T-huntin' in Oklahoma

WayneT

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Had some time off yesterday that was unexpected, so I took advantage of the freedom and struck out on a hunt. A few of you have expressed an interest in coming this way, so I wanted to scout out some areas. Tried first on some private land I had permisson on...one lonely male was all I found. Then I headed to a park not too far from here. Stopped in first to talk to the ranger on duty to ask. Turned out to be very enlightening...he was MORE than happy to tell be about the Oklahoma browns (A. hentzi) in the region. Said I was the first person in his 10 years on duty to even ask him about tarantulas. And the guy knew his stuff! He told me that in mid to late September, he see's 100' and 100's of T's, both male and female, and he knew how to identify that, as well. I asked if I could take some specimens if I found any and he said I was more than welcome to. Guess the asking first part was the key. He was very cordial to me...thanks Mark :D
I had my hands full toting water and other things, and I was by myself. Wandered about a mile or so in, found about 10 burrows that turned up empty, then found one that wasn't! I'm including a pic of the surroundings and the burrow so you guys can see and the cutie I found.
Miss S? (pitbullady)...this one's yours! I'll let her chill out for a few days and then she's heading your way!
 

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Mike H.

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Great looking little animal you got there Wayne !!


Regards, Mike :D
 

WayneT

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Thanks Mike! This one looks like she's gettin' ready to molt, doesn't she?
 

Socrates

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Missing Oklahoma now more than ever!

WOW, she another beauty! :) Pitbulllady will LOVE her!

Seeing the picture of the area REALLY makes me miss OK more than ever. I remember when living in Lawton (OK), it was in late summer that the locals told us about a street that would literally "flood" with tarantulas. I knew absolutely nothing about Ts then, other than that they were huge, hairy, scary-looking things.
Wish I was there NOW! ;)

---
Wendy
---
 

WayneT

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Socrates said:
WOW, she another beauty! :) Pitbulllady will LOVE her!

Seeing the picture of the area REALLY makes me miss OK more than ever. I remember when living in Lawton (OK), it was in late summer that the locals told us about a street that would literally "flood" with tarantulas. I knew absolutely nothing about Ts then, other than that they were huge, hairy, scary-looking things.
Wish I was there NOW! ;)

---
Wendy
---
Yeah, he said that during that time of year when the temps start to drop, they come up in hoards and hug the asphalt roads up there that are still holding some heat.
Wish you were here too! ;) Back atcha'
 

BBlack

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Wish I could go outside and look for T's. The best place for me to search for T's round my neck of the woods would be to hang around the local supermarket Banana boxes.

Nice work!
 

cichlidsman

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BBlack said:
Wish I could go outside and look for T's. The best place for me to search for T's round my neck of the woods would be to hang around the local supermarket Banana boxes.

Nice work!
t's in banana boxs? what kind?

last year in fort mcmurry( alberta), there was a black widow in the supermarket. came form some type of food box.
 

Brian S

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Wayne, Don't forget me. I am still ready to come out there for an excursion. :D
 

pitbulllady

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She is a lovely lady, indeed-can't wait to get her, Wayne! She seems very mellow as well, so I might try to talk one of my Principals into letting me keep her in my classroom at school. This one certainly appears to have been eating very well, that's for certain! Another one of those "fat-bottomed girls", LOL! If I were in your shoes, I'd be out at that location as much as possible, looking for T's. I'd love the opportunity to go out west and look for tarantulas and cacti(another little hobby of mine, one a bit more painful than spiders and snakes), at least where it's legal to do so! Just let me know when you're ready to send this girl; I've already gotten an enclosure ready for her!

