old battler

[miriam_e]

Had a visit from an old spider who clearly has been in a few battles. He has lost most of his legs on one side. I wonder what had been after him. Undoubtedly many animals would consider him a juicy tidbit. Life would be difficult for such a large spider. I don't think life expectancy would be very long. Hmmm... I wonder how long Huntsman spiders live. I must ask my Mum.

The pictures were taken in my kitchen. I noticed him just as I was about to turn out my lights, so I got a few snapshots before switching the lights off and retiring for the night. I don't know why he is covered in cobweb detritus. Perhaps he's just blundered through a web to eat one of the spiders that spin webs. There are plenty of those here. It is one of the things I like about huntsman spiders: they don't mess up the place with web. I have to periodically clear away the webs of all the other spiders. I hate wrecking their homes, but it would be a mass of web here if I didn't.

Comments

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... why do I get the feeling you're yanking my chain? :)

Peruvian centipedes? Supposedly the world's largest.
You didn't happen to watch CSI NY the other night did you? The things they showed as centipedes were actually millipedes. Centipedes are carnivores and have a poisonous "bite", whereas millipedes are vegetarians and the worst they can do is make a terrible smelling fluid (it might be a bit toxic too so don't rub your eyes after handling a millipede).

By the way, I put quotes around "bite" because their first pair of legs are modified and sit up under a centipede's head like a pair of jaws. They're hollow and can inject poison. That's what they use when they "bite" you. Most centipedes are harmless to humans, though their bite stings pretty badly. I've only ever been bitten when I've been digging in the garden, generally after turning over a rock or log.

I'm not keen on redbacks. I kill them whenever I find them around the house. They're way too dangerous.

I have a soft spot for cockroaches. They are cute.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... why do I get the feeling you're yanking my chain? :)
Absolutely not. I'm far more obvious.

Peruvian centipedes? Supposedly the world's largest.
These definately are not them. I'm sure I was told they were Peruvian... they are everywhere.

I have a soft spot for cockroaches. They are cute.

Hmmm... why do I get the feeling you're yanking my chain? :)

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

We seem to have a lot of centipedes in Australia. You're probably thinking of that pretty one with the light greenish, sometimes bluish body, and orange legs. I don't know what they're called. I should find out. That's something else for me to do next time I'm in at the museum.

No, I'm dead-set. Cockroaches are truly cute little critters. Though I must admit I draw the line at them being near my food... or my books (though silverfish are the worst for books). They don't get much chance in this house though -- too many predators.

Cockroaches have a truly phenomenal ability to repair genetic damage. They may help us live longer one day.

[belegdel.livejournal.com]

Redbacks breed like rabbits (or worse). Not a good idea to let them get started or they end up everywhere. Especially if you remove the competition for them.
I note that I lived in a house that was riddles with huntsmen and redbacks. The huntsmen obviously weren't eating the redbacks :(

Cockroaches are WAAAAAY to keen to crawl over everything and fly into/onto people. They also can breed out of control in short order. They've an instant death sentence in my house.

Millipedes are cute, but they do smell. Not as bad as ants though.
I frickin' hate ants.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

The huntsmen obviously weren't eating the redbacks

Interesting. Maybe the redbacks are too dangerous.

[Cockroaches have] an instant death sentence in my house.

Death sentence for being nearsighted! Nobody can accuse you of overreaction, can they. :)

Awwww... ants are waaay cute. They are the best of all. When I was a kid I used to spend hours squatted on the edge of our 2-meter diameter red-ant (or meat-ant) nest. They were so cool. I swear they knew I wasn't there to hurt them. They were very gentle ants and would tolerate me there just watching them. Occasionally one of the less bright members would try to bite at my toes, but all I had to do was softly discourage it and all was well again.

We used to tip any waste food that we and our dog didn't want, onto the edge of the nest for them. The nest grew so large and successful that one day it split in half. Somehow half the members decided to up and leave. They made a highway through the bush cleared of leaves and twigs and for a few days travelled back and forth moving house. Eventually the new nest was up and running and didn't seem to have any further contact with the original. It was never as big or successful as the first nest though... perhaps because of our continued practice of feeding the old nest (what can I say, we were fond of it), though I did share stuff out with the new nest from time to time.

Hmmm... just re-reading that... am I weird?