Big Hairy Spiders Abandoned at Airport

[woody]

Just noticed this on the Yahoo newspage and thought I'd post it. Sucks that so many of them died. On another note...I thought tarantulas lived much longer than the article says (well the females anyway).

Big Hairy Spiders Abandoned at Airport
Fri Aug 15,10:31 AM ET

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Customs officials found 500 Chilean tarantulas at Mexico City's international airport, abandoned after the owner of the spiders failed to complete import paperwork.

The environment ministry said 135 of the Chilean Rose tarantulas died. Of those that survived, 20 have been donated to the capital city's Chapultepec zoo and the rest transferred to a wildlife center run by the ministry.

The Chilean Rose tarantula gets its name from its rusty red and pink hairs. They average under three inches in length and live between six and 11 years.

Tarantulas are popular as pets but their bite can cause pain comparable with a bee sting or, in some species, possible death.

[TheRedDragon]

That's so sad, and, it makes me angry. People like that really disgust me. I'm glad that some survived and were taken to a safe place.

[OttawaChris]

Originally posted by woody
They average under three inches in length and live between six and 11 years.

**cough**bullshit**cough** Lets try more like a 30-30 year lifespan and a 5 to 6 inch size LOL

Originally posted by woody
Tarantulas are popular as pets but their bite can cause pain comparable with a bee sting or, in some species, possible death.

Death eh? I love how reporters always do research to make sure they are printing the truth... **cough**bullshit**cough

Tarantulas have never killed a person... especially rose hairs.

Wait I take that back... I guess one COULD kill you if you try to eat it whole and choke on it :D

[CornSnakeMan]

lol chris

[TheRedDragon]

Originally posted by OttawaChris

Wait I take that back... I guess one COULD kill you if you try to eat it whole and choke on it :D

*LOL* Or, if you're severely allergic to bee stings like Invictus is. I'm sure the mild venom in a Rosehair would most likely kill him. I mean, he gets <b> HIVES </b> all over his body from a <b>Mosquito </b> bite.

[OttawaChris]

It would be a cool experiment LOL

A lot of spiders dry bite though... I think he would have more to worry about from the urticating hairs... those things REALLY suck when you get them on you... especially from birdeaters (I was haired by one almost a year ago and it still gets inflamed sometimes)