Tarantula photos
January 8, 2008 11:39 PM Subscribe
Rick West takes very nice photographs of tarantulas.
Yeah, but is he hot?
posted by Faux Real at 11:53 PM on January 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Faux Real at 11:53 PM on January 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
Very cool; I've always been fascinated by the variety of colours Nature decides to make, and the reasons behind them. Makes me wish the Giant Green Huntsman living in my lounge room was actually green...
They are, sort of. But he doesn't have a big copyright notice printed on his back.
posted by Pinback at 11:56 PM on January 8, 2008
They are, sort of. But he doesn't have a big copyright notice printed on his back.
posted by Pinback at 11:56 PM on January 8, 2008
Remind me to keep those away from my eye.
Wait, no need to remind me.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:06 AM on January 9, 2008
Wait, no need to remind me.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:06 AM on January 9, 2008
Not to worry, AZ, I think his eye is just red from having the copyright notice tattooed on it.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:04 AM on January 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:04 AM on January 9, 2008 [1 favorite]
*scratches self furiously*
Cool pics though.
*eyes dart suspiciously into every corner*
posted by gomichild at 1:15 AM on January 9, 2008
Cool pics though.
*eyes dart suspiciously into every corner*
posted by gomichild at 1:15 AM on January 9, 2008
birdspiders.com? You're telling me these fuckers can fly?!
posted by Abiezer at 1:33 AM on January 9, 2008
posted by Abiezer at 1:33 AM on January 9, 2008
That guy with the read eye got off easy, as this reputable nature documentary will demonstrate.
posted by louche mustachio at 5:15 AM on January 9, 2008
posted by louche mustachio at 5:15 AM on January 9, 2008
Yes.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 5:17 AM on January 9, 2008
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 5:17 AM on January 9, 2008
I had a bird eating spider stuck up my urethra.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 6:05 AM on January 9, 2008
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 6:05 AM on January 9, 2008
I'm not sure I want to meet a spider that can eat frogs.
posted by caution live frogs at 6:07 AM on January 9, 2008
posted by caution live frogs at 6:07 AM on January 9, 2008
The worst part about tarantulas isn't how they look, it's how they move. Very steadily and deliberately in no particular hurry. Since you can't really see their eyes or their face from more than a couple feet away, they are missing the relatable qualities of any animal that large you'd normally see moving around, so instead they just look like... just some THING, creeping around. And just when you've started to feel safe that this is something you could easily outrun, and grow daring enough to chuck a rock in its general direction, the damn thing bolts, downright scampers, and you stand on your chair going EEEEE until it turns the corner.
They used to come into the yard all the time when I was a kid. Dad would catch them in empty cereal boxes so he could play jokes on his father-in-law.
posted by hermitosis at 6:20 AM on January 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
They used to come into the yard all the time when I was a kid. Dad would catch them in empty cereal boxes so he could play jokes on his father-in-law.
posted by hermitosis at 6:20 AM on January 9, 2008 [2 favorites]
There should be a flag for BIG FREAKING SPIDERS!!! Why do I click when I know I shouldn't?
And I am so glad I didn't grow up where hermitosis did.
I'm ok now
posted by pointystick at 6:50 AM on January 9, 2008
And I am so glad I didn't grow up where hermitosis did.
I'm ok now
posted by pointystick at 6:50 AM on January 9, 2008
Yeah, spiders make great pets...
Oh and this just creeped the hell out of me and I am totally not an arachnophobe (well I wasn't until a few minutes ago)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:02 AM on January 9, 2008
Oh and this just creeped the hell out of me and I am totally not an arachnophobe (well I wasn't until a few minutes ago)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:02 AM on January 9, 2008
fearfulsymmetry, I am now scarred for life.
But not like the guy in that article.
posted by bassjump at 7:06 AM on January 9, 2008
But not like the guy in that article.
posted by bassjump at 7:06 AM on January 9, 2008
I saw a tarantula climbing the outside wall of my apartment building a couple of years ago when I lived near the high desert. Being a hopeless arachnophobe, I instantly freaked out like I'd just won the lottery... but more like Shirley Jackson's version. My then-boyfriend knew I might not ever breathe again if Mr. Fuzzy Spiderpants wasn't dealt with, so he grabbed a mothereffing tennis racket and went outside. I waited inside, trembling like it was the London Blitz outside. I heard silence... siiiiiiilenccccce... and then... BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!! Silence. BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! ....BAM! Then-Boyfriend returned about ten minutes later to report, "That little fucker put up a fight!"
Next day, I went out and saw little fuzzy spider legs scattered all over the sidewalk.
I hate spiders.
posted by katillathehun at 10:19 AM on January 9, 2008
Next day, I went out and saw little fuzzy spider legs scattered all over the sidewalk.
I hate spiders.
posted by katillathehun at 10:19 AM on January 9, 2008
That video that got linked twice in this thread was so lame. The spider would have probably fallen asleep or something, but the Michael Jordan poster fanboy ended up prodding it continually to get them "together". The spider had already had its chance and the mouse got away. The spider probably didn't even kill the mouse, it was probably an elaborate play out by it and the mouse to GET THIS IDIOT TO STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME KILL YOU.
I didn't have the sound up, but after prod boy left, the mouse probably got up, gave the spider a pound, and left.
Spiders don't scare me, though I do hate when they can move really really quick. I can put you outside if I can catch you, but if you gotta be all zip-zing about it, eff a fair one, you gotta go theski mask tennis racket way.
posted by cashman at 10:25 AM on January 9, 2008
I didn't have the sound up, but after prod boy left, the mouse probably got up, gave the spider a pound, and left.
Spiders don't scare me, though I do hate when they can move really really quick. I can put you outside if I can catch you, but if you gotta be all zip-zing about it, eff a fair one, you gotta go the
posted by cashman at 10:25 AM on January 9, 2008
Tarantula anecdote time? Awesome.
One night while on vacation in Belize, my wife woke me to point out the huge critter on the wall no more than 3 feet from my head. Bleary eyed, I rolled over and took a look, said "oh yeah, he's a handsome fella" and went back to sleep.
In the morning, I found her sleeping on the floor in the center of the room, covered in mosquito netting.
Don't even get me started about her reaction to some of the spiders in Fiji.
posted by JaredSeth at 10:29 AM on January 9, 2008
One night while on vacation in Belize, my wife woke me to point out the huge critter on the wall no more than 3 feet from my head. Bleary eyed, I rolled over and took a look, said "oh yeah, he's a handsome fella" and went back to sleep.
In the morning, I found her sleeping on the floor in the center of the room, covered in mosquito netting.
Don't even get me started about her reaction to some of the spiders in Fiji.
posted by JaredSeth at 10:29 AM on January 9, 2008
« Older The 'advantage' of 'low human rights' | "You will explode after two minutes". Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
They're not nice at all. I can see the tarantulas quite clearly.
posted by fleetmouse at 11:48 PM on January 8, 2008 [4 favorites]