The Spider Issue

[Lioness]

[quote author=grandpaul link=topic=859.msg5270#msg5270 date=1217519194]
This is all silly.

Those are huge spiders, how can you miss them?

You ought to try living with Black Widows and Brown recluse (we have both). You almost never see them 'till they've got thier tiny little fangs in you. They like to hide way up in the toe area of your empty shoes in the closet, or up underneath the shelf where you have the parts bins for your Triumph.

They don't have "low medium and high" on thier venom dosimeter, it's full-blast every time.

When they get you, you can easily die.

AND YOU ALMOST NEVER SEE THEM.

Quit panicking and just kick the little beastie over somebody else's way when you see them crawling up to you.

[/quote]



Silly?
You can't miss them that is the problem.
We do have black widows. It's not the venom that is a problem - it is the fact that the species exist at all.
Kick the little beasties??? You have got to be joking. I'm so scared of them that I can't go near them let alone touch the bastads

 

[Sunshine Jim]

Brown recluse bite?

nasty...

talk about losing a 'pound of flesh"!

 

[CarlS]

[quote author=Sunshine Jim link=topic=859.msg5383#msg5383 date=1217573327]
Brown recluse bite?

nasty...

talk about losing a 'pound of flesh"!
[/quote]

You are right about that! We have both the black widow and brown recluse here.

 

[DaveM]

You talk about spiders being scary. Well one of the more scary things I have seen was the day I was at water world in Cape Town. They had a tank with these Spider Crabs in it. Now this freaked me out. Have a look how big these things are.

 

[CarlS]

That is a freaky looking critter.

 

[DaveM]

When I was standing in front of the tank they were all standing straight up and were taller than what I was, it was freaky

 

[CarlS]

That's a lot of crab!!

 

[grandpaul]

Carl: "That is a freaky looking critter"

Which one, the one on the right, or the one on the left?

 

[CarlS]

[quote author=grandpaul link=topic=859.msg5546#msg5546 date=1217686524]
Carl: "That is a freaky looking critter"

Which one, the one on the right, or the one on the left?

[/quote]
ROFL! Both!!

 

[MaeLyneS]

Dave, where do this crabs orginate from?

 

[DaveM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_spider_crab

The Japanese spider crab, Macrocheira kaempferi, is the largest known arthropod; fully grown it can reach a leg span of almost 4 m (13 ft), a body size of up to 37 cm (15 inches) and a weight of up to 20 kg (44 lb). The crab's natural habitat is on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean (some 300 to 400 m deep) around Japan, where it feeds on dead animals and shellfish. It is believed to have a life expectancy of up to 100 years.[1]

Because it is a particularly old species[verification needed] of crab, it is often referred to as a living fossil. Currently, this is the only living species of the genus Macrocheira, but there have been two reports of other fossil specimens. M. kaempferi is named in honor of Engelbert Kaempfer, the Japan traveller and naturalist from Lemgo, Germany.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3iGaIgdc5I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfhUhzc_EGE&feature=related

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761582502/spider_crab.html

Spider Crab, common name for any of a group of spiderlike crabs with rounded or pear-shaped bodies and very long, thin legs. Spider crabs inhabit ocean habitats from the shoreline down to about 200 m (about 660 ft). They are found in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and in tropical to arctic conditions. Most live on rocky or hard substrates, but some species are found on kelp, sand, or muddy bottoms.

The smallest spider crab species is less than 12 mm (less than 0.5 in) in length. With a leg span of up to about 4 m (about 13 ft), the Japanese spider crab is the world’s largest arthropod. Some spider crabs, also called decorator crabs, are noted for their habit of camouflaging themselves by attaching small organisms or debris to their bodies. Their external shell and legs are covered with setae (strong, hooked hairs) that aid the attachment of these ornaments. The crab uses its claws to collect, cut, and shape appropriate materials such as sponges or algae, and then arranges them in a characteristic manner.

Spider crabs feed primarily on dead animals and on slow-moving prey such as starfish or mollusks. They are considered a nuisance by fishers because they become entangled in nets and enter lobster traps. Octopuses, lobsters, fish, and sea otters all prey on spider crabs.

Spider crabs are sexually dimorphic, meaning that males and females take on different forms as they mature. For example, the male’s claws grow larger and more elaborate than the female’s. Mating can only occur after the final shedding of the external shell or exoskeleton, after which the spider crab cannot grow any larger. After mating, the female stores sperm in a special internal chamber called the spermatheca. One mating may be sufficient for all subsequent egg fertilizations. After the female produces and fertilizes her eggs, she carries them until they hatch. As with other crabs, the larvae lead a planktonic life, floating with the ocean currents and feeding on small crustaceans until they mature and settle into the adult habitat. Spider crabs have fewer larval stages than most other crabs.

 

[MaeLyneS]

Thanks, Dave. Wow! 13 feet is a huge crab!

 

[DaveM]

It will make for one great starter in the restaurant

 

[grandpaul]

Yummy, pass me a bucket of drawn butter!