Creepy crawly pets
- Thread starter Chew Toy McCoy
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And now it all makes sense. I didn’t notice it was a mimosa tree, so I wondered why you were feeding it champagne and orange juice....
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I went out this morning to feed the jays and almost ran into a web. I reached out to see if I could move one of the anchors, and the inhabitant was down in a heartbeat. Dunno what kind of spider he is. I went back in to grab my phone to get a photo, but the angle was bad. When I ducked down to get to the other side it spooked him and he went back up to the web. I tugged on the strand again, but he didn’t reappear.
The strand was extremely strong and not at all sticky. I was impressed. But I didn’t want to wind up wearing it at some point during the day, so I again tried to move the anchor. Since it was so strong and not sticky, it came right off the porch and sprung up into the main web, causing it to collapse.
The strand was extremely strong and not at all sticky. I was impressed. But I didn’t want to wind up wearing it at some point during the day, so I again tried to move the anchor. Since it was so strong and not sticky, it came right off the porch and sprung up into the main web, causing it to collapse.
I can not stand spiders. I hate them. I am using the word HATE here.
Here’s a war story....I was out of the academy by a week or two teamed up with a veteran training officer and we were sent to a glass breakage alarm with motion detected inside. Since I was in training I was primary leading the search of the building’s perimeter.
Three of us were somewhere on the side of the building climbing through bushes and brambles and debris when I came to an old service door on a little porch like thing. So I stepped up on the landing from the side using my best cover and concealment moves when suddenly I felt dizzy and my vision was blurred and distorted.
I paused a moment to collect myself then realized my blurry vision was due to a GIGANTIC spiderweb just inches from my face...my eyes finally focused on it. To make matters worse there was a GIGANTIC spider perched in the center right in front of my eyes!! [With each passing year that spider just gets bigger and bigger in my memory but I swear it was the size of my fist.]
Totally unaware of the danger I was dealing with the other guys routinely wrapped around porch to cover me. That‘s when my instincts kicked in.
I let out a girly scream (no misogyny intended) and punched - kinda jousted - the center of the web with the muzzle of my gun. Of course the web collapsed around my hand so now I’m flailing my gun hand around in the air while making little choking and snorting sounds
My buddies had no idea what was happening but dove for cover as I violently shook my arm fearing that eight legged bastard was on my shirt sleeve.
Anyway, I’ll end this as randomly as I started. The spider was MIA and the alarm turned out to be false. The guys helping me clear the perimeter were watching me over their shoulders as they left. My trainer laughed it off and never wrote anything derogatory in my daily activity report.
The End
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I can see so many ways that could have gone wrong. You were lucky. Your team was lucky. Hell, even the spider was lucky!
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The take away from this picture should be I'm good on my steps and stand ups per day but am seriously lacking on exercise.
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Dumbass.
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Never heard of these things. I like the ones that launch into flips and somehow manage to stabilize into flight.
lizkat
Watching March roll out real winter
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This is pretty cool, there's a critter called the diabolical ironclad beetle, one inch long, able to withstand compression of 39k times its own weight.
Yeah that's its name, "diabolical ironclad beetle" -- a denizen of southern California forests. Hopefully there are still some left after the wildfires. The beetle has layered armor pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Now materials researchers and biologists are interested in seeing how these features could be transferred into improving impact resistance in things that humans use or are transported in. Some of your tax dollars are at work here via an $8 million research projected funded by the US Air Force.
www.latimes.com
Yeah that's its name, "diabolical ironclad beetle" -- a denizen of southern California forests. Hopefully there are still some left after the wildfires. The beetle has layered armor pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Now materials researchers and biologists are interested in seeing how these features could be transferred into improving impact resistance in things that humans use or are transported in. Some of your tax dollars are at work here via an $8 million research projected funded by the US Air Force.
What scientists hope to learn from a beetle that can survive being run over by a car
The ironclad beetle's shell is strong enough to withstand being run over by a car. It may help scientists design tougher airplanes and buildings.
www.latimes.com
Apple fanboy
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My wife hates spiders. I spend so much time removing them. But when she isn't there....
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I once considered having a tarantula pet, but then decided no. When I was in the USN based in South Texas we used to see them occasionally outside the BOQ (bachelor officer quarters). They lived in burrows, but I have no clue if they were the ones digging burrows or they would take them from other underground dwellers.
