Tim Pink 0 Posted June 1, 2004 Hey Guys. This is a true story and its source was the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service in Adelaide. A bloke and his family were on holidays in the United States and went to Mexico for a week. An avid cactus fan, the man bought a one-metre high, rare and expensive cactus there. On arrival back home, Australian Customs said it must be quarantined for 3 months. He finally got his cactus home. Planted it in his backyard, and over time it grew to about 2 metres. One evening while watering his garden after a warm spring day, he gave the cactus a light spray. He was amazed to see the plant shiver all over, he gave it another spray and it shivered again. He was puzzled so he rang the council who put him on to the state gardens people. After a few transfers he got the state's foremost cactus expert who asked him many questions. How Tall is it? Has it flowered etc. Finally he asked the most disturbing question. "Is your family in the house?" The bloke answered yes. The cactus expert said "Get out of the house NOW, get on to the front nature strip and wait for me, I will be there in 20 minutes." Fifteen minutes later, 2 fire trucks, 2 police cars and an ambulance came screaming around the corner. A fireman got out and asked "Are you the bloke with the cactus?" "I am", he said. A guy jumped out of the fire truck wearing what looked like a space suit, a breathing cylinder, and mask attached to what looked like a scuba backpack with a large hose attached. He headed for the backyard and turned a flame-thrower on the cactus spraying it up and down. After a few minutes the flame-thrower man stopped, the cactus stood smoking and spitting, half the fence was burnt and parts of the gardens were well and truly scorched. Just then the cactus expert appeared and laid a calming hand on the bloke's shoulder. "What the hell's going on?" he says. "Let me show you" says the cactus man. He went over to the cactus and picked away a crusty bit, the cactus was almost entirely hollow and filled with tiger striped bird-eating tarantula spiders, each about the size of two hand spans. The story was that this type of spider lays eggs in this type of cactus and they hatch and live in it as they grow to full size. When full size they release themselves. The cactus just explodes and about 150 dinner plate sized hairy spiders are flung from it, dispersing everywhere. They had been ready to pop. The aftermath was that the house and the adjoining houses had to be vacated and fumigated: police tape was put up outside the whole area and no one was allowed in for two weeks. And here's what one of them looks like sitting on a full size dinner plate. Goliath-Spider Tim Pink Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cozza 24 Posted June 1, 2004 That fucking freaky. God I had no Idea how close we had those huge spiders in our country. I hate spiders. There so gross. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedyDonkey 0 Posted June 1, 2004 That fucking freaky. God I had no Idea how close we had those huge spiders in our country. I hate spiders. There so gross. Quote[/b] ]Australian tarantulas Family Theraphosidae Not too long ago most people would have been surprised to be told that Australia had its own tarantula fauna, including our largest spiders. Awareness of these spiders increased as the pet industry discovered their sale appeal as 'pets'. This is resulting in thousands of spiders being collected from their bushland habitats, with the potential of putting the survival of some populations of these slow breeding giants at risk. http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/tarantula.htm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tim Pink 0 Posted June 1, 2004 You're telling me man, down where i live the worst spiders are redbacks, and even though theyre incredibly deadly, they arent half as bad looking as these beasts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supah 0 Posted June 1, 2004 You're telling me man, down where i live the worst spiders are redbacks, and even though theyre incredibly deadly, they arent half as bad looking as these beasts. Man am i happy that the netherlands doesnt have any animal that can kill you We have adders but i dont think they can actually kill you. Spiders the size of diner plates .... *shudders Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ozanzac 0 Posted June 1, 2004 We've got lots of things that can kill you. Sharks, spiders, snakes, jelly fish, scorpions, crocodiles, drop bears, bunyips........The list goes on and on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theavonlady 2 Posted June 1, 2004 This is a true story No it's not. But I won't sleep for the next few nights anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Major Fubar 0 Posted June 1, 2004 Yep, this is a well known and oft repeated urban legend...generally involving Taranatulas...other than that, it's word for word how I've heard it before... ...and on that note, I think we can put this one in the "too offtopic for Offtopic" folder. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tim Pink 0 Posted June 1, 2004 oh crap, theres me thinkin it was real. * walks away all embarrased still pretty scary anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Placebo 28 Posted June 1, 2004 Interesting story, if it had been real I might have let it stay, as it's a fairy tale I think we'll decline Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
