Some may say that these stories are incredibly fanciful and very ridiculous, but please don't accuse ME of lying. I simply collect these stories, I do not claim any of them to be true.
Mysterious New Zealand Giant Crabs and Huge Spiders
My Grandad on my fathers side lived in a small seaside town as a child called Tustin, now a long forgotten ghost town. Whenever I visited his house, until he passed away when I was 13, he told me of the enormous crabs that came every year onto the land and into the town and of the huge 'Hole Spiders' that inhabited the little forested area next to the town. Eventually, over time, the town was emptied of people for various reasons, and is now a ghost town, with only a few empty buildings still remaining. My Grandfather left after finishing high school, to pursue his career in Wellington, long before Tustin became a ghost town. He never got to go back one day, although he sometimes expressed that he would like to a lot.
My Grandfather was a rational, no nonsense man. I believe his stories were true, probably quite exaggeratted, but my grandad would want everyone to make up their own mind, so I'm retelling his stories here as Episode 2 of Mysterious New Zealand.
The Giant Crabs
Every Janurary 6th, for about a week, huge crabs would crawl out of the ocean and swarm the town, an event which became an annual celebration in Tustin. The Crabs bodies (excluding legs) were typically about the size of a dinner plate, but the big ones reached sizes around a metre or two across, with legs almost a metre long. There weren't as many big ones as there were smaller ones, but that isn't at all to say they were rare. Hundreds of the crabs, big and small would simply crawl out the water, scuttle around the beach and even in the town, somtimes crawling into lakes or ponds, then over a weeks time each crab would eventually crawl back into the sea, until none were left on the land and they were gone for the year.
My Grandad claimed to remember vividly how every Janurary, the local newsletter would have on the front a picture of an attractive sunbather posing next to a particularly large crab, with a wowed expression on her face. Every year there were always the jokers who would put the crabs into toilets or smash them for fun. One year, when he was 11 or so he said, a good friend told him that he had one of the big ones living in the pond in his garden. He said his sister had been dipping her fingers in and playing with the goldfish, when a huge crab emergeged and nearly bit her. He said it must have crawled in there that Janurary and gotten stuck. He invited his friends to come have a look, and when they got there his whole family were staring into the pond, occasionally pointing and saying "I think I just saw somthing!" The boy and his friends heaved rocks into the water, and suddenly the crab crawled out, scuttling madly around the lawn, terrifying everyone until his mother caught it in a bag and put it on the beach, where it abruptly ran into the sea.
I always asked my grandfather why somthing as incredible as collosal crabs was treated as ordinary and why no one ever thought to have a specimen identified by taking it to a muesum or a biologist. He said the crabs were just somthing that happened, no one ever thought differently about it. The crabs came once a year, and that was that. He told me it was just assumed that they had "some scientific name or somthing" but to the town it they were just the giant crabs that came every summer.
My Grandather always told the crab story with sadness. The story had a tragic ending that was quite hard hitting for me when I was a kid. When my Grandfather was in his first year at high school, a big new road was built that went through Tustin. A much larger town was started only a few miles south of Tustin on the coastline, and on its beach a large factory was built, spewing pollution into the water, transforming it in only about a month from clear blue to a murky greenish brown.
That Janurary, not a single crab came out of the sea. They didn't come the next year either, in fact, the crabs were never once seen again. Eventually they were forgotten entirely, except in the memories of those who had been alive to see them.
The Giant 'Hole Spiders'
In the small forest next to my grandads childhood town there were the rare, but well-known 'Hole Spiders', spoken of in scary stories and local legends as very dangerous monsters, snatching anyone who went into the forest and devouring them, spitting out their skulls. However in reality, my grandfather claimed, they were very timid and barely ever took anything larger than a rat, and only occasionally took larger animals like cats or dogs. However when they did, it became the most talked about thing for a day or two in the town, and sometimes people would go into the orest and burn their holes.
According to my grandad the Hole Spiders resembled tarantulas with the same sized body as a Tarantula, but had abnormally long legs, stretching out around 80 centimetres. My grandad said that having a little body and long legs was their 'loophole' in natures rules. He said the spiders can't be that big, but that the hole spiders managed to be due to the 'loophole'.
He never talked much about them, he said that mostly they were just an urban myth, and that the real spiders were shy and docile, so he just left them alone.
He did, however, tell the story about the time he and his friend from school burnt some of the hole spiders after his friends cat was dragged into the hole of one and eaten. He said they set fire to three holes that seemed to be empty, but the fourth had a spider inside, which writhed frantically in the flames until it shrivelled up and died. My grandad said he felt terrible and told his friend he was leaving. Although the friend complained, he followed.
