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Message |
Mark Ribbans
Tinkerer
SA
UZZ-031 V8
Posts: 50
Reg: 07-2005
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I'll let the pictures do the talking, no comments required...
Oh I'm sorry, can't see what all the fuss is about?
How about I zoom in a bit for you..
Pictures don't do it justice, it is a big MoFo! |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
I have LESS Soarers than Hayden :-(
Posts: 3462
Reg: 05-2005
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Eeeeeek!  what breed is it?
EDIT: A red back? |
Mark Ribbans
Tinkerer
SA
UZZ-031 V8
Posts: 51
Reg: 07-2005
|
Yep, she is a Latrodectus Hasselti (Commonly known as a Red Back). Bites cause serious illness and have caused deaths! It's in a 2Lt coke bottle now, a new pet. |
Neil Griffiths
Trader
NSW
I have MORE Soarers than Hayden :-)
Posts: 2003
Reg: 07-2005
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I have them hanging down from the cars as I work..hahahahah Bloody things..
I noticed they are getting gamer..normally they hide..latley they are coming out into the light !!
They are a * Red Back * Donno...Nasty peice of equipment they can be..heheheheheheh |
Ben Socratous
TryHard
SA
JZZ30 GT-TL
Posts: 294
Reg: 07-2005
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Um redback perhaps?
Eitherway, a good whacking is in order, or maybe just a can of raid. Or if you had some noz in the boot, you could just crack the valve and freeze the little fcuker.
Just in case you couldn't guess, I really hate spiders. I had someone play a practical joke on me in high school with a huntsman, he ended up spending 10 days in hospital afterwards  |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
I have LESS Soarers than Hayden :-(
Posts: 3464
Reg: 05-2005
|
Must admit I'm not a huge fan of spiders in general.
If any of ewe's saw the movie "Arachnaphobia", the spiders they used in the film were actually from New Zealand, and are commonly known as "Avondale Spiders" after the area of Auckland where they're commonly found.
I believe they're about the same size as a Huntsman.
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Sam Schreck
DieHard
ACT
vvt-i JZZ31
Posts: 880
Reg: 07-2005
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Better in the boot than somewhere you'd put your hand without looking. Although, I suppose you will for a while now.
Last Friday night on the way home, Sophie completely froze in the passenger seat. There was a huge Huntsman on her window, the outside. I tried getting it off using the old faster and faster technique, but he just held on. At the next set of lights he decided to get to some more favourable ground - the windscreen. That's where I won the round. Wipers on...Bye bye. |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
I have LESS Soarers than Hayden :-(
Posts: 3466
Reg: 05-2005
|
Are Huntsman's big, scary & harmless, or big, scary & dangerous? 
I know our Avondale spiders are big, scary, dumb & harmless  |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
I have LESS Soarers than Hayden :-(
Posts: 3467
Reg: 05-2005
|
It's ok, I've answered me own question.
"Our" Avondale spiders are actually your fella's Huntsman
The large harmless spider found around the Avondale area of Auckland is an Australian huntsman spider. This spider found its way to New Zealand in the early 1920s, with the first specimen found in 1924. It probably came in imported wood used for railway sleepers. It has not spread very far from Avondale (thank God!), so it has received the popular name of Avondale Spider. In South Australia this species is quite common, and people encourage them to live in their houses to keep the pest insect population down (WTF!).
Where found
They are nocturnal and like to hide during the day in dark, dry places. In their natural habitat, which is under loose-fitting bark of wattle trees, they live in large colonies. Around houses they hide in attics, under corrugated iron, behind pictures and bookcases, and in sheds and garages.
Food
These spiders are fascinating to watch (yeah, thrilling...NOT!). They sit motionless on walls and then rush after prey. They very quickly devour prey, sucking all the juices out and discarding the hard outer pieces. Their favourite foods seem to be moths, flies, cockroaches, and earwigs.
Size
Avondale spider. Photo from NZAC slide collection
The first reaction of most people on finding Avondale spiders is usually horror. The spiders move very fast when disturbed (as do people when frightened!). Mature spiders with legs outstretched can measure up to 200 mm across (8”).
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Perry Morgan
Goo Roo
Qld
UZZ32 ( V8 )
Posts: 1064
Reg: 07-2005
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If ya don't like em Don put them outside ya big blouse. |
Clayton Webb
TryHard
South Australia
'31 V8
Posts: 252
Reg: 09-2005
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Ah, you've gotta love Australia. It's got some very friendly Spiders and Reptiles! |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
I have LESS Soarers than Hayden :-(
Posts: 3469
Reg: 05-2005
|
Perry Morgan wrote on Monday, May 08, 2006 - 08:24 pm:If ya don't like em Don put them outside ya big blouse.
