# Tonight I am releasing three huntsman spiders in the lab **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 26, 2007, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211 "2007-07-26T12:03:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/41 "2007-07-26T16:40:54Z")
As someone with an extreme insect/spider/creepy crawly thing aversion, I think it’s a really cruel trick, too. You’re getting them from a rare pet dealer? I’m assuming this is expensive. And for no other reason than to release them to a certain death? Are you serious? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/42 "2007-07-26T16:40:55Z")
[QUOTE=Richard Parker] I’m a little surprised that so many in this thread are taking the OP seriously. Isn’t it clear that he’s kidding? [/QUOTE] How is it clear, please? ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/43 "2007-07-26T16:43:45Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Heh. You should’ve known better. Personally, I think she’s lovely, and I do mean the spider. [/QUOTE] I am of two minds about tarantulas and similar spiders. Many of them are beautiful, yes, including that one, but I also can’t help thinking, “Omigod, what if it got on me?” ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/44 "2007-07-26T16:44:35Z")
[QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000] Tonight I am releasing three huntsman spiders in the lab. [/QUOTE] Excuse me, have you seen that puny high-school photographer? He was here a minute ago. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/45 "2007-07-26T16:46:21Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] How is it clear, please? [/QUOTE] Well, aside from the fact that anyone with an ounce of common sense would realize that this is a terrible idea, you mean? I suppose it was the mention of the “rare pet dealer,” the “affinity to clocks,” the story of him having to wrangle one back in, the extraordinary size of the individuals mentioned (large even for huntsman), the refusal of the OP to answer the question of whether he’s joking…all of which is potentially explainable, I guess, but in the context. C’mon. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/46 "2007-07-26T16:46:28Z")
[QUOTE=Telperien] I am of two minds about tarantulas and similar spiders. Many of them are beautiful, yes, including that one, but I also can’t help thinking, “Omigod, what if it got on me?” [/QUOTE] I’ve never held one of that size, but I have held a number of tarantulas in my day. And don’t get me wrong, I love spiders but I get freaked out by one in my hair, too. However that is more the unreasoning fear of “BUG IN MY HAIR”" then any particular fear of spiders. Tarantulas are actually fairly charming, if not too bright, creatures. I’ll always be grateful of my elementary school teachers for keeping them as pets in my classroom, because I know that’s what eradicated a lot of the fear. I would keep one as a pet, but my SO would leave me. Now, don’t talk to me about earwigs. I saw my first earwig last week. _shudder_ Those things are out to get you! Richard Parker: _shrug_ If you say so. But I find the “anyone would know” argument to be proven wrong way too often. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/47 "2007-07-26T17:02:55Z")
[QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000] The IMHO part of this is me asking you guys, where would be a good place for the third? [/QUOTE] Duh, in the lab security retina scanner. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/48 "2007-07-26T17:04:59Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] Duh, in the lab security retina scanner. [/QUOTE] :eek: Okay, _you_ can just rock me to sleep tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/49 "2007-07-26T17:07:42Z")
[QUOTE=Richard Parker] I’m a little surprised that so many in this thread are taking the OP seriously. Isn’t it clear that he’s kidding? I think anyone would realize that this would be a monumentally stupid idea, spider-rights and concern for cow-orkers aside. The sort of legal liabilities he would be opening up are…well…this would make for an amusing torts exam to say the least. [/QUOTE] It’s not CLEAR to me at all, but you can tell from my earlier posts, I really thought I was missing something. Like he was just going to place spiders around the lab, and they’ll stay there, and scare someone at just the right time. I don’t know if he’s joking but I wish he were. “These spiders have an affinity for clocks”. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/50 "2007-07-26T17:09:03Z")
I hope it’s a joke. But I have known quite a few people who were stupid and cruel enough to actually do something like that. And to the OP; you’re going to release them in a lab, no? A lab… wait… places with lots of glass? Expensive equipment perched on tables with powercables you’re not supposed to trip over? Danger of fire? Experiments not to be disturbed by wildly running hysterical women, or the results of months of work will be lost? … I’d check my insurance policy beforehand, if I were you. Just sayin’. **FordPrefect** , to most people it wouldn’t be a comparison. My point is that to someone afraid of spiders, as many people are, the blind panic, loss of control and the rage afterward at having been put through it for laughs will feel quite, quite similar. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/51 "2007-07-26T17:16:01Z")
