Public Service Announcement: Shake them boots

[Faulkner]

I got up this morning before daylight and went out in the garage to put on my Muck boots while on my way to let Daisy out of her pen. I picked up my Muck boots, turned them upside down and slapped them together and out popped a tarantula.

With the weather starting to get cooler overnight various small critters are looking for a warm place to hunker down. It's always a good habit to check them boots before you put 'em on in the mornings.

 

[lihpster]

Looks kinda like he's lifting a leg at you. I don't think he was too pleased to be woken up like that.

 

[Truckman]

I don't think he was too pleased to be woken up like that.

Given the vicinity of the boot, his attitude was likely neutralized in a big hurry......Ben

 

[lihpster]

Ya gotta love his spirit. He's right next to a boot of all things, staring down a creature a thousand times his size. His reaction? "Ya feelin' froggy boy?"

 

[LVSteve]

Working out in the desert when one of the guys called me over. Big tarantula was walking through where we were working. Coworker placed his boot in the tarantula's path. The spider walked up to it, kind of felt around for a few seconds with its front legs, then walked around the boot. We had the impression the tarantula's thought process was something like, 'Can't eat it, can't make love to it, so best go around it.'

 

[Oldengineer]

My experience with tarantulas is that they are harmless to humans and appear to be stoned all of the time! Black widow spiders get the hair spray and cigarette lighter treatment……only because I have been bitten by one as a kid. It felt like surgery with out anesthetic. Up in smoke!

Tom H.

 

[Onomea]

I heard that the real men of the Ozarks just wake up and pull on them boots without lookin'!

 

[llowry61]

Spiders trigger a visceral attack response from me for some reason. That thing would have been a large smudge on the floor before I even realized what I had done.

Arachnophobia is real.

 

[DWalt]

One place we lived was a haven for tarantulas, mainly in the back yard. We just ignored them, they never bothered us. The scorpions and rattlers were a different story.

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

Spiders have never been a fear of mine...and I have been bit many times over the years.

We don't have tarantulas in my area, but if we did, I'd probably catch them a meal so often they'd get spoiled and come to the door expecting a treat.

I think they're adorable.

(BTW I have had a few friends over the years who had them as pets...some like to be petted, others don't.)

 

[DWalt]

Tarantulas are benign toward humans and will not bite unless severely provoked. Even then, their venom is only slightly toxic and a bite is not life threatening. And some people do keep them as pets. Best to just leave them alone. Not widely known but many species of spiders are incapable of biting humans as their mouth parts are too small. Then there are black widow and brown recluse spiders which are best avoided.

 

[wood714]

Tarantulas are benign toward humans and will not bite unless severely provoked. Even then, their venom is only slightly toxic and a bite is not life threatening. And some people do keep them as pets. Best to just leave them alone. Not widely known but many species of spiders are incapable of biting humans as their mouth parts are too small. Then there are black widow and brown recluse spiders which are best avoided.

I had a pet tarantula when I lived in Ohio. Fed it live crickets all the time. When I moved to Florida, I brought the bare necessitates in a Uhaul. After my house sold in Ohio the movers did the heavy stuff. I begged my ex to bring it down when she came down in her car.

Not a chance. She gave it to a friend who may still have it. It was a female, and I heard they lived a long time. I named it Spot.

 

[LVSteve]

Spiders trigger a visceral attack response from me for some reason. That thing would have been a large smudge on the floor before I even realized what I had done.

Arachnophobia is real.

As I can assume that none here ever met my mother, I can guarantee that you don't know the real meaning of arachnophobia.

 

[glenwolde]

Down here in our neck of the woods it's scorpions. That'll wake you up in a hurry.

 

[Chubbs103]

I don't like finding anything in my boots. I know enough to check after I found a baby opossum in one after I forgot to close the garage door. The little bugger bit my thumb pretty good while I was getting him out. Good news is that marsupials don't carry rabies.

I love finding tarantulas. Usually, they are very chill when you are checking them out. They will let you know when they want to be left alone. The last one we found in the desert let us know right off he wanted no attention.

 

[Faulkner]

I heard that the real men of the Ozarks just wake up and pull on them boots without lookin'!

And they do it barefooted . . . I'm not one of them.

 

[LVSteve]

And they do it barefooted . . . I'm not one of them.

Some of that 'real man' stuff is grossly overrated.

 

[DWalt]

I remember seeing one very large spider, maybe 7-8” legspan. I was in my car on a lease road in a West Texas oilfield, and it walked across the road ahead of me. I did not stop to investigate further so I don’t know what kind of spider it was. Also saw a huge centipede-looking creature on a lease road which must have been close to a foot long. I did not stop to investigate it either. Lots of strange creatures to be seen in West Texas oilfields, including those with two legs.

Looked up the centipede. Was probably the Texas Redheaded Centipede. Not a true centipede, has only 23 pairs of legs. They are venomous but not deadly. The Texas Tan Tarantula is known to have a legspan of 6”. There are much larger spiders but they are not native to North America, usually found in South America and Australia. Interesting that male tarantulas typically live only five years, while females can live 20-25 years.

 

[Rudi]

Been in the habit of dumping boots/shoes for many years. Never know what freeloaders you will find.

 

[Skeet 028]

I'm sorry there Faulkner...but that there spider is bear gun fodder...I don't like Spiders and snakes but Spiders creep me out