I asked what happened to the spiders, and he told me that the year he left Tustin he sat in the forest reading a book for a while, and he saw one crawl out of its hole. An old friend from Tustin (Before, of course, it became a ghost town) with whom he met up with often to play golf said that the forest had grown a lot larger since they had last been in Tustin and that as far as he knew the hole spiders were fine, with a slightly larger population probably, and are still scurrying around, or waiting in their holes right now.
My Grandfather sadly passed away in 2006. He always said that his stories were true and that he never thought anyone would even think differently. Maybe they were just stories, made up to entertain me as a child, or maybe he was simply lying, but I'd like to think that one day I will go to Tustin, and who knows, maybe the water is clear again and the crabs happily scuttle onto land every summer and the spiders are still in the forest, catching the odd mouse or bird...
In Episode 3 of Mysterious New Zealand: Should we be scared of a lot more than sharks in our waters this summer?
Full Version: Mysterious NZ: Giant Crabs and Huge Spiders
Whoa, very captivating story and eloquently written. I know for sure that I'd never go to a place like that though, I'm way too scared of arthropods.
well you've already heard my bird eating spider story. LinkAs for the giant crabs I've got a few examples for your consideration.
The coconut crab, though it's distribution stops well short of the land of the long white cloud.
New Zealand Half Crab and Tasmanian Giant Crab big enough to for exaggeration (we know what fishermen are like
)The Giant Land Crab though again distribution is no where near NZ. video link
And the giant horshoe crab. Hmmm... yeah
Good for a larf, I guess...edit: Forgot to add that the NZ half crab only looks big enough in pictures. d'oh!
QUOTE (Undeadskeptic @ Feb 2 2008, 12:57 PM) 
Some may say that these stories are incredibly fanciful and very ridiculous, but please don't accuse ME of lying. I simply collect these stories, I do not claim any of them to be true.
Mysterious New Zealand Giant Crabs and Huge Spiders
My Grandad on my fathers side lived in a small seaside town as a child called Tustin, now a long forgotten ghost town. Whenever I visited his house, until he passed away when I was 13, he told me of the enormous crabs that came every year onto the land and into the town and of the huge 'Hole Spiders' that inhabited the little forested area next to the town. Eventually, over time, the town was emptied of people for various reasons, and is now a ghost town, with only a few empty buildings still remaining. My Grandfather left after finishing high school, to pursue his career in Wellington, long before Tustin became a ghost town. He never got to go back one day, although he sometimes expressed that he would like to a lot.
My Grandfather was a rational, no nonsense man. I believe his stories were true, probably quite exaggeratted, but my grandad would want everyone to make up their own mind, so I'm retelling his stories here as Episode 2 of Mysterious New Zealand.
The Giant Crabs
Every Janurary 6th, for about a week, huge crabs would crawl out of the ocean and swarm the town, an event which became an annual celebration in Tustin. The Crabs bodies (excluding legs) were typically about the size of a dinner plate, but the big ones reached sizes around a metre or two across, with legs almost a metre long. There weren't as many big ones as there were smaller ones, but that isn't at all to say they were rare. Hundreds of the crabs, big and small would simply crawl out the water, scuttle around the beach and even in the town, somtimes crawling into lakes or ponds, then over a weeks time each crab would eventually crawl back into the sea, until none were left on the land and they were gone for the year.
My Grandad claimed to remember vividly how every Janurary, the local newsletter would have on the front a picture of an attractive sunbather posing next to a particularly large crab, with a wowed expression on her face. Every year there were always the jokers who would put the crabs into toilets or smash them for fun. One year, when he was 11 or so he said, a good friend told him that he had one of the big ones living in the pond in his garden. He said his sister had been dipping her fingers in and playing with the goldfish, when a huge crab emergeged and nearly bit her. He said it must have crawled in there that Janurary and gotten stuck. He invited his friends to come have a look, and when they got there his whole family were staring into the pond, occasionally pointing and saying "I think I just saw somthing!" The boy and his friends heaved rocks into the water, and suddenly the crab crawled out, scuttling madly around the lawn, terrifying everyone until his mother caught it in a bag and put it on the beach, where it abruptly ran into the sea.
I always asked my grandfather why somthing as incredible as collosal crabs was treated as ordinary and why no one ever thought to have a specimen identified by taking it to a muesum or a biologist. He said the crabs were just somthing that happened, no one ever thought differently about it. The crabs came once a year, and that was that. He told me it was just assumed that they had "some scientific name or somthing" but to the town it they were just the giant crabs that came every summer.