Hmm… You could put one in a co-workers coffee mug and glue its legs to the inside maybe. If they are really tired, they might not even notice the spider until they drink down to the bottom! ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/52 "2007-07-26T17:22:03Z")
I hope you reconsider this course of action. Sure, it sounds funny, but the spiders are just going to wind up getting squished. (I like this type of spider, as long as it is not right on me!) Were the people that you worked with mean to you? Do they like practical jokes? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/53 "2007-07-26T17:34:08Z")
More goodness on the Goliath bird-eating tarantula ( [http://www.extremescience.com/BiggestSpider.htm](http://www.extremescience.com/BiggestSpider.htm) ): > [@](#): > > The most dangerous thing about the goliath bird-eater is its ability to flick urticating hairs from its body at any creature it perceives as a threat, including humans. This is not a species of tarantula you’d keep as a pet. The tiny, almost invisible hairs that it voluntarily sends floating through the air are extremely irritating to our skin, and can cause real problems if they got into delicate mucous membranes around eyes and mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/54 "2007-07-26T17:51:58Z")
:dubious: “urticating hair attack”? I’m almost certain that isn’t one of Spider-Man’s powers… and he _does_ do everything a spider can. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/55 "2007-07-26T18:03:26Z")
[QUOTE=Arnold Winkelried] More goodness on the Goliath bird-eating tarantula ( [http://www.extremescience.com/BiggestSpider.htm](http://www.extremescience.com/BiggestSpider.htm) ): [/QUOTE] I have had that hair all over my hands, arms and chest after cleaning out one of those bastards tanks. :smack: It took \*\*two weeks \*\* for the hives, rashes and itching to go away. The only thing that soothed it was to bathe the affected area in scalding water. It is Seriously bad news. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/56 "2007-07-26T18:19:41Z")
[Well, apparently, bigbabysweets2000 WAS joking in his OP.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8330606&postcount=1) Ha. ha. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/57 "2007-07-26T18:30:17Z")
If it helps, think of the Utricating hairs as miniature porcupine quills, when a New World Tarantula is disturbed, it turns it’s abdomen towards the “threat” and rapidly rubs it’s abdomen with it’s back legs, sending off a cloud of hairs (often referred to as “kicking hairs”) generally, tarantulas have 3 levels of threat response before they’re forced to bite… 1; RUN AWAY!!!, a tarantula would prefer to hide from the threat if at all possible 2; Threat Display; it will rear up on it’s back legs, often baring it’s fangs and raising it’s front legs and pedipalps (food handling legs), basically saying “GRRR!, LOOK HOW BIG AND MEAN I AM!!! GO AWAY!!!” 3; Kicking hairs if these three threat levels don’t work, and the spider sees no other choice, it may bite, even then, it’ll be a 50/50 chance of whether the bite is “dry” (no venom injected) or a true envenomation, the spider would prefer to use it’s venom for it’s intended purpose (feeding) rather than use it for defense… as far as the OP’s “prank”, assuming we’re not being “wooshed” here, i also would like to voice my displeasure at the “prank”, it’s not funny, and will be needlessly cruel to the spiders, then again, i like my Arachnid freinds (with the exception of ticks, those you can kill), and i’ve been known to release spiders outside when i find one trapped in a tub or sink or shower or something, these all have been hand-captured, and i’ve never been bitten, but then again, i recognize Arachnid threat displays and will adjust my responses accordingly if we’re not being wooshed, please reconsider this cruel prank ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/58 "2007-07-26T18:30:37Z")
What’s most funny to me is that wikipedia has a link to “Old Clocky”. If only somehow you could train one to stay behind someone’s computer monitor, and then slowly climb over the top of it when the computer gets turned on in the morning… ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/59 "2007-07-26T18:36:38Z")
[QUOTE=MacTech] [W]hen a New World Tarantula is disturbed, it turns it’s abdomen towards the “threat” and rapidly rubs it’s abdomen with it’s back legs … \*t will rear up on it’s back legs, often baring it’s fangs and raising it’s front legs and pedipalps (food handling legs) … [T]he spider would prefer to use it’s venom for it’s intended purpose [/QUOTE] Gaah! My eyeballs are bleeding! I don’t mean to play the grammar Nazi too much, and your post was interesting, and I own a Macintosh so I have sympathy for you based on your poster name, **but** … **It’s** means it is! **Its** is the possessive pronoun! I need a cup of tea now. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211/60 "2007-07-26T18:48:39Z")
[QUOTE=Acid Lamp] I have had that hair all over my hands, arms and chest after cleaning out one of those bastards tanks. :smack: It took \*\*two weeks \*\* for the hives, rashes and itching to go away. The only thing that soothed it was to bathe the affected area in scalding water. It is Seriously bad news. [/QUOTE] This sounds like great material for an “Ask the guy who cleans out spider tanks” type of thread. I want to know more about what you do! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonight-i-am-releasing-three-huntsman-spiders-in-the-lab/413211.md?page=4)