Random creatures

[vvvexation]

Somebody over on metaquotes speculated that reincarnation works completely at random--like, you just wind up in whatever body is available at the moment. For some reason, I like that better than the idea of karma. Obviates the need for a purpose or an end or anything.

In completely unrelated news, there's a daddy-long-legs or some very similar sort of spider hanging out in a corner of my bedroom, hunched over a trussed-up bundle that looks for all the world like...another spider. One of the medium-sized, crawly kind. I had no idea different species of spider actually preyed on each other. For some reason I'm obscurely happy; while I don't much care for either kind of spider, I find the spindly ones less threatening somehow and thus am pleased at this one's triumph over one of the scary ones. Then again, if I knew which kind it is that keeps biting me in my sleep, I might have to revise that opinion.

Comments

[tshuma]

It's unlikely to be a daddy-long-legs biting you in your sleep. They're not all that fond of truly confined places like bedsheets and blankets, and I've been told (although never confirmed) that they don't have the right gear to bite through human skin.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Makes sense. I did have a hard time picturing them squeezing through narrow spaces.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I'd heard this too, but:

http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html

Daddy-longlegs spiders (Pholcidae) - Here, the myth is incorrect at least in making claims that have no basis in known facts. There is no reference to any pholcid spider biting a human and causing any detrimental reaction. If these spiders were indeed deadly poisonous but couldn't bite humans, then the only way we would know that they are poisonous is by milking them and injecting the venom into humans. For a variety of reasons including Amnesty International and a humanitarian code of ethics, this research has never been done. Furthermore, there are no toxicological studies testing the lethality of pholcid venom on any mammalian system (this is usually done with mice). Therefore, no information is available on the likely toxic effects of their venom in humans, so the part of the myth about their being especially poisonous is just that: a myth. There is no scientific basis for the supposition that they are deadly poisonous and there is no reason to assume that it is true.

What about their fangs being too short to penetrate human skin? Pholcids do indeed have short fangs, which in arachnological terms is called "uncate" because they have a secondary tooth which meets the fang like the way the two grabbing parts of a pair of tongs come together. Brown recluse spiders similarly have uncate fang structure and they obviously are able to bite humans. There may be a difference in the musculature that houses the fang such that recluses have stronger muscles for penetration because they are hunting spiders needing to subdue prey whereas pholcid spiders are able to wrap their prey and don't need as strong a musculature. So, again, the myth states as fact something about which there is no scientific basis.

[capnkjb.livejournal.com]

Brown recluses are bastards.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Was there a particular strip you were referring to?

[capnkjb.livejournal.com]

I am referring to the pain and agony suffered by the artist of said comic when he was recently bit by a fiddleback spider.

The scab/wound is HEINOUS.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

When my kid sister was an occupational therapist, she once worked with someone who had tissue necrosis on the side of his calf from a brown recluse bite, and it ate so much muscle tissue that he needed to learn to use his leg in its new capacity, all over again.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Regarding the unrelated news, I'm really surprised you're putting that info where deyo can see it. ;)

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sure it'll be gone by the next time I see him. Right now I suppose I should be more concerned about whether joedecker is equally arachnophobic.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

He's not into them, but not equally arachnophobic. No one is, really. :) He'd probably prefer not to have them over his head, or on his body.

[emmett-the-sane.livejournal.com]

Forget them... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

V, I guess you're going to have to give up the tarantula farm you planned.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

Nobody loves me. *sigh*

[emmett-the-sane.livejournal.com]

Here. Have some worms. Condiments are on the kitchen counter.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

So...if you made the grandiose claim that annelids were inedible and then you were conclusively proved wrong, would you have to eat your worms?

[emmett-the-sane.livejournal.com]

I think that's the leech that could be expected.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

*rolls eyes* But you're not the one who was coming over tonight. Try to stay focused here. :-p

[emmett-the-sane.livejournal.com]

That's right, I'm not coming over! Not until the icky spider be GONE! Maaaah...

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

I take it our date's off for tomorrow, then? *whistle*