My Grandather always told the crab story with sadness. The story had a tragic ending that was quite hard hitting for me when I was a kid. When my Grandfather was in his first year at high school, a big new road was built that went through Tustin. A much larger town was started only a few miles south of Tustin on the coastline, and on its beach a large factory was built, spewing pollution into the water, transforming it in only about a month from clear blue to a murky greenish brown.
That Janurary, not a single crab came out of the sea. They didn't come the next year either, in fact, the crabs were never once seen again. Eventually they were forgotten entirely, except in the memories of those who had been alive to see them.
The Giant 'Hole Spiders'
In the small forest next to my grandads childhood town there were the rare, but well-known 'Hole Spiders', spoken of in scary stories and local legends as very dangerous monsters, snatching anyone who went into the forest and devouring them, spitting out their skulls. However in reality, my grandfather claimed, they were very timid and barely ever took anything larger than a rat, and only occasionally took larger animals like cats or dogs. However when they did, it became the most talked about thing for a day or two in the town, and sometimes people would go into the orest and burn their holes.
According to my grandad the Hole Spiders resembled tarantulas with the same sized body as a Tarantula, but had abnormally long legs, stretching out around 80 centimetres. My grandad said that having a little body and long legs was their 'loophole' in natures rules. He said the spiders can't be that big, but that the hole spiders managed to be due to the 'loophole'.
He never talked much about them, he said that mostly they were just an urban myth, and that the real spiders were shy and docile, so he just left them alone.
He did, however, tell the story about the time he and his friend from school burnt some of the hole spiders after his friends cat was dragged into the hole of one and eaten. He said they set fire to three holes that seemed to be empty, but the fourth had a spider inside, which writhed frantically in the flames until it shrivelled up and died. My grandad said he felt terrible and told his friend he was leaving. Although the friend complained, he followed.
I asked what happened to the spiders, and he told me that the year he left Tustin he sat in the forest reading a book for a while, and he saw one crawl out of its hole. An old friend from Tustin (Before, of course, it became a ghost town) with whom he met up with often to play golf said that the forest had grown a lot larger since they had last been in Tustin and that as far as he knew the hole spiders were fine, with a slightly larger population probably, and are still scurrying around, or waiting in their holes right now.
My Grandfather sadly passed away in 2006. He always said that his stories were true and that he never thought anyone would even think differently. Maybe they were just stories, made up to entertain me as a child, or maybe he was simply lying, but I'd like to think that one day I will go to Tustin, and who knows, maybe the water is clear again and the crabs happily scuttle onto land every summer and the spiders are still in the forest, catching the odd mouse or bird...
In Episode 3 of Mysterious New Zealand: Should we be scared of a lot more than sharks in our waters this summer?
Mysterious New Zealand Giant Crabs and Huge Spiders
My Grandad on my fathers side lived in a small seaside town as a child called Tustin, now a long forgotten ghost town. Whenever I visited his house, until he passed away when I was 13, he told me of the enormous crabs that came every year onto the land and into the town and of the huge 'Hole Spiders' that inhabited the little forested area next to the town. Eventually, over time, the town was emptied of people for various reasons, and is now a ghost town, with only a few empty buildings still remaining. My Grandfather left after finishing high school, to pursue his career in Wellington, long before Tustin became a ghost town. He never got to go back one day, although he sometimes expressed that he would like to a lot.
My Grandfather was a rational, no nonsense man. I believe his stories were true, probably quite exaggeratted, but my grandad would want everyone to make up their own mind, so I'm retelling his stories here as Episode 2 of Mysterious New Zealand.
The Giant Crabs
Every Janurary 6th, for about a week, huge crabs would crawl out of the ocean and swarm the town, an event which became an annual celebration in Tustin. The Crabs bodies (excluding legs) were typically about the size of a dinner plate, but the big ones reached sizes around a metre or two across, with legs almost a metre long. There weren't as many big ones as there were smaller ones, but that isn't at all to say they were rare. Hundreds of the crabs, big and small would simply crawl out the water, scuttle around the beach and even in the town, somtimes crawling into lakes or ponds, then over a weeks time each crab would eventually crawl back into the sea, until none were left on the land and they were gone for the year.
My Grandad claimed to remember vividly how every Janurary, the local newsletter would have on the front a picture of an attractive sunbather posing next to a particularly large crab, with a wowed expression on her face. Every year there were always the jokers who would put the crabs into toilets or smash them for fun. One year, when he was 11 or so he said, a good friend told him that he had one of the big ones living in the pond in his garden. He said his sister had been dipping her fingers in and playing with the goldfish, when a huge crab emergeged and nearly bit her. He said it must have crawled in there that Janurary and gotten stuck. He invited his friends to come have a look, and when they got there his whole family were staring into the pond, occasionally pointing and saying "I think I just saw somthing!" The boy and his friends heaved rocks into the water, and suddenly the crab crawled out, scuttling madly around the lawn, terrifying everyone until his mother caught it in a bag and put it on the beach, where it abruptly ran into the sea.
