 'em crawl on me 'til they figure out a way off. I must admit to some naughtiness, though - if I come upon one of our fast-scrabbling garden spiders, sometimes I'll grab the silk coming off it's spinnerets and play with it like a Yo-yo 'til I relent and release it back into the garden.

I got bit by a copperhead once at church camp, but he didn't get very much venom in, basically I pulled back and he just scratched the surface of my skin, it hurt, my foot turned blue, then the nurse washed it out and I just had a sore foot for a few days, I could walk on it and everything. ;) I am still terrified of snakes though.......

Eck. I'm glad it turned out good as such, but that's a pain. I don't know that that would keep me from huggling a (non-poisonous) snake, but I could easily see how that would make you stop and think about it first, if not run away screaming.

Black Bears generally aren't a big deal when they come snooping around, they generally only come close to civilization looking for food and they don't consider humans as meals.
tell THAT to the old woman who found one in her kitchen in new mexico a couple year ago. oh yeah YOU CANT. it killed her and ate her!

The dogs even I would worry about; if one catches rabies it goes through the rest of the pack bloody quickly and wild dogs can be ambitious even when they are in their right minds.
yeah we have a small problem with feral dogs running in packs. they attack pets and threaten people

oh yeah, and mountain lions.

yeah those lucky bastards have 6 of the top 10 most poisonous snakes AND 6 of the top 10 most poisonous spiders.

You could start a campaign to spread all of them across the globe. It would be appreciated, I'm sure.

You could start a campaign to spread all of them across the globe. It would be appreciated, I'm sure.

It might make for more interesting eulogies at least.

tell THAT to the old woman who found one in her kitchen in new mexico a couple year ago. oh yeah YOU CANT. it killed her and ate her!

I can't imagine a black bear really eating anyone, it looks like I can overpower them sometimes. Never underestimate nature though...

Mountain lions, yecsh. Not as bad as being cornered by a pack of wolves or a kodiak I guess.

tell THAT to the old woman who found one in her kitchen in new mexico a couple year ago. oh yeah YOU CANT. it killed her and ate her!


yeah we have a small problem with feral dogs running in packs. they attack pets and threaten people

oh yeah, and mountain lions.

I'm kinda thinking either you've misunderstood some of that, or are overstating the seriousness. Regardless, though, there is extremely little to be worried about with the vast majority of animals in North America. And, of course, where people encroach further and further into former territory of the wild, so to speak, it's not terribly surprising (and somehow fitting..) that encounters are far more common.

Mountain lions are more or less a threat only if you're pushing into their habitat, as well. At least to an adult. To babies or pets, they prove more of one, but again.. the odds are heavily tilted toward human encroachment.

yeah those lucky bastards have 6 of the top 10 most poisonous snakes AND 6 of the top 10 most poisonous spiders.
We had a brown snake in our garden once. We didn't know what it was, but we suspected it. We had a dude from a wilflife service come in, he caught it and confirmed it.
http://www.qmuseum.qld.gov.au/features/snakes/snakedetail.asp?TaxName=Pseudonaja+textilis
Nasty.

It might make for more interesting eulogies at least.

I think it's the sort of thing that could qualify you up with Hitler for most hated person to exist. Toss in swarms of mosquitos turning people into mummies, and the revival of the passenger pigeons to continue their efforts to block out the sun, and you might just nab that crown. =)

I can't imagine a black bear really eating anyone, it looks like I can overpower them sometimes. Never underestimate nature though...
Can't say I've ever heard of a bear eating someone, but don't think you can overpower one. Messing with bears is a good way to lose something you might value, like an arm, or a leg, or your head.

Mountain lions, yecsh. Not as bad as being cornered by a pack of wolves or a kodiak I guess.
Wolves have never attacked humans.

And pumas are pretty nasty in and of themselves. The bad part with them are they are cats, you run and you become a cat toy.

Of course if you FIGHT the damn thing, chances are they'll probably go away and predend that they didn't REALLY want to eat you anyway.

Of course if you FIGHT the damn thing, chances are they'll probably go away and predend that they didn't REALLY want to eat you anyway.

Haha! Part of what makes cats so fun. =)

I think it's the sort of thing that could qualify you up with Hitler for most hated person to exist. Toss in swarms of mosquitos turning people into mummies, and the revival of the passenger pigeons to continue their efforts to block out the sun, and you might just nab that crown. =)

Yeah that was a bad joke on my part, but I think I could use the passenger pigeons since the postal service seems increasingly slow.

Can't say I've ever heard of a bear eating someone, but don't think you can overpower one. Messing with bears is a good way to lose something you might value, like an arm, or a leg, or your head.


