I'm NEVER going to Australia!!!

[Colin]

Ay, yes, the North American leopard-spotted cougar is widespread. Fortunately, they tend to only prey on young males, so I no longer have much to worry about.

Sadly I have fallen prey once of twice but have been lucky enough to live and tell about it. Of course I am 32 in a few weeks, so I am likely safe now.

[Cat]

I used to be a pretty severe arachniphobe. But once I got a pet tarantula about ten years ago (RIP Klaus...who was actually a female, although her previous owner didn't know that), and started studying up on spiders, I've since become really fascinated by them. While golden-orb weaver venom is slightly toxic to humans, it usually just causes localized pain, occasionally blisters and a rash around the wound for a day or two. Nothing too severe, and many "non-toxic" spider bites can cause the same reactions. Most relatives of this species in the US only inhabit south-eastern states like Texas, the Carolinas, and Louisiana. It's nothing to worry about, even if you get bitten (and up to 50% of spider bites are "dry", meaning that they don't inject any venom.) If I see a spider in my apartment, I usually either A) leave it alone, or B) let the cat eat it. Unless it's a black widow (which are pretty common throughout the entire US), they don't bother me anymore. Hey, at least it's not an Sydney Funnel-Web spider! They're considered one of the most dangerous spiders on the planet, and most ER's in the Sydney region actually have special treatment units and doctors to deal specifically with their bites. They look like tarantulas (except shiny and black, like a black widow), and their venom can be fatal pretty quickly (within an hour or two, usually far less.) "Atrax Robustus" is a nasty little bugger, and I wouldn't want to meet one...ever. Atraxotoxin is pretty nasty stuff, and can kill in as little as fifteen minutes. Plus, they tend to be really aggressive, which most spiders are not. Sleep tight!;-)

[Nick the DSM]

that...is...one huge spider!!! surprised there isn't a spider-man floatin around!

[scratchy]

I find this thread disturbing.

[BoldHighlander]

I find this thread disturbing.

Aye, and I knew I shouldn't have looked at it just before bed!!

[Squeaky McMurdo]

This thread is horrible, I will be having nightmares for the rest of the week, spiders are definately the closest thing to the burning circles of hades that we have on earth!

Thank you very much for pushing up the squeem factor!!

*gets an evil glint in her eye*
Ya know...when I was in College at Dixie State in St. George, Utah, I had a tarantula follow me all the way from the math building to the science building...He was just walking merrily on his way right down the sidewalk.

On a side note, there was also a little gecko that got into my dorm and remained there all semester. Every time someone would slam the door, he'de fall off the ceiling, run across the room, and climb back up the wall.

[###KILTEDKIWI###]

Krykie!! That is disturbing! I think i'll stay away from that part of australia.

Although I hear that Australia is amazing, it's also home to pretty much all the deadlist insects, reptiles, and sea life in the world.

The spider would probably be the least of my concerns if I were to go to Australia.
__________________

uh hum, as someone whos shares a geographical similarity to Australia, may Isuggest that your money, er um, time! would be better spent in our fair land (trans tasman rivalry, brilliant).

The only dangerous creatures we have here, are the primeminister (seriously), a rogue hedgehog named "barry" who has a genetic dispostion to being slighty aggravated at 4 in the afternoon if he hasnt had his sleep, and any aussies that we fail to screen correctly at customs...

;)

[staticsan]

Don't be a wuss. You would normally have to go out of your way to find such a beastie. The vast majority of Aussies wouldn't ever see one in real life. In most of the country, if you leave the wildlife alone, it will leave you alone.

Funnelweb spiders seem to be the exception, but in that case, let the cat or dog attend to it; oddly enough their venom, whilst highly dangerous to humans, is virtually harmless to cats and dogs.

Wade.

[###KILTEDKIWI###]

if you leave the wildlife alone, it will leave you alone.

Unfortunately i can name one very famous aussie who failed to heed that warning and as a consequence, came down with a severe case of death...poor blighter...

[Ian.MacAllan]

I agree that the hazards of Australian wildlife are greatly exaggerated. I met more noxious fauna per day on Guam than in three weeks in Australia.

The only unpleasantries I recall on Australia were the liquor taxes and the drought.

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