deuceswild 15 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 So now I'm thinking about postponing my trip to Australia this summer where I was going to stay with some friends in... of all places.... Queensland. via FoxNews... Australia is known around the world for its large and deadly creepy-crawlies, but even locals have been shocked by the size of the giant venomous spiders that have invaded an Outback town in Queensland. Scores of eastern tarantulas, which are known as "bird-eating spiders" and can grow larger than the palm of a man's hand, have begun crawling out from gardens and venturing into public spaces in Bowen, a coastal town about 700 miles northwest of Brisbane. Earlier this week locals spotted an Australian tarantula wandering towards a public garden in the center of town where people often sit for lunch. They called in a pest controller, but not before using a can of insect spray to paralyze the spider. Audy Geiszler, who runs Amalgamated Pest Control in Bowen, said that the spider was a large male with powerful long fangs and was so big that when he placed it — dead — in the palm of his hand, its legs hung over his fingers. Geiszler said that he had been inundated with calls from worried locals reporting sightings of the giant tarantulas, which have been pushed out of their natural habitat over the past month by heavy, unseasonal rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzsawBeaver 12 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 When I was small I used to get scared by the thought of tarantulas, the sight of someone holding 1 made me think they they were really bold, then 1 day at petland someone was holding 1 so when they finished I just told them to put it in my hand and I was surprised at how they weigh nothing and you can hardly even feel them walking. I still wouldn't want to get by 1 of course, and those seem to be some really "big" spiders in australia, I know I'd be less inclined to handle 1 of those, especially them being wild. 1 thing's for certain though, nature can amaze people, it has a way of proving to us that we don't know everything that's out there or that what we assume can be wrong. I've heard a few stories about giant spiders that sort of creep me out, 1 was of a firefighter fighting a brush fire somewhere down in florida, he was raking brush that would burn into the fireline to contain the fire when something fell out of the tree overhead and hit him over the head, it was some type of spider, not a tarantula, but whatever it was was big enough to knock his hard hat off. Then there's a story from some past well known, reputable naturalist, decades ago or maybe even turn of the 19th century, who was way out in the safari in africa and as they were going down a bush trail he thought he saw what looked to be a toddler crawling across it a ways ahead, quickly looking through his binoculars he insists he saw a spider the size of a toddler crawling into the bushes, there wasn't any sign of it when the party got to where they'd seen it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuceswild 15 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 I tell ya, when it comes to spiders and snakes I tend to pick and choose. Spiders don't typically bother me, I can swat one with a shoe and be done with it. Spiders don't typically jump out from a bush to bite you, etc. Snakes, on the other hand, freak me out, I can't handle them - however, when it comes to venemous spiders of this size and say a black snake, I'll take my chances with a black snake. Imagine one of those big spiders crawling across your kitchen floor. I'd be afraid to step on it. What if I didn't weigh enough and it just pissed him off and he sucker punched me across the room? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzsawBeaver 12 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 I tell ya, when it comes to spiders and snakes I tend to pick and choose. Spiders don't typically bother me, I can swat one with a shoe and be done with it. Spiders don't typically jump out from a bush to bite you, etc. Snakes, on the other hand, freak me out, I can't handle them - however, when it comes to venemous spiders of this size and say a black snake, I'll take my chances with a black snake. Imagine one of those big spiders crawling across your kitchen floor. I'd be afraid to step on it. What if I didn't weigh enough and it just pissed him off and he sucker punched me across the room? The thing is from what I've read about spiders, you can't even drop a tarantula from a few feet high without killing them, yet ironically they can jump, I guess it matters how they land, but overall they weigh almost nothing, I doubt the biggest weigh much either. That said, as for snakes it depends how I confront them, if I were to happen upon 1 right on top of it unexpectedly then it would take my breath away, if I know 1's there it wouldn't bother me much and I'd just avoid it. I don't see many snakes as much as I'm in the woods, but then as with other wildlife, I'm hardly ever out in the woods or outdoors without my dogs who are running around and scaring things off or out of sight. I was working for the department of agriculture 1 time around '90 and was down in rock wv outside of montcalm and approached the steep bank over a creek through a field and when I got to the bank I stopped and was looking down and all of a sudden a really big dark grey snake shot out from underneath the edge of the bank right under my feet and flew down the bank into the creek, I'll bet it was 5 feet long, I couldn't breath for about 20 seconds. I was really cautious the rest of the day and made as much noise as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzsawBeaver 12 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 (edited) oh and speaking of snakes and africa, I was watching discovery channel some years ago and it showed a snake that must have been 15 feet long slithering through the tall grass, a black mamba if I recall, I kid you not, this thing stopped and was looking at the filming crew with it's head sticking up about 2 feet above the tall grass like a big sea serpent sticking out of the water. They said the snake was aggressive and didn't fear people and could go about 20 mph at full speed, I don't know for certain about the speed, but something like that. It makes me think I'm fortunate I don't live in africa. edited the alligator story Edited May 7, 2009 by buzzsawBeaver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBlueAlum 12 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Have you all seen this video? It is ridiculous! (Not a Rick Roll...promise) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzsawBeaver 12 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 I noticed it struck at the end, guess that's the reason the video ended maybe. That's a scary snake but those types of constrictors don't scare me like a big fast moving land snake or a viper, still wouldn't care to have 1 under the house. I read about a 20 foot python, or whatever those giant snakes are, that someone found under their trailer in fl. There's a reason I don't care to live in fl either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBlueAlum 12 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 I noticed it struck at the end, guess that's the reason the video ended maybe.That's a scary snake but those types of constrictors don't scare me like a big fast moving land snake or a viper, still wouldn't care to have 1 under the house. I read about a 20 foot python, or whatever those giant snakes are, that someone found under their trailer in fl. There's a reason I don't care to live in fl either. Haha. The strike at the end is the point of the video. It is just supposed to scare you a little. I'm not even sure if the video is legit. So, it didn't make you jump...just a little? lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuceswild 15 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Haha. The strike at the end is the point of the video. It is just supposed to scare you a little. I'm not even sure if the video is legit. So, it didn't make you jump...just a little? lol ...yeah it got me a little and I even read your forewarning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vthokies4life 10 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Can I be honest? I thought the thread was titled "Larry Bird eating spiders". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBlueAlum 12 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Can I be honest? I thought the thread was titled "Larry Bird eating spiders". Bahaha! That's hilarious! That would be one humongous spider! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deuceswild 15 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Can I be honest? I thought the thread was titled "Larry Bird eating spiders". Hahahaha. Made ya look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzzsawBeaver 12 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 It seems to be real to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan4VT 4,557 Report Share Posted May 12, 2009 I love spiders. I own a tarantula, not that big, but a tarantula none the less. The next one im gonna buy is a Goliath Bird-Eater. Im facisanated by them, well all spiders in general. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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