This is the entrance to my Theraphosa apophysis’ burrow. It’s gone to ground to moult. This species possesses the most irritating urticating setae (specialised itchy hairs used for defense against predators etc) of all known tarantulas.
The spider has burrowed down in such a way that I have a window into its moult chamber. The whole thing is lined with silk, but most amazing of all is the protective measure it has taken to deter any would be attackers from disturbing it while it’s in its most vulnerable state.
See all that fluffy debris all over the spider (who is upside down here)? Those are its urticating setae. Prior to beginning its moult, it kicked them all over its silken moult mat & when it flipped on to its back, the result was it being covered in these hairs.
Any time this spider flicks hairs at me, I get immediate pinprick blisters wherever they land that are intensely itchy. The only thing that relieves it is to wipe my skin down with alcohol, apply hydrocortisone & take an antihistamine. So this is a very effective measure!

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More from @tea_francis

1 Dec
Kicking off #ScienteaficABC, taking it from the top with Actinopodidae! This is a family of mygalomorph spiders (an infraorder of heavy bodied spiders with downward facing chelicerae), comprising just 3 genera- Actinopus, Missulena & Plesiolena. (All images: Wikimedia Commons). Image
Actinopodidae can be found in Australia and Central & South America. They are considered medically significant, which means their venom is potentially dangerous. Overall, they are heavy set, impressive looking spiders, usually with a stocky legs, large chelicerae & fangs.
Perhaps most recognisable of this family are Missulena spp. The mouse spiders! Found mostly in Australia, 1 of the 18 species is found in Chile. This is a male M. occatoria native to S. Australia. Females do not exhibit the bright red that the males do & tend to be heavier set. Image
Read 9 tweets
29 Nov
Throwback to last May. I found these two Clubiona terrestris wandering about on a planter. I only had one vial to hand so I risked putting them both in it together just to get them inside. As soon as they met, one piled on the other & I thought that was it, game over... Image
Then I saw that what I actually had was a male & female & he had pounced on her to mate with her. What was most remarkable about this was the total lack of any kind of courtship behaviour or caution in approaching her. He just got straight down to it as soon as he got a chance.
She didn’t stop wandering around for a while... almost like she hadn’t even realised what was happening either. Eventually, they settled & remained coupled like this for over an hour.
Read 4 tweets
28 Nov
On the subject of my Patreon, I want to create a space where people can follow along with the myriad spider related projects I'm working on, research, husbandry notes, photos etc, but I also want to make it into a forum of sorts where people can feel free to ask me about stuff.
I don't profess to be an expert in anything, but I have devoted a large chunk of my life to learning about the creatures I am so obviously utterly obsessed with. I want to share the things I have learned & continue to learn, and share the things I create too.
The tiers I have set up are super cheap- just £2 or £4.50 per month (you can read about what these get you here:- patreon.com/scienteafic?fa…). All of the proceeds are currently going towards an opportunity to join a research trip to Ecuador in 2021 which is a HUGE deal for me.
Read 6 tweets
4 Jul
Illustrating a spider, step by step. I make no promises here... no idea how this will turn out but I’ll do my best to keep it going right the way through. I warn you, this might take a while so don’t expect it completed tonight 😂 This will be a thread.
To start out, choose your materials. I work primarily with ink and watercolour, so am using watercolour paper. In this case, The Langton by @DalerRowney- 140lb cold pressed block. I will draw a grid, so I have my ruler and 0.5mm HB mechanical pencil. Image
Grid drawn. The grid is penciled in very lightly to ensure it erases completely later. Depending on your reference, a grid or bounding box helps a lot with proportion. Pro tip: don’t blow or brush eraser debris away with your hand. Use a brush & use it lightly to avoid smudging. Image
Read 55 tweets
12 Feb
As a lifelong dog owner, mostly of pedigree dogs, I have a lot of views on breeding of this nature, and indeed in general. This deliberate exaggeration of physical features that hinder a dog’s ability to lead a normal, happy, healthy life is nothing short of barbarism.
Lawmakers and enforcement had no problem dictating to me that my rescue dog that I shared my life with in the USA was not permitted into the UK because of the DDA & her being a ‘pit bull’... which isn’t even a breed, more a description of physical traits, & possible parentage.
She was mostly American bully, but had some AmStaff in her too, and the abusers that landed her in a shelter in the first place cut her ears almost completely off, so she looked ‘tough’. Nobody had any issue denying her access to a life with me based on her looks...
Read 8 tweets

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