Tarantula

Skippy, this would have scared the living day light out of me. I do not mind spiders, but not one this size.

I've grown up in an area that has them so they are not worrisome...They truly fascinate me...I would love to watch them someday but they are so slow (unless alarmed) and deliberate about what they do, I would go stir crazy waiting for some action....not like following a butterfly....I'm reminded of flcrazy

Wow! My grandson (3) loves spiders, it was one of his first words. He loves everything live - flies, bees, frogs. He would also love your grasshoppers (?is that what they are?) as do I.

Yes! those are grasshoppers; at least if you are talking about the painted or the lubber grasshoppers. I have pictures of both on this site.

Nice photo, a little creepy though.

Wonderful example of the Tarantula. Have you seen the black ones? They're even bigger; they are the ones that are seen in mass crossing the roadway at times - though I've not seen them personally.

Yeh, I.ve seen them, too but not here, so far. I used to see them crossing the roads enmass in New River where I used to live 20 miles north of Phoenix.

Do they make a web? I believe we can buyt them here in England, but much as I enjoy feeding our native ones. I don'tr think I want one quite this big. You dio have some jolly good pictures.

My brother-in-law told me a story that I took to be a tall tale...but seeing your post I realize he was telling me the truth... back in the 60's he worked for a survey crew for a mining company and lived in Lordsburg, N.M. for a few months...He told me that if/when they had rain...the tarantulas would come out of their burrows and lumber down the roads...LOL...do you have ghilla (sp?) lizards too? Poaannua...the tarantula is terrestrial...he lives in a burrow out of the scorching sun! the black ones are HUGE as big as a man's fists held together... for an interesting story/read google tarantella...lol.

Lori-probably not much of a stretch that your brother in law told you. They do come out by the hundreds and just lumber across the road or whatever but I haven't seen them do that here...of course..I don't get out much, either.

GROSS...but great pic.

I would have to move away as I am patrified of spiders.

OMG id Dye Of fright if i saw this Skippy :( Its HUGE

I've lived most of my life in Phoenix and these were just a given. They are pretty much harmless and very beneficial. I don't see them very often and never inside the house.

I glad2hear that :)

Oh my, this is scary! I hate spiders, especially these kind. The only kind of spiders I'll allow in my garden are garden spiders. LOL! But this is a great picture of this creepy kind. LOL!

It is a great garden spider, jeanna...but I understand your apprehension.