I have lived in Tucson for 13 years and yesterday, for the first time...

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... I saw a tarantula out in "the wild" (I had gone for a walk around the outside of the
Rehab Center).
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It was dead and upside-down, but impressive nonetheless.
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This is dedicated to Kali's dog, Dumbass.
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Last week I went out to get something from the truck and found a 5" tarantula walking up my entry way. We captured it and kept it overnight so we could get some pics in the daylight. We named it Mr.T and debated keeping it for a pet but ultimately decided that it needed to be free so we waited till evening to lessen the chances of Mr. T becoming a bird snack and put it back out where we found it on the entryway. The following evening, we saw him again hanging around on our rear patio. I understand that they are Territorial so maybe we have a new neighbor.

So far, in addition to Mr. T, we have found three Scorpions in our house, seen numerous Coyote and a small Bob Cat. No Javalina and no snakes to date but we just got here.

All I ever saw in San Jose was Raccoons. This has been a real wildlife adventure so far.

:kick:

And I'm really glad to hear that you're out walking around...

:hug:

.......:scared: (crossing the whole American SouthWest off my list of places to visit!!!):scared:

O.K., Here in Az we do have a McCain (and, apparently now a Palin) but no place is perfect.

On a side note, I love it when the DU spell check highlights Palin and I get to hit ignore.

last night was awesome

I caught it in a coffee can and sprayed a bunch of poison on cotton balls and put it in with it.
Left it on the counter with a note to my parents--who were also out (I was 17). Went to bed
and was awakened by my mother screaming.

Ha. It was too funny.

Many years later I learned that tarantulas jump! OMG. If it had jumped when I was catching it, I would have been the one screaming.

Unless you are a cricket, you should have nothing to fear. Can they bite? Yes, but you really have to fuck with them to get them to. Unlike their portrayal in the media (and if, by now you havn't come to question EVERYTHING the media tells you, you have really not been paying attention) as vicious, agressive, poisonious creatures, are far more afraid of you than you are of them.

When in doubt, follow the first rule of dealing with creatures in the wild. Don't fuck with it and it probably won't fuck with you.

This rule holds true for most creatures in North America (with the exception of men and Mosquito's) though there are exceptions. When you go Scuba diving in the ocean for instance, you need to come to terms with the fact that you are no longer the highest member of the food chain. And then, there are some famous last words like "What a cute cub! I wonder where the moma bear is?"

Turantulas are not the scary creatures we have been conditioned to think of them as. They are mearly some more of God's creatures trying to make their way on this earth. Please don't kill them.

and don't bite unless you inflict serious pain on them (like, don't step on them).

Years ago as a teenager coming back from a certain island in the Caribbean, a friend and I snuck one back inside of a coco-cola can on the airplane through Miami.