This has to be the biggest spider I've ever seen in the UK. There were a couple of smaller versions nearby, I'm guessing this is the female of the species?
More soon
SBW
Monday, 6 September 2010
Arragh Spider!!!
This has to be the biggest spider I've ever seen in the UK. There were a couple of smaller versions nearby, I'm guessing this is the female of the species?
More soon
SBW
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19 comments:
you'd make a useless forensic photographer. Just like the turtle skull, no indication of size and not even the offer of five SBW gold stars.
Araneus diadematus, the European garden spider. This one female.
http://www.ivory.org/spiders/araneus.diadematus-1.jpg
Eh up Ya big girls blouse,
What you have here is Aranea diadema, or if you prefer the common garden spider. And yes the size can be quite surprising my timid friend. As usual with arachnids the female is usually the big bugger. Now you be careful out there.
Regards,
John
SBW,
Regardless, it's a pretty scary arachnid! I tried a quick search, but I came up empty handed as they say...
Cheers,
Mike S.
Mike's Travels
Guys I've gotta say I make you right - that was pretty useless of me, it should have been part of the quiz.
In all fairness I'm awarding both of you two solid gold bushwacker points. So{ the scores on the doors Murphy Fish 2 Hippo 2 and Josh in the lead with 5
I'll be back, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,
SBW
That is just beautiful. Though I wouldn't want to see it in my house.
Bemistified
In Thailand I use to catch them and keep them in the beach hut I lived it to keep the mosquitos in check. Still got dengue fever though.
SBW
Only two points? You tight bastard! You are the one who set the exam, not my fault if you made it too easy so I want my 'A' Level and I don't want to hear any crap about exams results not being worth what they once were...
Whizz over to my latest post http://hippo-on-the-lawn.blogspot.com/2010/09/garden-hazards.html if you have time. I'll cover your two points and raise you seven more so there's a full nine points on the table.
Hippo
My response is on your blog.
SBW
PS I was kind of expecting you to call me a wuss for feeling the need to sanitise my drinking water.
No teasing at all about the water filter post, I read it carefully and with interest. Clean water is vital. More important in the shorter term than food. You can be the hardest bushwacker out there but if the dysentry doesn't kill you, the resultant dehydration will and it won't matter how much food you have...
Hippo
That's the main thing that cracks me up about survival manuals is all that crap about hunting and trapping (use your knife as a spear - yeah right).
I've only ever seen one that was smart enough to suggest a spare pair of glasses - Der!
My understanding is that the current advice is 'drink it anyway you'll be found'. Not sure its that good an idea? I've dehydrated through both hot and cold and its very easy to make that one stupid mistake that costs you your life ('I'll just press on' being the most common)
What do you keep in the vehicle?
SBW
Sorry to hear about the dengue fever. Still, I shiver at those photos!
Bemistified
It was 20 years ago and I still remember it like it was last week, gawd I was sick, and the after affects went on for months. the boys are right though that spider is totally harmless, but you're in good company The Northern Monkey was there when I was taking the pix and he's pretty tough (being northern an all) but he really doesn't like them.
SBW
Cigarettes, whisky and a mobile phone. What do you carry in your vehicle?
Actually, I carry heaps of kit all packed neatly into two ammunition boxes but I do not have a water filter which is why I was so interested in your article.
If I am going into the bush I try to carry as much bottled mineral water as is required and also a metal jerry can full of water which can be used to top up radiators, wash with, that sort of thing and also a couple of aluminium pots in which I can boil water. I filter the water through a canvas bag to get rid of the big bits, boiling kills off the bugs. I also carry tea bags and sugar. I like tea in the morning and it does have the advantage of disguising the fact that the boiled water may have been a tadge discoloured...
Metal jerry cans are great because if you need a lot of potable water in a hurry, you can stick the whole can on a fire and have 20 litres of sterilised water within the hour (just remember to peel off and reserve the rubber sealing gasket from the lid). Another reason to have a metal water bottle hanging off your belt rather than the plastic ones issued by the Army.
Unless you are the sort of Walter Mitty that insists on going everywhere 'tactical', then the rattle of a metal container will make no difference whatsoever and, if you are in a survival situation, could just save your life.
Faced with no other choice than to drink or die, then obviously drink. Without water you could be dead in less than three days, sooner if it is really arid. Stagnant water can be lethal, running water, especially water running over a gravel or sandy bottom poses less of a risk. Having a container in which you can boil water and the ability to make fire will give you ample time to start considering where the next plate of steak and chips will come from.
Being in possession of one of your pumps, however, negates according to your article, 99.9% of the risk.
I am waiting for someone to come up with a portable still to make distilled water. Useful if my boat conks out and I drift to Nigeria on the Benguela current.
I would only use it for the purpose for which it was intended and not to convert all the sugar cane here into rum. Honest.
Hippo
Your point about the metal can is a good one. because of the polycarbonate backlash there's now a generation of stainless steel bottles in the 'nalgene' style. I'll do a review soon.
SBW
What I would give, (Short of a testicle...) to have the two of you an Afghanistan with me. The time would fly, and I am certain the solutions to many problems would be quite at hand with the three of us mulling them over at the Brit Coffee Shop!
BTW, I can only post here at SBW's when I am stateside. I can't pull up any comments that are embedded in posts.
Leaving Friday again...I'll miss you guys!
Best regards,
Albert A Rasch™
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles: AirSoft: It's Not Just for Kids!
Albert
Be safe - just out the door for work so i'll email you asap
SBW
Eo Albert (sorry to use your blog as an open forum SBW) but could you explain how to unbed comments?
Also, I left a comment on your blog, the box of Yo Yos my brother sent from germany has been returned in the post. Could you please confirm the address and think whether there should be more to the address if the package is to come from germany so that it gets into the US postal system?
Albert, give me a tent, a book shelf, a tilley lamp and a place to wash and dump and something, however menial to do, and I'll be right over.
I can build or secure anything and I'm a pretty mean cook too...
If there is some highly paid plumbing work going, then maybe SBW will come along as well.
Guys, have a look at the addendum to my beastie post, there has been an amazing development. Dominic is going to be absolutely thrilled.
I just wish I had bagged the bugger now instead of releasing it into the garden.
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