Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
New critters (with MORE NEW CRITTERS!)
Over the weekend, I attended an ENT meeting which had the singular benefit of being near one of our all-time favorite pet stores. I told Karen I wanted a new pet for Father’s Day, so I purchased two inexpensive snakes — snow corn snakes. Those of you who are on Facebook can see my snakes, but for now, here’s a photo I grabbed off the ‘net:
They’re a couple of mellow juveniles. Very easy to handle — a little fidgety, as are a lot of corn snakes, but not at all bitey.
Which is more than I can say for this bad girl:
(Another stolen photo. Sorry, but as I hope you’ll soon understand, we would rather not take our own photos of this one.)
This is the dreaded Singapore Blue (Cyriopagopus species) and I only say “dreaded” because I dread it, having seen it in action. The pet store manager, who is no stranger to tarantulas (having wrangled a few hundred of them for William Shatner’s breakout hit Kingdom of the Spiders), had some excitement herding the Singapore Blue into a deli container for transport. She reared, flashed her fangs, and lunged. Twice. When he finally maneuvered her into the container and put the lid on, she remained on her back for a good forty minutes.
Note: if a tarantula flips on her back, this is not a “surrender” position. Tarantulas are not dogs. If Cesar Millan mistook this for a “surrender” position, he would find soon find himself enfanged. (Which really, really ought to be a word.) The tarantula is protecting her most vulnerable aspect, her topside, and presenting her best weapon.
Everyone made it home intact. Tarantulas and snakes hate to travel, so I’m happy to report, so far so good. I’ll feel much better once everyone has had a good meal, and after the female moults successfully.
I would say that getting her out of the deli container was not nearly as exciting as getting her into the container, but frankly, I don’t know. Karen did the deed in the bathroom with the door shut.
D.
PS: And today, she received two new tarantulas, both Megaphobema robustum, for which she has had a jones for some years now.
They’re a bit skittish, as are most juvenile spiders, but their colors are just like this.
Liked your Blog heading found via Comedy Central’s Indecision 2012, and thought you might find our critters a bit funny, ironic and multifaceted too. Cheers, Jeff
That Singapore Blue is quite a spectacular creature. Sadly, there would be much shrieking from the TwinTeens if such a creature were to enter our house.
Jeff, my landsman, I still have Indecision 2008 on my blogroll. Is there an Indecision 2012, too?
Chris, the key is to keep them in cages 🙂
I wish I could blog tonight. I really do. But I have nothing to say.
I don’t think cages would help. Just having the picture up on my laptop was enough to send one running from the room.
On the other hand, one caged spider in my bedroom would guarantee no one borrowing my clothes.