Toodling Tarantula

[Veronica]

Thom and I rode up Diablo today to the Junction. I'm still getting over my student induced cold, so I was not in any hurry and the phrase toodling tarantula kept going through my head.

I was surprised that in spite of not pushing it, I had a fairly decent average speed and kept my cadence up pretty high. It was nice to have a day off with my honey too. It wasn't as pretty of a day as yesterday; the sky was a bit overcast when we took off, but the poppies are out in full force.

V.

[snapdragen]

And here I thought you were gonna post about my favorite multi-legged creatures!

[jobob]

And here I was thinking "it's too early in the season for tarantulas".

On the other hand, the salamanders are out in full force !!

[bikerz]

Tarantulas totally creep me out, and I'm not actually sure I could out-run one climbing Mt. Diablo!

I almost didn't even read this post because I was afraid there's be a photo. Thanks, Snap!

[jobob]

They don't move very fast. Thank gawd.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I used to keep tarantulas. They are fascinating, beautiful, and do all kinds of amazing things.

[VeloVT]

oh my gosh, I'm so afraid of spiders. When I find daddylonglegs in my apartment I have to resort to running for the vacuum cleaner. The initial discovery is usually accompanied by a horror-film-worthy scream. I'll bet you can't vacuum tarantulas !!!

[kelownagirl]

I used to keep tarantulas. They are fascinating, beautiful, and do all kinds of amazing things.

What kinds of amazing things? Hopefully not escape from their cages. I dated a guy once who had a pet tarantula. Made me feel a bit skittish when I was over at his place...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

What kinds of amazing things? Hopefully not escape from their cages.

they will escape if you don't keep the tank secure, of course.

Amazing things....they build wonderful 'houses' depending on the species....some burrow, some make walls for their 'house' from web nets and then stick stuff all over the net to camouflage it. When they shed their skin (to grow) they have to flip over and lie on their backs and they look like they are dead for an hour or two while they struggle inside and wriggle to split out of the old skin. The new skin is very soft and it slowly expands and hardens...they are extremely vulnerable during this process. The old skin is a PERFECT replica of the tarantula in every detail....every single hair, the shiny eye covers, even their fangs...the whole skin is a perfect replica of the spider...only hollow! A cool thing to do which I have done twice, is to get the old skin (which is usually lying in a crumpled heap when the spider is done moulting) and then steam it so it is flexible again. Then you use delicate tweezers to slowly arrange it back into it's natural shape. If you work carefully and slowly and prop parts up with matchsticks while they dry again into position, you can then recreate the whole 'fake' spider in a natural pose again. Once dry it is stiff and you can remove the props and display it. Looks like a real preserved tarantula. Let me try to take a photo of one such mounting I made from a discarded skin....

[sgtiger]

I used to keep tarantulas. They are fascinating, beautiful, and do all kinds of amazing things.

I've always been fascinated by them, too. I kind of want one for a pet, but DH has espressed that he'd really rather not keep arthropods in the house. Mind you, he's not skittish or anything, he just has come to an understanding with them: If they leave him alone, he leaves them alone(or at least moves them out to the porch).

~Sg(Who in her previous life, used to chase boys with earth worms, but has gotten over that. Mostly)tiger

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

This was one skin from my beautiful Peruvian Pinktoe tarantula named Morticia.
She now lives at the entomology dept at Cornell. Of course, she emerged from the skin substancially larger.

[boy in a kilt]

I've always been fascinated by them, too. I kind of want one for a pet, but DH has espressed that he'd really rather not keep arthropods in the house. Mind you, he's not skittish or anything, he just has come to an understanding with them: If they leave him alone, he leaves them alone(or at least moves them out to the porch).

I believe my original protest was not liking the idea of waking up from a nap with a large, carnivorous invertebrate on my my chest eyeballing me.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You could get a 'spoke spider' that lights up your bicycle wheels instead!:
http://www.tireflys.com/images/produ...cle-spider.jpg

[sgtiger]

The spoke spider is cool and all, but it doesn't compare to the real thing.

[jobob]

California tarantulas are much smaller than Peruvian ones. Thank GAWD.