ccTroi
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2017
- Messages
- 340
I wanted to share an experience of when I first encountered a tarantula.
On June 2011, I went to the Philippines with my mom for a two and a half month vacation. We arrived at the Manila airport sometime around midnight. We left immediately the following morning after six hours of arrival on a car ride to Caoayan, Ilocos Sur in Luzon. We arrived at my grandmother’s house (where my mom grew up) later that night.
On the first week was when I encountered the tarantula. It was around 3pm when I had to use the ground floor bathroom which was next to the kitchen. There was a door about fifteen feet away that was leading to the backyard. This door is always kept open once my grandma wakes up in the early morning until around midnight. Upon entering the bathroom, I turned on the light and saw a huge, hairy spider on the wall above the sink. I freaked out and was screaming from the top of my lungs as I was running through the kitchen to the front of the house. One of my cousins, Jeric, happened to be visiting to see my mom and I. He was in his twenties. I told him what I saw, and he started laughing. He told me to come with him to watch what happens. I refused. When the bathroom door opened, Jeric was stepping out, rear first, while he kept his eyes at his outstretched arms. As he was backing to the door leading to the backyard, he asked me if I wanted to hold it. Of course, I refused. I walked away before I could see the spider. He came back in with his hands cupped in front of him. In it was a long, hairy, orange leg of the spider.
In hindsight, I presume the spider to be a mature Orphnaecus philippinus tarantula or a huntsman spider. At the time, I was only familiar with true spiders the likes of orb weavers which are commonly used in wager matches of two spiders fighting on a stick. This specimen was the largest spider I’ve seen at the time. When I first saw it on the wall, it was easily 4” DLS, orange, and hairy. I presume it to be a mature male bc June in the Philippines is the rainy season, and mature male spiders are generally known to be wandering about during this time.
TL;DR I went to the Philippines in 2011 and had my first encounter of a freakishly huge, wild, hairy spider in the bathroom. I think it’s an Orphnaecus philippinus, but it may just be a huntsman spider.
No, I didn’t pee my pants.
On June 2011, I went to the Philippines with my mom for a two and a half month vacation. We arrived at the Manila airport sometime around midnight. We left immediately the following morning after six hours of arrival on a car ride to Caoayan, Ilocos Sur in Luzon. We arrived at my grandmother’s house (where my mom grew up) later that night.
On the first week was when I encountered the tarantula. It was around 3pm when I had to use the ground floor bathroom which was next to the kitchen. There was a door about fifteen feet away that was leading to the backyard. This door is always kept open once my grandma wakes up in the early morning until around midnight. Upon entering the bathroom, I turned on the light and saw a huge, hairy spider on the wall above the sink. I freaked out and was screaming from the top of my lungs as I was running through the kitchen to the front of the house. One of my cousins, Jeric, happened to be visiting to see my mom and I. He was in his twenties. I told him what I saw, and he started laughing. He told me to come with him to watch what happens. I refused. When the bathroom door opened, Jeric was stepping out, rear first, while he kept his eyes at his outstretched arms. As he was backing to the door leading to the backyard, he asked me if I wanted to hold it. Of course, I refused. I walked away before I could see the spider. He came back in with his hands cupped in front of him. In it was a long, hairy, orange leg of the spider.
In hindsight, I presume the spider to be a mature Orphnaecus philippinus tarantula or a huntsman spider. At the time, I was only familiar with true spiders the likes of orb weavers which are commonly used in wager matches of two spiders fighting on a stick. This specimen was the largest spider I’ve seen at the time. When I first saw it on the wall, it was easily 4” DLS, orange, and hairy. I presume it to be a mature male bc June in the Philippines is the rainy season, and mature male spiders are generally known to be wandering about during this time.
TL;DR I went to the Philippines in 2011 and had my first encounter of a freakishly huge, wild, hairy spider in the bathroom. I think it’s an Orphnaecus philippinus, but it may just be a huntsman spider.
No, I didn’t pee my pants.
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