Nov 24, 2009

Spider Awards

What's cuter than a jumping spider? Why, a juvenile jumping spider.

Tracy sent this link to me, knowing full well that my daughters would ooh-and-ahh at it's cuteness. And she was correct. Wired Magazine has done a spread of photos for their spider awards, and this juvenile Phidippus audax took took the award for the world's cutest spider. Just look at it, dusted up with pollen. Can you picture it frolicking among the wild flowers?

Photo source: Opo Terser (of course) via Wired





















But just in case you're feeling too cuddly towards our arachnid friends, let me leave you with this image of a Goliath Bird-eating Tarantula (the world's largest spider, who has evidently mugged someone and stolen their cash and trusty ruler). A friend of mine was walking through the jungle outside a village near Curitiba, Brazil, when one of these ran into his leg. He actually felt the collision. And like a true arachnophobe, he ran for his life...and was pursued for more than a dozen yards...

Thanks for the link, Tracy!

Photo source: snakecollector via Wired

10 comments:

Kooky Cat Chick said...

I saw a show on discovery about that Goliath Bird-Eating spider - which they claimed was feasting on chickens from a local farm in Peru... So a couple of years ago on a photo trek through the Amazon, we spend a whole week searching for an elusive specimen... with no luck. We did see a lot of tarantulas, but nothing this big, unfortunately :(

DanaKara said...

Oh, how cool!

I miss my pet tarantulas...can't wait till we live where I can have them again. :D

Becca said...

I've heard a few stories about these guys, and they seem pretty interesting. Ah, but then i looked at the picture a little too long, realized how GIGANTIC that thing is! I feel like there are bugs crawling on me now!

Unknown said...

"We did see a lot of tarantulas, but nothing this big, unfortunately :(" WHAT??? I spend my time trying not to find such things!!

jenjen said...

Aw no really, it's that big plus it CHASES you? Why oh why do I check this site before bed...

Adorably Dead said...

I've gotten chased by water bugs before but never spiders. Oy vay bugs give me the heebie jeebies.

Anonymous said...

eeep!! hugge spider!! tarantulassss are scary :o awsome picture tho.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I'll admit the pictures are cool but my instant reaction was "EWWWW GOOOOSSSSS!! RUN AWAY!!!"
...not a fan of spiders

the ginabean said...

i just shat myself over the size of that tarantula.

Anonymous said...

These spider pictures make me want to throw up and die. :(