----- Original Message -----
From: "Chad Fernandez" <fernande(a)internet1.net>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2001 7:39 AM
Subject: Re: Rescue of Four Phase Systems mini-computer from Tampa
(long)
Here in Michigan, we are fortunate, not to have very
many. In fact, I
hadn't even heard of them until I lived in Missouri for awhile. I
have
since learned that we have a few in Michigan, but they
normally stay
south of us, do to the cold. I wouldn't even really know what one
looks
like.
Your're even luckier than us here.
We have a thing called a white tail (or white tip) which has venom
similarities to the
Brown recluse your're describing. Very nasty, often recurring, wounds
result, that can leave serious scarring and require
surgical excision of the necrotic tissue. Bad news. Prefer the
outdoors to sheds, but you get them moderately often in stored
equipment. Fortunately they are very unagressive and will bug out if at
all possible.
Huntsman - biggish 'tarantula' looking spider, only mildy poisonous, and
rather unaggressive, but they move fast, and the size of
some of them can make you jump 3 feet and hurt yourself.
Then we get into the bad stuff.
Red Backs (love the same places) Very poisonous, can deadly to kids.
Something like a black widow.
Very often find these in stuff that's been in a shed for a while. Not
particularly aggressive, but can be a problem as they like the
undersurfaces of things.
Black House spider - Poisonous, not deadly, but can make you very ill,
children are particularly at risk.
Very common, and like the same sort of places. Probably have several
dozen in my house, they like ceiling spaces.
Trap door (so called from the holes they usually dig and hide in - with
a trap door at the top, don't often find these in electronics, but you
get the odd one, distant cousin to the Funnel web. Not as poisonous but
makes you ill.
Mouse spider - cousin to the Sydney Funnel Web. Nearly as poisonous.
Deadly. Almost always Requires Funnel Web
antivenene, Big, ugly looking sucker. (If they made Aracnophobia (the
movie) with these it would have been even creepier)
A family in New South Wales recently found their backyard FULL of these.
No apparent reason. The entomologists are still trying to figure out
where they came from and why they are in this one particular yard.
Scary, they have little kids too.
AFAIK, we don't get them around here. Just as well, they are fairly
aggro as well.
Sydney Funnel Web - not found around here (fortunately) mostly New South
Wales and parts of Queensland, deadliest of the lot, leads to major
respiratory failure and death in less than an hour if not treated with
antivenene QUICKLY. Agressive, particularly in breeding season, and the
male is even deadlier.
Then we have the snakes. Of the top ten deadliest snakes in the world,
we have about 8.
At least 3 live locally (King Browns mostly - deadly if untreated) likes
the same sort of environment,
fortunately they are not that agressive. Common around here, even in
towns and cities.
There is a resident one in the target shed of the rifle range my cadet
unit provide a butt party for on occasion. He is used to people and
not a big problem, just make plenty of noise going into the shed, and he
gets out the way. Tolerated because he
stops mice eating the target material ;^).
The Taipan (worst of the lot) is only found in Queensland and parts of
the NT.
Very mean bugger, known to chase you, and they are FAST, and deadly
without an antivenene.
Anyone want to move to Oz? ;^)
Cheers
Geoff Roberts
Computer Systems Manager
Saint Mark's College
Port Pirie,
South Australia
geoffrob(a)stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au
netcafe(a)tell.net.au
ICQ: 1970476