Remind me to never visit whichever area you're from Itnetlolor. I'm terrified of anything bigger than a wolf spider.
This is the cost of living near a beach in Florida (where the weather is always nice an warm and the air is thick with saltwater). Outside of cars rusting faster, have fun with the wildlife. Like I mentioned, this is fairly common.
This is a very good reason for my arachnophobia in the past. The little guys that hang out in all different corners of the house at times (even by my bed), I don't mind so much. They keep the areas clean of ants and other little bugs. These big ones tend to cannibalize some of them, and my cats aren't the type to kill them at all. They just watch them trot on by, and they play with them even. Talk about lazy.
Mind you, the cause of my arachnophobia was caused by a) One of these suckers jumping on to me while I was a kid (while trying to avoid it). and b) having one of them hiding in one of my shoes within the same era (never got bit, but man did the thing run). I learned to stomp out my shoes or empty them before putting them on, or stuffing socks in them to prevent settlers. Comfort aside, this is also why I prefer flipflops as well; secure, roomy, and an excellent killing tool.
EDIT:
The thicker air may have something to do with it. More air (closer to sea level) to absorb = bigger bugs. I dunno. Spiders aren't the only freakishly large bugs we have here. Grasshoppers tend to get just as big. Heck, even some bees/wasps/yellowjackets get as big a quarters; or at least, when zipping by, they look that big. Hurricane season doesn't help too much either, seeing as it speeds up migrations, and we sometimes get new neighbors from other places as they pass by (hit or no hit).
EDIT EDIT:
Your avatar caption reminds me. Didn't you have a rather large spider on your shirt? Oh yeah, and these are what we consider regular wolf spiders.
I think the largest in my memory I can recall was large enough to span a CD when standing normally. When I was about to dispose of it thinking it was dead when walking by, it was not dead; it was on it's back sleeping, and I woke it up. It was like watching a deadly flower open up and getting ready to pounce. That was probably the fastest I've ever reacted to get something to kill it.
EDIT EDIT EDIT:
Looking at the picture once more, look at the lowest leg. That's fully spanned out. Now imagine seeing that thing casually walk past (or gallop) across your wall or desk like an 8-legged horse out the corner of your eye behind your computer screen in full-span. Try sleeping after seeing that. Can still sleep? Okay then, how about spraying it down with some bug spray or hairspray? It's only angered and running frantically, ready to pounce. Still able to sleep thinking it will die eventually? What if it cant? Well now, try killing it with whatever long device (or you're brave enough to shoe it in), only to knock it out and have it fall behind your desk. You know it survived because you heard it land. You heard me, you HEAR it land; they're massive enough to make a sound upon impact. Now try sleeping.
...Wait, did I just hear another one walk across my window?
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Topic: [MILK] There were 12 eggs here what did you do with them? (Happy thread?!) (Read 16200675 times)