Wolves have never attacked humans.

And pumas are pretty nasty in and of themselves. The bad part with them are they are cats, you run and you become a cat toy.

Of course if you FIGHT the damn thing, chances are they'll probably go away and predend that they didn't REALLY want to eat you anyway.

Wolves have never attacked humans but I'd piss myself if I got surrounded by a pack of em.

I hate cats, that's all that needs to be said.

Actually there was a story about a hunter getting ripped limb from limb by a grizzley last year.

Yeah that was a bad joke on my part, but I think I could use the passenger pigeons since the postal service seems increasingly slow.

Hey, don't get me wrong. I'd love to see that funeral.

And, I'm not sure how well single passenger pigeons would do. I was thinking more of the giant sun-blocking swarms of countless millions that take days to finish flying over. Those seem like they'd make for a good time. Maybe a fun date, listening to the 'thunder' and avoiding the 'rain.'

I am going to forget this thread ever existed.

Haha! Part of what makes cats so fun. =)
;)

In all seriousness though, I attended a lecture on mountain lions as the drought in Nevada (while I was still there) was pushing them down into the valleys. Wildlife stated just that, if you see a cougar, make noise, try to make yourself bigger and DON'T RUN. If you are attacked, try and hit the animal, make it a pain for them to take you down and they will leave.

And pretend that they weren't serious about the whole pouncing bit. :D

And, I'm not sure how well single passenger pigeons would do. I was thinking more of the giant sun-blocking swarms of countless millions that take days to finish flying over. Those seem like they'd make for a good time. Maybe a fun date, listening to the 'thunder' and avoiding the 'rain.'

Plus everyone knows that deep-fried sky rats are finger lickin' good.

;)

In all seriousness though, I attended a lecture on mountain lions as the drought in Nevada (while I was still there) was pushing them down into the valleys. Wildlife stated just that, if you see a cougar, make noise, try to make yourself bigger and DON'T RUN. If you are attacked, try and hit the animal, make it a pain for them to take you down and they will leave.

And pretend that they weren't serious about the whole pouncing bit. :D

Just watch a cat play with a mouse, it's sick. Although what my german sheppard did to that one cat wasn't exactly nice either.

I am going to forget this thread ever existed.
Not a big fan of spiders?

I am going to forget this thread ever existed.

Would somebody like lots of pretty pictures of pretty spiders to frolic merrily in their dreams at night?

;)

In all seriousness though, I attended a lecture on mountain lions as the drought in Nevada (while I was still there) was pushing them down into the valleys. Wildlife stated just that, if you see a cougar, make noise, try to make yourself bigger and DON'T RUN. If you are attacked, try and hit the animal, make it a pain for them to take you down and they will leave.

And pretend that they weren't serious about the whole pouncing bit. :D

I'd be amused to see someone do that to a bear. But, yeah.. something like that, as I recall. Although, I remember moreso, if you're big and noisy they generally leave anyway. And if you scratch them under the chin they purr happily and roll on their back with their tail flicking back and forth. It's so adorable that everyone should try it!

Plus everyone knows that deep-fried sky rats are finger lickin' good.

..Aw. That's how come there aren't any more finger lickin' good sky rats around. Also, real rats are much cuter.

And if you scratch them under the chin they purr happily and roll on their back with their tail flicking back and forth. It's so adorable that everyone should try it!
One time at a zoo, I was by the cougar cage when it was dinner time. The noise that they made calling for chow was exactly the same my housecat makes when he demands feeding...

You just don't expect such large animals to make such high pitched meows. :p

One time at a zoo, I was by the cougar cage when it was dinner time. The noice that they made calling for chow was exactly the same my housecat makes when he demands feeding...

You just don't expect such large animals to make such high pitched meows. :p

Calvin and Hobbes was onto something!

One time at a zoo, I was by the cougar cage when it was dinner time. The noice that they made calling for chow was exactly the same my housecat makes when he demands feeding...

You just don't expect such large animals to make such high pitched meows. :p

I remember watching the discovery channel and this zookeeper who specifically looked after the lions played with them like they were giant kittens. He scratched their bellies and they rolled over. It was..disturbing almost.

I'm kinda thinking either you've misunderstood some of that, or are overstating the seriousness. Regardless, though, there is extremely little to be worried about with the vast majority of animals in North America. And, of course, where people encroach further and further into former territory of the wild, so to speak, it's not terribly surprising (and somehow fitting..) that encounters are far more common.

