The Sydney Funnel Web: Unfair

[Gruthar]

Actually, I'm more fascinated than frightened by Australia's insect life. I would love to spend a couple hours observing bulldog ants, though they may leap onto me and proceed to sting the crap out of me. Arachnids are the most interesting to watch. I'd be crazy enough to keep a SFW as a pet. I've kept Western Black Widows, Arizona Bark Scorpions, as well as a couple of other species of less-poisonous arachnids (moved on to ant colonies for the moment.) I could sit there for hours and watch my spiders go about their business... makes for convenient moth/cricket/pest disposal too.

But, to further along the 'nightmare critter' aspect of this thread, allow me to introduce the Belostomatidae family.

Spoiler

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_water_bug

It doesn't look too scary, but looks can be deceiving. My friend used to keep one in a fish tank. He eventually released it because it was too expensive to keep (the damn thing went through fish like candy.) By far, watching it eat is the most gruesome thing I've ever witnessed (picture a toad being fiercely arrested by powerful claws, then having its insides liquefied and gradually sucked out, an empty bag of skin and bones remaining.) Supposedly it has one of the most painful bites of any insect, but I don't want to be the one to find out. At least it's not lethal to humans...

 

[Stevedave00]

Is the only thing that gives me nightmares.

 

[Ultrajoe]

Also, on a related note... Come to Australia! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNEeq5qGh8I]

I can't believe I didn't link this earlier. On a fun note, that little leaping death-koala lives at the reptile park, unless I'm mistaking that fence and enclosure for another that looks exactly like it. Still, a good lesson that looking cute is just another way of saying 'I Thrive On Deception'.

 

[Nmil-ek]

Yeah thats a pretty creepy spider, yup.

Anyway Ill just leave this here for the braver of you and be on my way then shall I?

Spoiler

[http://img31.imageshack.us/i/camelspiderflytying.jpg/]

I dislike you, What IS that??

Sun spider also known as the camel spider primaraly found in deserts.

 

[Matty819]

Also, on a related note... Come to Australia! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNEeq5qGh8I]

And that is why koalas are awesome. They're all cute and cuddly, but so help you if you fuck with them.

Also I really need to stop looking in this thread, all these spider pics. Every time a piece of fluff lands on me I have a full body spasm and leap out of my chair.

Same with wombats.

Dont ever ever ever kick a wombat.....

His faster then you....

 

[Caimekaze]

Also, on a related note... Come to Australia! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNEeq5qGh8I]

And that is why koalas are awesome. They're all cute and cuddly, but so help you if you fuck with them.

Also I really need to stop looking in this thread, all these spider pics. Every time a piece of fluff lands on me I have a full body spasm and leap out of my chair.

Same with wombats.

Dont ever ever ever kick a wombat.....

His faster then you....

And stronger. He is definitely stronger than you.

 

[olicon]

This must be one of the best thing I've ever read on a forums, ever.
Too bad it scares the crap out of me now. I just recently moved to Sydney, and the wild life down under doesn't exactly warm my heart. From killer sharks to bird-eating spiders, and now this. This is going to make my life a joy.

My only consolation is that my house is bloody cold (no indoor heating FTW!) so these little pricks won't be hiding around here, that's for sure.
I swear, it may be 15 degrees outside, but somehow the inside of my shoes WITH MY FOOT INSIDE manages to be about 10degrees. Isn't that against the first law of thermodynamics?

 

[Ultrajoe]

This must be one of the best thing I've ever read on a forums, ever.

You just made my day. I'm printing out those words 500 times and rolling in a bath full of good vibes. Don't judge me, it's an ego-fetish.

 

[rabidmidget]

I remember elvis the crocodile from the last time i went the the reptile park, the zookeeper tried to lure him into the pond with a dead chicken but he was too stubborn. I have lived in australia for my entire life and i have never seen a brown snake in my bath tub, but my washing machine on the other hand...(true story).

Also fun fact about funnel webs
They can survive for lengthy periods of time underwater by trapping water in their hairs and slowing down their metabolisms so i can say from experience, if you catch a dead one in your poll filter, it probably isn't.

God i love this country

 

[Labyrinth]

.... Woah, woah, woah... are you telling me if you saw that on your wall, you would just shrug it off? Are you serious?!

Well.. yeah? They're pretty common anyway. And it amuses me to see the horrified expressions on people's faces when they wander in and realise that no, I don't care that it's sitting there.

Is the only thing that gives me nightmares.

Guess what! Over here, they fly.

 

[Ultrajoe]

Guess what! Over here, they fly.

In big groups, and their instinct is to fly towards sources of warmth. This includes your face, and up your nostrils and mouth.

 

[Caimekaze]

Guess what! Over here, they fly.

In big groups, and their instinct is to fly towards sources of warmth. This includes your face, and up your nostrils and mouth.

I love this country.

 

[PyroZombie]

Guess what! Over here, they fly.

In big groups, and their instinct is to fly towards sources of warmth. This includes your face, and up your nostrils and mouth.

What the hell is it?

 

[HateDread]

Somehow, this thread evokes some deep love of my beautiful country, Australia.

Hells yeah for the most dangerous country on Earth! YEAAAH!

 

[Labyrinth]

What the hell is it?

Australian bush cockroaches.

 

[FROGGEman2]

yes, us Aussies are tougher.

 

[Lord Krunk]

What the hell is it?

Australian bush cockroaches.

You mean that gigantic tank-beast that my friend keeps as a pet?

I knew they were freakish, but I haven't seen one fly before.

 

[SmartIdiot]

*snip*

You wasted your time just for that? Look at how much discussion this thread has generated and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say it was a thoroughly entertaining article, if a bit long. If you've got nothing to contribute to the discussion other than your thoughts(which I might add, got rather repetitive) on whether or not that post was a blog or not, save it for another thread. Also, let the admins decide what's advertising and what isn't and then they can tell someone not to post it.

As for the topic. I was always fascinated by spiders. Never heard of the Sydney Funnel Web until today and it's incredible that creatures so small can do so much damage. It just furthers my understanding that Australia is inhabited almost exclusively by things designed to kill you and I would like to visit at some point...

 

[smallharmlesskitten]

What the hell is it?

Australian bush cockroaches.

Should I show them the Weta?

I'll show them the weta...

Spoiler: NZ Only though

 

[Caimekaze]

Bah! That thing isn't even poisonous!
What sort of an insect is that. Seriously.

Not really. <3 wetas.