This road hazard is scary.

[eddd]

I came across this guy and dozens of his friends today on Texas Hwy 178 just before it crosses into New Mexico.

 

[Matts_12GS]

you should crop your bike out and tell people those are 4 foot tall or something

[Indy Dave]

How did you happen to spot that dude? Just taking a wizz and happen to look down or?

[DaveTheAffable]

I came across this guy and dozens of his friends today on Texas Hwy 178 just before it crosses into New Mexico.

 

Just before the Tarantula crosses into New Mexico, or Hwy 178?

 

[SageRider]

Believe me, If you ever happen to be travelling along and encounter migrating tarantulas, you WILL know it.

Sorta like black bots dots.... and they are moving.....

[elkroeger]

you should crop your bike out and tell people those are 4 foot tall or something

 

That thing is 4' tall... As far as I'm concerned anyway... Thank God I didn't find that crawling across my tent when I was down there last year. I woulda freaked. I can see me flapping my arms and running down the street, with me and Lori still inside the tent!

 

I'm curious about how you found dozens of them milling about in broad daylight. Do they do that this time of year? Mating behavior or something?

[Francois_Dumas]

YUCK !!!!

[eddd]

- It is Hwy 178 that crosses into NM.

 

- Like Michael said, you couldn't seetng them. They were on the move for some reason, all crossing the road north to south.

[roydog007]

Believe me, If you ever happen to be travelling along and encounter migrating tarantulas, you WILL know it.

Sorta like black bots dots.... and they are moving.....

 

I've seen thousands crossing the road at one time in Chino Hills.

[Matts_12GS]

How did you happen to spot that dude? Just taking a wizz and happen to look down or?

 

That might scare me worse!

[beemerman2k]

When I turned 19 years old, my brother and my best friend bought me one of those for a pet! I used to admire them in the pet store, so they got me one.

 

I used to have lots of fun with that tarantula. I would let it climb all over me, and once a month I would toss 10 crickets into its cage. Now that was some wild stuff, watching it hunt the crickets. The spider would become a statue for about an hour while the crickets jumped around and expended all their energy. Then, they'd settle down and start just walking around. Eventually, one would get too close and literally before you could know it, the spider would lunge and trap the cricket(s) (I've seen it catch 2 at once like this) in it's legs and then kill it with it's fangs. NICE! At night time, I would hear crunching noises coming from the cage and I knew the spider had just caught a little snack

 

They look far worse than they actually are (unless you're a cricket!). I gave mine plenty of reason to bite me, yet it never did surprisingly enough.

 

Oh yeah, they loved oranges, too. I'd put an orange in the cage and then come back a day or two later and you'd see the holes where the fangs penetrated the orange to suck out the juice

[doc47]

I used to have a real "arachnophobia" thing. When I was in college at UNM in Albaturkey I was out on the West Mesa one day -- back then Rio Rancho Estates was nothing but desert -- and came across one of those suckers. I happened to have a big jar in the car and captured the tarantula.

I fixed up a terrarium for him in the living room and spent time just observing. They move elegantly, like dancers. It gradually overcame my fear. I let it go after about a month.

There are A LOT of black widow spiders in NM but I got used to those, too. Just made a habit of checking under the seat whenever I used an outhouse!!

[CoarsegoldKid]

Around here those fellas go searching for a mate in late October and November. Come up if you want to see them. We don't think about picking them up.

[Green RT]

In central California when they are in season, you can see thousands of them on the road. I brought one home once. My son thought it was neat, my wife and daughter not so much.

[Pilgrim]

I happened to have a big jar in the car and captured the tarantula.

I fixed up a terrarium for him in the living room and spent time just observing.

 

They are common in Puerto Rico, BIG ones, too.

 

When we lived there a friend showed Sherrie how to "fish" for them in their holes. Tie a knot in the end of a weed and lower it into the hole. If there's one there he will grab the weed, which you can feel and then jerk him out.

 

Not being able to work or go to school there, she was frequently bored and caught more than a few in the yard. One of them she put in a bottle and shipped via UPS to a collection of nieces and nephews in Denver. They were vastly entertained.

 

Pilgrim

[Dave39]

Back in my working days. We had a couple of pet tarantulas in the office. We also let then walk around on our hands and arms. They were actually very docile (as long as you're not a cricket). We finally had to get rid of them because they spooked the cleaning lady and she complained to our boss.

[Les is more]

Reminds me of this classic post from Down Under

[TN_R_Girl]

So does this mean you can tell us why the tarantula crossed the road??

 

 

 

[Uggles]

I was just about to say the same thing, Leslie..... still gives me the willys when I think about it.

And thanks for bringing back the tag..I think.

Cheers,

[Lineareagle]

Sure its not an illegal alien and did you check credentials?

[Matts_12GS]

Sure its not an illegal alien and did you check credentials?

 

nope,

I made it answer me in French and English and then it smoked some players and bitched about not being able to find tim horton's.

[gottago]

My son was given his classroom's pet tarantula at the end of school when he was in the 4th grade. He was thrilled - me not so much. I agreed to this new addition on the condition it was never never allowed out of his room. Sure enough I was standing at the stove one night and when I turned around here comes the tarantula strolling across the kitchen floor. I shrieked so loud the tarantula flattened itself then hopped up and beat a hasty retreat. Thankfully Jay forgot and left him on his windowsill in his little plastic house and the hot sun gave him sunstroke.