Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

While large chunks of my reading list has been running screaming from spiders this week, I quite pleased, as I finally saw my first wild tarantula today.

It's the start of mating season up on the Diablo Range and, driving down from the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton this afternoon, I had to swerve more than once to avoid a 3 or 4 inch long beastie crossing the road. However, the closest I got to one was as it wandered around in a trailhead car park. The spider was a good six inches long, with a two or three inch long body. I managed to get a few photographs of it, as it wandered across the gravel.

There were plenty more at the sides of the road, and I suspect there'll be a lot more up on the trails. Apparently last year was a good year for them (the males only mature after seven years, though they can live for up to thirty...), so this year may well be another one for arachnophobes to avoid the mountains...

( Big spider behind the cut. Beware! )

Actually, I'm not particularly fond of spiders myself, so it was odd that I got so close to this one. I suspect it just didn't trigger my spider senses, as it moved very differently from the spiders back home.