Unexpected Houseguest

**Red_Raven** · 22nd August 07, 03:18 PM

The pictures above are solpugid's if you count they have 10 legs and are more closly related to scorpians then spiders. We have those around as well though not in that size. The site below has good info on them.

My one poisonous desert dwellers book has them in as a sub catoagory as the ugliest creature that should be poisonous but isn't!

http://www.solpugid.com/Introduction.htm

**O'Neille** · 22nd August 07, 04:19 PM

Down here in exteme Southern AZ, I stop and move the T's across the road during the monsoons. Sun spiders are usually tossed but sometime squashed. My Daughter has a pet scorpion and a vinegaroon (looks like a giant black scorpion) both found in the house. We catch a lot of wild grasshoppers and crickets to feed them. I almost hate to mow during the rainy season because of all the displaced critters but I'm also not fond of the West Nile Virus.

**Archangel** · 22nd August 07, 05:30 PM

Arizona must be Heaven on earth the way you people there are trying to scare everybody else away!!

**macwilkin** · 22nd August 07, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by Archangel

Arizona must be Heaven on earth the way you people there are trying to scare everybody else away!!

I'll agree with that!

Todd

**Weasel Mender** · 22nd August 07, 06:00 PM

While living in south Texas we shared our back porch with up to 8 "pattern" or golden garden spiders they have a leg span of about 4" and spun a web about 4' x 4' between the posts they were somewhat trainable when they spun their web across a walkway we broke it on one side and it has to start over. my daughter and I spent a very fascinated hour watching one of them build a new web. We would carefuly leave the egg sacks alone so we could start over the next spring with another generation of "ladies" as we called them. Scorpians however habe another pourpose entirely; to decorate my boot sole

Weasel

**demobud** · 23rd August 07, 06:53 AM

Okay, I am creeped out now (hairs are standing up on my neck). It's irrational but it's real.

**Beertigger** · 25th August 07, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by Weasel Mender

Scorpians however habe another pourpose entirely; to decorate my boot sole

Weasel

Preferably the sole and NOT the insole. I always shake my boots out if I've left 'em on the back porch to dry.

Never been stung by a scorpion, but I've seen and heard the aftermath - hours of moaning in the ER ain't a pretty thing.