Mountain lions are more or less a threat only if you're pushing into their habitat, as well. At least to an adult. To babies or pets, they prove more of one, but again.. the odds are heavily tilted toward human encroachment.
kinda depends on where you are eh? when you find a rattle snake in your kitchen (like my mother in law did) you dont care that its rather rare, you just want to get it out

as to the woman....
A 93-year-old woman was killed in her rural home near Mora, N.M., by a black bear, a species not generally known for attacking humans. After finding the body of Adelia Maestas Trujillo on Saturday, the authorities said that an autopsy determined she had been mauled to death. Such attacks are exceedingly rare in New Mexico, even with the rising number of bear encounters with humans. State officials said the number of encounters rose by 50 percent, to 228, from July 2000 through June, compared with the previous year. Michael Janofsky (NYT)

I don't really mind Black Widows since they usually get eaten by wasps before they get in the house, but those ...evil WolfSpiders will be the death of me. One hatched her 1,000 + babies in my shoe once... I had to douse it completely with bleach before I could stand to put it back on my foot.

Brown Recluses are almost as bad, but it doesn't take 5 hits with a broom to kill them.
WASP's eat spiders? hmm...and here I thought they considered themselves all cultured and into that fine dining thing.

maybe I should get one for my house...

"Oh him? That's just Chadwick. He eats the black widows for us...all we have to do is let him go yatching once a month, and maybe play a few games of tennis."

We have a huge water spider in our pool right now. It is teh big. *nods*

Where is Ears?

I never did understand why people are so afraid of spiders anyway. The ones you can see are nothing to worry about and the ones to worry about are going to bite you before you see them.

Sweet dreams.:D

Wolves have never attacked humans

Almost, not quite. There has been no documented case of a healthy wolf attacking and killing a human in North America. There have been historical cases of wolves attacking amd killing humans in Eurasia, but these are rare and highly exagerated, and usually occur only among sick animals.

http://www.lioncrusher.com/animal.asp?animal=35&page=5
http://nlpagan.net/wolfpage.htm

That being said, spiders are beautiful. Even the deadly ones. Plus, they help to control "pest" insects.

A couple of years ago at Christmas I was staying at my parents house and had to sleep on the floor, in the middle of the night I woke because something was on my lip, brushed at it half asleep and it went into my mouth, I sat up quickly and spat it out and it was......a spider...*shudders*
It was definately on my lips on its own, and I probably scared or even brushed it into my mouth by trying to brush it away...I only know that I had to go throw up after and could not sleep properly....so to the guy who said in the article earlier that it doesnt happen...yeah right....

Spiders give me the creeps, I accidently walked through a spiderweb in my backyard a few weeks ago and I couldn't stand it, I thought there was on me.

...

My ear is itching. >.>

A couple of years ago at Christmas I was staying at my parents house and had to sleep on the floor, in the middle of the night I woke because something was on my lip, brushed at it half asleep and it went into my mouth, I sat up quickly and spat it out and it was......a spider...*shudders*
It was definately on my lips on its own, and I probably scared or even brushed it into my mouth by trying to brush it away...I only know that I had to go throw up after and could not sleep properly....so to the guy who said in the article earlier that it doesnt happen...yeah right....


*off to get lobotomy to forget she ever read this*

oh god. i really am arachnophobic. i can't even go into a room where i see a spider. i hang out a lot on rotten.com and all the pictures there i'm fine with, but whenever i see a spider i start shaking and breathing really hard. OH GOD NOW I FEEL SPIDERS ALL OVER ME

oh, and i live in the woods so it's a huge MAELSTROM of insects (which i also hate), spiders, millipedes, grubs, moths, ants, ticks, beetles... oh god i'm getting itchy all over

I heard a story of someone waking up with a coakroach in their ear... actually happened bwcause my dad knows the person it happened too

...and i have a cat to take care of the few spiders we do have...

I heard a story of someone waking up with a coakroach in their ear... actually happened bwcause my dad knows the person it happened too

...and i have a cat to take care of the few spiders we do have...


oh my god....a roach? Thats even worse.

i read that leaches can live in your ear without you even realiseing it :D

Oh christ. Now my ears wont stop itching, I know im not the first to say it but im not even kidding....

The power of suggestion is an awful thing.

oh my god....a roach? Thats even worse.
*for once, is happy that the Roaches in Hawaii are the sizes they are.*

So they are born that big? not wishing to worry you or anything....scuttle

...and i have a cat to take care of the few spiders we do have...but cats arent imune to spiderbites either.

http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/bite.asp?Msg=1786
http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/bite.asp?Msg=1872

but cats arent imune to spiderbites either.

I know, but this is the netherlands, i've never seen a dangerous spider here except for in a zoo...