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Minnesota GOP Candidate Accused of Throwing Tarantula at Alleged ‘Squatter’ (www.thedailybeast.com)

submitted 4 months ago by jeffw to c/news

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[–] FuglyDuck 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Basically every kind of spider is venomous.

They can’t swallow solids very well so instead, their venom liquifies their food and they slurp the juices.

Most spiders aren’t venomous enough to seriously harm a human, but a tarantula bite is gonna hurt.

[–] FlyingSquid 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

They also have sharp hairs they can stick in you if they don't like you like one of those awful cacti that have the little tiny needles you can barely see. I had a friend with one as a pet.

[–] FuglyDuck 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Honestly, spiders are pretty cool roommates.

I mean? They respect boundaries, they’re fairly clean and tidy, they help deal with pests. And they’re quiet.

[–] FlyingSquid 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I like spiders, but I don't think I'd keep one as a pet.

Way back when Windows XP came out, back when you had to buy the new OS, there was a special bundle offer I saw with one of those newfangled digital cameras which had been way too expensive before, so I got it. I then spent weeks working on what would be an Instagram page or something these days, documenting the jumping spider who lived in my office. I called him Mr. Jibbles because he kept his home in the hole at the bottom of my JBL 4311 monitors (speakers in non-pro audio talk), until he sadly died one day. I have no idea what the hole was for, but they have this big hole at the bottom. Anyway, I had a lot of fun taking your picture, Mr. Jibbles. Sorry if I misgendered you. You may live on somewhere on the Internet Archive, but I don't remember the URL.

[–] FuglyDuck 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Iirc, the hole does 2 things. The first is it acts like a sound hole in a guitar or violin and alters the tonal qualities of the speaker (the enclosure acts like a resonate chamber.)

Also, iirc, drivers have to work harder to move the membrane of the enclosure is totally sealed, since it’d have to compress the air inside/behind the membrane.

Of course, cheap speakers probably did it because they saw JBL and others do it on the expensive studio monitors.

As for spiders…. I think they’re cool, but only if they stay over …. There…. Jumping spiders can even be cute. But at a distance.

Same goes for the centipede with the creepy legs. I respect that they eat things I’m happy not deal with… just don’t come over here.

[–] FlyingSquid 1 points 4 months ago

This would be the latter. Interesting explanation, thanks.

Modern studio monitors don't usually have those in my experience, but I got those years ago in a trade and they really capture a flat monitor sound in a way that modern monitors don't. I'm sure in part because they're massive. Anyway, they were perfect for my audio work at the time.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

They also have sharp hairs they can stick in you if they don’t like you like one of those awful cacti that have the little tiny needles you can barely see.

I think that that's only some tarantulas. Urticating hairs, or something like that.

kagis

Yeah, I had it right. Firefox's spelling checker apparently doesn't know about "urticating" by default.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urticating_hair

Urticating hairs or urticating bristles are one of the primary defense mechanisms used by numerous plants, almost all New World tarantulas, and various lepidopteran caterpillars. Urtica is Latin for "nettle" (stinging nettles are in the genus Urtica), and bristles that urticate are characteristic of this type of plant, and many other plants in several families. This term also refers to certain types of barbed bristles that cover the dorsal and posterior surface of a tarantula's or caterpillar's abdomen. Many tarantula species eject bristles from their abdomens, directing them toward potential attackers. These bristles can embed themselves in the other animal's skin or eyes, causing physical irritation, usually to great discomfort. The term "hairs" is technically a misnomer, as only mammals possess true hairs.[1]

In tarantulas

Urticating hairs (setae) are found in about 90% of the species of tarantula (spiders of the family Theraphosidae) found in the New World. They are not found in tarantulas from other parts of the world.[11]

New World tarantulas will, at the moment of danger, turn toward the attacker and briskly rub their hind legs against the opisthosoma throwing the urticating hairs in the direction of the enemy. The cloud of small bristles can get into the mucous membrane of small mammals and cause edema, which can be fatal. The bristles cause both mechanical and chemical harm to the skin and membranes.

Reaction and the degree of irritation to a defensive urticating hair barrage can vary tremendously, based on the species in question. Some, such as those of the Chilean rose tarantula (Grammastola rosea) and the pinktoe tarantula (Avicularia avicularia), are fairly mild and innocuous to humans. Others, such as those of the Brazilian giant white knee tarantula (Acanthoscurria geniculata), are moderately irritating. Still others, such as the Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi), are far more severe. These bristles can result in painful rashes, and have been likened to sharp shards of fiberglass.

After kicking urticating hairs, the tarantula will have a bald spot on its abdominal region.