This horror is as big as a hand. It spent a good forty minutes on our bedroom wall in Lagartillo, where we were home alone on Sunday night. We spotted the beast by candlelight and were unsure what to do. I showed the photo to a work colleague today who thinks it is a dangerous poisonous creature. He isn't sure whether it is a scorpion or a spider though, which slightly detracts from his danger declaration. When we spotted one another, and shone the candle on it, the beast shot into the corner of the room where it cowered behind a dissembled hammock. We cowered under the sheets and there was a stand off. I encouraged Simon to end this by somehow removing the spider/scorpion from the room using the hammock. He refused and fortunately, the creature had the good sense to leave of its own accord. It ambled upwards at a leisurely pace and disappeared over the top of the wall into the roof or garden. I think it's best not to consider how many of his or her type are lurking in the countryside here.
3 comments:
According to my best googling the confusion might be because it's variously called a cave spider or a whip scorpion. Actually neither, it's harmless to humans.
Indeedy - I can confirm that one. It's an arachnid, but not a spider
Neil
Gosh, this is very insightful, thank you. You're right, it's a non-venomous arachnid. I've looked it up on wikipedia and I think it might be an amblypygi (which means blunt rump), otherwise known as a whip spider or a tailless whip scorpion even though it isn't a scorpion or a spider.
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