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Monday, October 4, 2010

Animals Spider of the Day: Cthulhu R'lyeh edition

Posted by Andrew Wright on Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 8:52 AM

I think we can all agree that large spiders are bad, right?

What about a large spider somehow composed of smaller spiders?

WARNING: you shouldn't have clicked on that link before breakfast. Or lunch. Or at any time, really.

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Mom spiders love their babies too! Amazing!

Posted by Vince on October 4, 2010 at 9:01 AM

Ooops! I suppose that could be a daddy spider as well.

Posted by Vince on October 4, 2010 at 9:02 AM

I personally think it's kind of cute. Spiders are our friends, because they eat the things that suck the awesome out of summer.

Posted by The Max on October 4, 2010 at 9:04 AM

yeah -- it took moving into a basement unit of a house and literally immersing myself in spiders this summer to finally learn to appreciate them.

Posted by Beetlecat on October 4, 2010 at 9:09 AM

Ia! Ia! Cthulu fthagn!

(By which I mean, this has robbed me of my sanity and filled me with Lovecraftian horror. For some reason, I am more horrified by the little spiders than by the big ones.)

Posted by Fangdoc on October 4, 2010 at 9:11 AM

Fascinating, really. Obviously it's not a dangerous spider (note it being held in a human hand), and as #1 said, they love their babies too, because most spiders are cannibalistic and will eat other spiders (even their own kind). So, keeping them together while they're still vulnerable works well for this species.

And, I totally agree with #3 - which I've said many times, your common house and garden spider ARE your friend, and they do more to keep other spiders / bugs from your home than you can imagine. If you see one in your house, catch it and turn it loose in your yard, just don't kill them!!!!

Posted by Frau Blucher on October 4, 2010 at 9:13 AM

Oh, c'mon! Someone deletes MY "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Spider R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn", but leaves Fang's? I'll make sure you're not eaten first!

Posted by Apocynum on October 4, 2010 at 9:18 AM

@6, I could only view the still image at first and naturally assumed that was a pair of thighs rather than a pair of fingers.

Posted by rob!

on October 4, 2010 at 9:28 AM

In follow up to @7, I wonder if this is one of those times when the newborn species devours the nearest food source.... Momma/Daddy makes the ultimate sacrifice?

Posted by Jaymz on October 4, 2010 at 9:31 AM

I'm not even afraid of spiders and I found that image incredibly disturbing.

Posted by Judah

on October 4, 2010 at 9:51 AM

Going on about being scared of spiders is only one step above going on about being scared of clowns...

Posted by Amnt on October 4, 2010 at 10:15 AM

@11 What about being scared of brain slugs?

Posted by TheMisanthrope on October 4, 2010 at 10:16 AM

I don't freak out as much as I used to when I was young.

Posted by Simone on October 4, 2010 at 10:40 AM

I really appreciate spiders, I do, but that image made me shiver for a few moments. And tiny spiders make my skin crawl more than the big ones.
I appreciate my spiders from afar, not anywhere near my skin, no matter how not poisonous they are.

Posted by Enigma

on October 4, 2010 at 10:49 AM

What a good mommy spider. Seriously, you guys at the Stranger are giant pussies when it come to spiders.

But I'm scared of flying, so I can't hate on irrational fears too much (I'd argue that dying in fiery explosion at 35000 feet is MUCH worse than seeing a spider, but I digress). At least I get good drugs for my phobia.

Posted by rara avis on October 4, 2010 at 10:53 AM

@2: Nah, male spiders tend to be tiny compared to the females, and I don't think they ever display parental behavior.

Posted by venomlash on October 4, 2010 at 11:02 AM

@11: What' I'm afraid of is spider clowns.

Posted by Banna

on October 4, 2010 at 11:23 AM

@16 most male spider would be extremely lucky survive courtship/mating as well. In much of the animal kingdom you are (individually) better off being born female: males are highly expendable.

Posted by rara avis on October 4, 2010 at 11:23 AM

Just a little over a year until mankind's arachnoid overlords arrive in their starships to claim dominion over the earth. You shall be judged on your treatment of spiders. So be kind to your eight legged pals. Oh, and stop eating crustaceans.

Posted by FreudianShrimp on October 4, 2010 at 12:45 PM