What would you do?

johnny quango

Arachnoknight
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May 17, 2013
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Hey guy's
I know this could get moved as this isn't technically tarantula chat, but as tarantula Keeper's I just wanted to know how all of you would react in this guy's shoes. Today I've been reading a national newspaper and the 1st story that grabbed my attention was about a family who had ordered fresh fruit online as they unpacked their shopping the guy noticed a large spider in with the order, said spider decided to bolt prompting the guy to grab a make shift catch cup ( a fruit bowl) once the spider was caught local experts were called and the spider was identified as a brazilian wandering spider. Now my question is what would your 1st thoughts be about finding what most consider the deadliest spider on earth be? My 1st thought rather child like was caught under catch cup success now for a spare enclosure to keep this little beast in. Then sadly as I sat laughing about reality reared its ugly head and I thought in that situation the guy probably did the same thing I would've done as keeping one of these might well have ended up as the last dumb thing I wouldve every done
 

Poec54

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Mar 26, 2013
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If we let non-tarantula threads in here, then where do you draw the line? It then gets jammed up with off topic threads and people stop coming here to talk about tarantulas. Sorry.
 

Hanska

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
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382
Yea, should be in the true spider section.
Anyway... I'm really sceptical of these kind of news. It seems that every spider that ever came with fruit is a Phoneutria. And always the ID is done by some "expert" using blurry cellphone pictures.
 

xkris

Arachnosquire
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Apr 25, 2013
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92
i cant say for myself without it being influenced by my love for spiders.
but i can tell for people i know. they would kill it!
my family, don't know. if i was home, i hope they would wait for me, if not, they would throw entire cup into furnace.
 

johnny quango

Arachnoknight
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May 17, 2013
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Yea, should be in the true spider section.
Anyway... I'm really sceptical of these kind of news. It seems that every spider that ever came with fruit is a Phoneutria. And always the ID is done by some "expert" using blurry cellphone pictures.
I thought the same but the expert was called to the house and the id was done there and then the pics don't look like cell phone pics
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
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In response to the question, IF I had any reason to believe it could be a phoneutria I would attempt to catch, contain, and examine it. If that proved to be too difficult and hazardous, IE faster and more lively than the Venatoria I'm used to, it would then get shooed out the door to fend for itself.

As for a positive ID, it would be up to me and the taxonomy papers. Of course, not being an expert my ID would only be considered tentative even if I found proof(s) positive.

On a similar note, there are probably about a dozen experts in the world who could give a 100% assurance ID. The rest would be like me with a tentative.

But the most unusual thing about the entire incident is getting a qualified phoneutria expert to come out to your home and give a positive ID. To put this in context, give an analogy, you would have a much better chance getting a qualified gem expert coming to your home and giving you a free analysis of an heirloom necklace. Either probably being more rare than finding a transient phoneutria.

The responses of the top flight experts would predictably be, Jaeger: Might be. Hop on a plane and bring it over here for us to check. (Germany). Vetter: If it was on my desk I'd take a guess. Crawford: Not my field. I'd only be guessing. You need to find an experienced expert.
 

Hanska

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
382
I thought the same but the expert was called to the house and the id was done there and then the pics don't look like cell phone pics
Would you have a link to the story?
If this is the same I read about, the "news" site said that the father took pictures and ID'd it online. Then a pestcontrol dude came to rid of it. The only pic on that site was a crappy picture of a grey spiders butt.
Tried to search for it on google real quick but was flooded with "news" of Phoneutria found on fruits in England.

As for the "what would you do?" I'd try to catch it, ID it and founding it to be most likely a Phoneutria I'd first have a little fight with the miss and then contact the only person here I know that have kept them if he'd want it.
 

johnny quango

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Would you have a link to the story?
If this is the same I read about, the "news" site said that the father took pictures and ID'd it online. Then a pestcontrol dude came to rid of it. The only pic on that site was a crappy picture of a grey spiders butt.
Tried to search for it on google real quick but was flooded with "news" of Phoneutria found on fruits in England.

As for the "what would you do?" I'd try to catch it, ID it and founding it to be most likely a Phoneutria I'd first have a little fight with the miss and then contact the only person here I know that have kept them if he'd want it.
I looked on the news site when I finished work yesterday and the only pics on there are a little crappy but in the paper itself was an extra pic of the guy who came to remove it that was alot clearer the guy had it in what looked like a kritter keeper or something similar ill try to find a link with the extra pic and add it
 

Smokehound714

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Mar 23, 2013
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I bet it was a ctenus and not a phoneutria.. the problem with "brazilian wandering spider" as a name, is there are hundreds of different 'wandering spider' species in brazil.
 

aaarg

Arachnoknight
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Feb 26, 2013
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You have to be skeptical of anybody who isn't a spider enthusiast writing/talking about spiders. How many brown recluse bites have been reported in places without brown recluses - hell, how many brown recluse bite diagnoses have even been arthropod bites at all?
 

Beary Strange

Arachnodemon
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Aug 30, 2013
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Yea, should be in the true spider section.
Anyway... I'm really sceptical of these kind of news. It seems that every spider that ever came with fruit is a Phoneutria. And always the ID is done by some "expert" using blurry cellphone pictures.
This is my first thought as well. Much like how any spider bite must be from a brown recluse and couldn't possibly be the work of anything else...according to sensationalist "journalists" anyway.
 

Hanska

Arachnobaron
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
382
This is my first thought as well. Much like how any spider bite must be from a brown recluse and couldn't possibly be the work of anything else...according to sensationalist "journalists" anyway.
Don't forget the "flesh eating false widows"
 

Nosiris

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Aug 5, 2014
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I'd bet money you read that story on the Mail Online site, so by definition there's less than a 50% chance of it being true regardless of the subject. This story crops up with tedious regularity in the British press and is rarely true. Britain imports next to no bananas from Brazil for a start, so as previously suggested IF this story has ANY truth in it it's far more likely that the spider would be a Cupiennius or similar from Costa Rica (from where Britain imports a lot of bananas) and therefore be less harmful than most Ts.
 

BlueEther

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Oct 10, 2014
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6
Don't forget the "flesh eating false widows"
We have the dreaded fleasheating whitetail spider. I know two other people that have been bitten (along with my self*) non of us ended up necrosis.

* I didn't see the spider but it was in it's habitat - itched like a bugger
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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As to the OP I would have casually and securely kept it and not have made a big fuss over it(if true). I know some locals that keep some of the most venomous snakes on the planet, not that big a deal imo, I'd see it as an unusual occurrence, that's all.
 
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