But they're big n' mean and, and.......stuff  |
Tamatha Chapman
TryHard
SA
V8 GT LIMITED
Posts: 165
Reg: 02-2006
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All I can say is I'm glad that wasn't in my car. You wouldn't get me near it until it had been bombed with several cans of spider killing stuff.
I am PETRIFIED of the damn things. Have a long history of screaming full lungs at the sight of them (even a leaf if it resembles). Will run wildly about at full pitch screaming 'kill it'.
Cannot believe I even opened this thread and looked. Now I've got the hebby jeebies eeaaawwwwhhh. |
Tom Kneebone
TryHard
WA
factory 5 spd TT : Auto TT
Posts: 294
Reg: 10-2005
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I'm with Ben.
All spiders should have the third dimension removed from them. |
Luke Nieuwhof
DieHard
WA
Soarer TT
Posts: 869
Reg: 07-2005
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Tom Kneebone wrote on Monday, May 08, 2006 - 09:05 pm:All spiders should have the third dimension removed from them.
Bahahaha thats a great way of putting it.
I've inherited a disdain for spiders from my mother, sad really. Not quite as bad as her but anything big or black or both, yuck.
There's something strangely intriguing about redbacks though, when you look at one its hard to imagine just how dangerous they are.
I guess mother nature put that stripe there for a reason! |
Benny Gammelmark
Goo Roo
NSW
V8 UZZ31
Posts: 1546
Reg: 07-2005
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I've got a garden full of funnelwebs. They can be very hard to hit with a shovel when they're jumpin' around. |
Ben Socratous
TryHard
SA
JZZ30 GT-TL
Posts: 295
Reg: 07-2005
|
Out in the garden I've had a redback run up the leg of my jeans. A wolf spider crawl across my lap whilst out lazing in the deck chairs and a huntsman appear on my shoulder, complete with dripping fangs and front legs up. I don't care if they're not poisonous, I didn't really fancy a bite to the throat that day. Should have seen me move, I would've run a 6 second 1/4 on foot! I think I should just stay out of the garden.
As for that prick at school, he put the fattest (ie fat, not phat, ok?) huntsman he could find in my pencil case so when I opened it... The whole class thought it was hillarious. He wasn't laughing too much after I recomposed myself. I ended up breaking his arm, dislocating his shoulder and breaking three ribs. And the school had the ordacity to suspend ME!!! Funniest part of the whole thing was that he was a martial arts instructor and still went down like a lead ballon. |
Jose-Antonio Castillo
DieHard
NSW
Soarer VVTi single turbo
Posts: 641
Reg: 07-2005
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Yech... spiders hehehhehe. I remember driving around with a mate and my mate's like *close... your... window*. As I asked why I see a big arse huntsman heading from the windscreen to the A-pillar, a good dose of speeding was in order  |
Callum Finch
Goo Roo
WA
Soarer TT
Posts: 1132
Reg: 09-2005
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BWAHAHA I LOVE SPIDERS! >=D |
Hanré Van Rensburg
TryHard
Auckland
Soarer TT
Posts: 266
Reg: 08-2005
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^^^ I'm with Callum on this one!! I absolutely LOVE spiders.
A wee while ago I was looking at importing a FireLeg from Mexico but it was going to be too damn costly just for a Tarantula.
Maybe I'll just settle for one of those Avondale ones. :D |
Ben Socratous
TryHard
SA
JZZ30 GT-TL
Posts: 296
Reg: 07-2005
|
Had a spider on the windscreen once, can't remember what type. Smart little bugger it was. Turned the wipers on, and it jumped over them. As I was on the highway, I thought some 'spirited' anti spider action was in order, bouncing off the speed limiter and it was still hanging on!!! |
Matthew Sharpe
DieHard
North Island
3.0 GT
Posts: 902
Reg: 10-2005
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When my girl came home from work last Friday night a Avondale Spider followed her in - he was just a little fella at about 4 -5" across. I went to pick him up and he shot up the leg of my jeans. While I was pulling my pants off to get him out Julie went and got the camera and got some good shots (yes, one of me with my pants down) - I'll bring the camera in tomorrow and post some up. |
Hanré Van Rensburg
TryHard
Auckland
Soarer TT
Posts: 267
Reg: 08-2005
|
Lucky it didn't take a bite out of the ol' fruit bowl! |
Luke Nieuwhof
DieHard
WA
Soarer TT
Posts: 871
Reg: 07-2005
|
I'd just like to say thanks for starting this thread! NOT! I had a dream last night that there was lots of spiders around my bed and I went to see what could be done about then and they said nothing, THEY LIVE IN THE WALLS! Now I will be permanently freaked out! |
Perry Morgan
Goo Roo
Qld
UZZ32 ( V8 )
Posts: 1065
Reg: 07-2005
|
Well luke, maybe it wasn't a dream. Maybe it was a vision of what is yet to pass. WoooOOOOOoooooOOo! |
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