pitbulllady
 

pitbulllady

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When I was a little kid, my great-grandfather owned a little country store, which is still on this property where I live, though it's just a storage building now. I can distinctly remember the excitement that accompanied the arrival of crates of bananas to this day, since in those days, USDA inspections of fruits, etc., coming in from the tropics, were obviously not as rigorous as they are now. Bananas were shipped in long plyboard crates, the entire bunch just placed in a crate, still-green, and shipped, and in almost every crate were stowaways. These were usually big, fuzzy tarantulas, which I now know were Avics of some sort, and arboreal snakes, of which I can remember various skinny little Tree Boas and what was probably at least one Eyelash Viper. Unfortunatly, most of these unfortunate animals were generally stomped or beaten to death on the spot; my great-grandfather kept a weapon of some sort handy whenever he opened the crates. Thinking back on it now, I can't help but think of what a terrible waste of little lives that was, and feeling sorry for the animals even back then, and thinking that one day I'd be able to keep them without getting yelled at or spanked for even suggesting it. My family did not share my enthusiasm about "creepy-crawlies".
Anyway, I can remember one day, when the store, which held one of the few television sets in the whole area, was full of patrons there to watch a football game, when a crate arrived and had to be opened. As soon as the lid was pried off, out jumped a HUGE hairy spider, which took off through the store, sending customers literally climbing the walls and flinging chairs everwhere in their panic! The T somehow managed to escape, and was never found. For many years, long after my great-grandfather had passed away and the store closed down, we would occasionally see huge hairy spiders scuttling across the ground or up the sides of the building. When I was five, and my aunt and uncle had moved into the house behind the store, my uncle spotted a huge spider on a tree trunk and showed it to me. I can still remember it sitting there, in a position similar to that elongated resting position favored by Pokies, and how furry it was, and how its legs reminded me of feathers, they were so hairy. It was a greyish-brown color with a silvery sheen-an Avicularia urticans, perhaps? Definately an Avic, though. My uncle, ever the brave Southern "he-man", got his .22 and shot it. Everyone called these big furry things "monkey spiders", and the ones that managed to escape immediate extermination when the banana crates were opened apparently also managed to survive for several years after the store closed down. Sadly, I don't think any are still around, though it sure would be nice to discover a small colony of Avics living here, but I guess those old memories are as close as I can get to finding T's on my own. Nowadays, I guess any spiders or snakes which are still clinging to the bananas are intercepted at the USDA inspection points upon arrival into the country, and their fates probably aren't any better than those in the boxes my great-grandfather opened.

pitbulllady
 

crshadow

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I don't mean to get off topic, but I've also heard from someone locally about an occasional T making it in with banana shipments... Is this a relatively common occurance? Anyone know what kind of T's these are likely to be or if they are even T's at all?


-Jeremiah
 

Brian S

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crshadow said:
I don't mean to get off topic, but I've also heard from someone locally about an occasional T making it in with banana shipments... Is this a relatively common occurance? Anyone know what kind of T's these are likely to be or if they are even T's at all?


-Jeremiah
If a T was to get past USDA inspection it would probably be an Avic sp. However it would also be possible to be a Wandering Spider which has much more potent venom than any tarantula.
 

WayneT

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pitbulllady said:
She is a lovely lady, indeed-can't wait to get her, Wayne! She seems very mellow as well, so I might try to talk one of my Principals into letting me keep her in my classroom at school.

pitbulllady
I'm glad you're happy! She IS mellow...every bit as mellow as my others. I'm not for sure, but I think she's gettin' ready to molt, and that would explain that water-balloon fanny of hers. I see that in my other T's. Well we'll work out the details k?

btw...I enjoyed your story. I've always wondered if some non-native species ever made it in the wild here in the states! Thanks for sharing that! ;)
 

WayneT

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Brian S said:
Wayne, Don't forget me. I am still ready to come out there for an excursion. :D
Who do you think I was talking about! {D Hey Brian, they have cabins we can get there as well with all the amenities...I'll tell you about it. Make plans for mid to late September, k?
 

pitbulllady

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I wish that those Avics could have survived for generations. It's sad, but I always used to be scared I'd come across one, but now that I no longer fear spiders, they are all gone.
Have you tried feeding that little lady yet? I figure if she eats, she probably isn't in pre-moult. A LOT of my T's have big "water balloon fannies", too, but that's because they're total pigs who aren't into jogging or step aerobics!

pitbulllady
 

WayneT

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pitbulllady said:
I wish that those Avics could have survived for generations. It's sad, but I always used to be scared I'd come across one, but now that I no longer fear spiders, they are all gone.
Have you tried feeding that little lady yet? I figure if she eats, she probably isn't in pre-moult. A LOT of my T's have big "water balloon fannies", too, but that's because they're total pigs who aren't into jogging or step aerobics!

pitbulllady
That is sad...I'd guess the winters down there took it's toll on them.

Yes there's a big fat cricket in with her at the moment...but she hasn't gotten it yet. May be a little freaked to her new surroundings. I'll pull it out and try again tomorrow.
 

mouse

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that T is cute...
tomorrow i'm gonna be a step closer to some new T's. by thursday i should have them...i hope
dianne
 

cichlidsman

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wayne you are so lucky. i wish i could go in the woods and get a nice fat tarantula.
 

Brian S

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WayneT said:
Who do you think I was talking about! {D Hey Brian, they have cabins we can get there as well with all the amenities...I'll tell you about it. Make plans for mid to late September, k?
Hehehehe Come on September!!!! :D
 

WayneT

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mouse said:
that T is cute...
tomorrow i'm gonna be a step closer to some new T's. by thursday i should have them...i hope
dianne
From what you told me Dianne, you've got some nice ones coming! :D
 
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