| December Update |
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So you're probably
expecting something all warm and runny like holiday photos. Begone with you! Seriously, if you have issues with wild critters, click the back button now... |
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| One of the myriapod giants of Texas, Scolopendra heros, which I believe is Latin for “huge f**king centipede.” It’s powerful jaws can deliver a venomous bite that can kill other small animals and full-grown snakes. It is supposed to be very painful, a theory I won’t be testing, despite inserting foot into photo for scale and then backing away, hehe… |
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| Aphonopelma hentzi, or the “Texas Tarantula” … those I see frequently appear to eat mostly crickets. I hear some actually attack birds, but I suspect that may be urban legend. They don’t seem to hiss or jump as many believe… at least, I have never seen one do so when I approach… seems like any noise or vibration will send them scurrying off. |
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| Sorry I have no 'scale' in these... this is the largest, perhaps 5-6 inches long, with the carapace and abdomen/spinnerets each being about the size of a quarter. When I caught this one away from her burrow (these are both mature females), I was able to photograph directly from above and get a good look at markings and spots. |
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| However, it was early in the morning under dim light and the camera flash pissed her off something fierce. As I backed away, she reared up on her hind legs, waving in a threatening manner, and then bared her fangs… |