I grew up living rurally In Upper Marlboro, Md, but in a sub-division of houses. Back then (circa 1968) the area was rural, 99% farm land, but now a suburb of DC. The saying you can never go home is true in areas actively being developed watching the farms dissapear filled with miles of houses.
I had friends who lived on nearby farms. This gave me opportunities for semi-exotic pets. Influenced by an Exotic Pet book with a girl and two bats hanging from her blouse on the cover, I briefly had a pet bat flushed out of a friends attic, but quickly realized it was not a good pet because I’d always wonder about rabies infections if it bit me, so always handled it with gloves while feeding it cricket legs.
Briefly had a pet possum, nope... Although passive, made a mess of their bedding, so turned it loose. And I had a boa constrictor for years until it got too big and my Dad sold it. I used to raise my own mice, but it got to a point where I needed and raised rats.
Honestly, I don‘t see reptiles as being affectionate. That lasted about 6 months until I got tired of taking care of it and gave it back to them to sell. I was not going to raise mice/rats, so I used to buy frozen rats for it. You’d thaw them out soak them in warm water to get their temperature up and then drag them around the cage by their tail until the snake struck it and squeezed. Every so often, would buy a treat, a live rat for it.Yes, when I see a lizard (daily) part of me wants to domesticate it, but I think they probably be happier, if lizards can be happy, being free spirits even if it’s a shorter brutal life for some of them, and honestly I don’t want the obligation of taking care of them.
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Before I got Butters (blue tongue skink, well covered on this forum) the neck and neck choice was between a blue tongue skink and a ball python. I've had constrictors in the past but ball pythons don't get that big and are incredibly docile. Butters became the winner when a respected north american breeder I subscribe to sent an email saying babies were for sale and I happend to be in the right place (my email with a link) at the right time. It's seriously like an ebay sniper bid without any prenotice that the item is up for sale. Within minutes, gone.I once considered having a tarantula pet, but then decided no. When I was in the USN based in South Texas we used to see them occasionally outside the BOQ (bachelor officer quarters). They lived in burrows, but I have no clue if they were the ones digging burrows or they would take them from other underground dwellers.
I grew up living rurally In Upper Marlboro, Md, but in a sub-division of houses. Back then (circa 1968) the area was rural, 99% farm land, but now a suburb of DC. The saying you can never go home is true in areas actively being developed watching the farms dissapear filled with miles of houses.
I had friends who lived on nearby farms. This gave me opportunities for semi-exotic pets. Influenced by an Exotic Pet book with a girl and two bats hanging from her blouse on the cover, I briefly had a pet bat flushed out of a friends attic, but quickly realized it was not a good pet because I’d always wonder about rabies infections if it bit me, so always handled it with gloves while feeding it cricket legs.
Briefly had a pet possum, nope... Although passive, made a mess of their bedding, so turned it loose. And I had a boa constrictor for years until it got too big and my Dad sold it. I used to raise my own mice, but it got to a point where I needed and raised rats.
As an adult living in Minneapolis, I volunteered to take care of a nephew‘s Ball Python because they were in over their heads and did not want to keep it. I’d have it out in my lap or on the carpet, and it spooked the hell out of our cats, but it never tried to eat them. I kept it well fed.
Yes, when I see a lizard (daily) part of me wants to domesticate it, but I think they probably be happier, if lizards can be happy, being free spirits even if it’s a shorter brutal life for some of them, and honestly I don’t want the obligation of taking care of them.
Having said that, the other reason I came to this thread.......
Old world and new world tarantulas, for those who want to entertain their dinner party guests. This definition is decidedly conquistadors. New world is considered Europe with a decidedly huge obvious blindspot to Africa which could be considered the OG old world, but whatever. Old world is considered the Americas. Typically the noticeable difference between new world and old world is the new world has a secondary defense which is they rub their bum with their back legs that launches highly irritating hairs into the air while the cast of Monty Python yells "Piss off!. Part of that I made up. Old world doesn't bother with that nonsense and instead has a much more toxic venom.
There, you learned shit. Also, I might have gotten that completely backwards.
Point being, there's the difference.
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Don't think I already posted this. One of my mantids clearly pulling a prey equal in size to feast.
lizkat
Watching March roll out real winter
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