I always asked my grandfather why somthing as incredible as collosal crabs was treated as ordinary and why no one ever thought to have a specimen identified by taking it to a muesum or a biologist. He said the crabs were just somthing that happened, no one ever thought differently about it. The crabs came once a year, and that was that. He told me it was just assumed that they had "some scientific name or somthing" but to the town it they were just the giant crabs that came every summer.
My Grandather always told the crab story with sadness. The story had a tragic ending that was quite hard hitting for me when I was a kid. When my Grandfather was in his first year at high school, a big new road was built that went through Tustin. A much larger town was started only a few miles south of Tustin on the coastline, and on its beach a large factory was built, spewing pollution into the water, transforming it in only about a month from clear blue to a murky greenish brown.
That Janurary, not a single crab came out of the sea. They didn't come the next year either, in fact, the crabs were never once seen again. Eventually they were forgotten entirely, except in the memories of those who had been alive to see them.
The Giant 'Hole Spiders'
In the small forest next to my grandads childhood town there were the rare, but well-known 'Hole Spiders', spoken of in scary stories and local legends as very dangerous monsters, snatching anyone who went into the forest and devouring them, spitting out their skulls. However in reality, my grandfather claimed, they were very timid and barely ever took anything larger than a rat, and only occasionally took larger animals like cats or dogs. However when they did, it became the most talked about thing for a day or two in the town, and sometimes people would go into the orest and burn their holes.
According to my grandad the Hole Spiders resembled tarantulas with the same sized body as a Tarantula, but had abnormally long legs, stretching out around 80 centimetres. My grandad said that having a little body and long legs was their 'loophole' in natures rules. He said the spiders can't be that big, but that the hole spiders managed to be due to the 'loophole'.
He never talked much about them, he said that mostly they were just an urban myth, and that the real spiders were shy and docile, so he just left them alone.
He did, however, tell the story about the time he and his friend from school burnt some of the hole spiders after his friends cat was dragged into the hole of one and eaten. He said they set fire to three holes that seemed to be empty, but the fourth had a spider inside, which writhed frantically in the flames until it shrivelled up and died. My grandad said he felt terrible and told his friend he was leaving. Although the friend complained, he followed.
I asked what happened to the spiders, and he told me that the year he left Tustin he sat in the forest reading a book for a while, and he saw one crawl out of its hole. An old friend from Tustin (Before, of course, it became a ghost town) with whom he met up with often to play golf said that the forest had grown a lot larger since they had last been in Tustin and that as far as he knew the hole spiders were fine, with a slightly larger population probably, and are still scurrying around, or waiting in their holes right now.
My Grandfather sadly passed away in 2006. He always said that his stories were true and that he never thought anyone would even think differently. Maybe they were just stories, made up to entertain me as a child, or maybe he was simply lying, but I'd like to think that one day I will go to Tustin, and who knows, maybe the water is clear again and the crabs happily scuttle onto land every summer and the spiders are still in the forest, catching the odd mouse or bird...
In Episode 3 of Mysterious New Zealand: Should we be scared of a lot more than sharks in our waters this summer?
As for th giant crabs , the part about them climbing out of the water once a year is probably made up. But crabs of those size do exist though , but probably in deep waters .
As for the giant spiders , such spiders do exist , at the bottom of the sea , not on land , the story is probably a fake too
I do belive theres an explanation for your crabs...........CRAB PEOPLE CRAB PEOPLE CRAB PEOPLE LOOK LIKE CRABS TALK LIKE PEOPLE!!!!
QUOTE (Thumbs-Up Dinosaur @ Feb 2 2008, 09:33 PM)
Whoa, very captivating story and eloquently written. I know for sure that I'd never go to a place like that though, I'm way too scared of arthropods.
Thank you very much Dino! Im not so fond of crabs or spiders either but I'd love to check the place out one day at least.
QUOTE (Evangium @ Feb 3 2008, 12:28 AM)
well you've already heard my bird eating spider story. LinkAs for the giant crabs I've got a few examples for your consideration.
The coconut crab, though it's distribution stops well short of the land of the long white cloud.
New Zealand Half Crab and Tasmanian Giant Crab big enough to for exaggeration (we know what fishermen are like
)The Giant Land Crab though again distribution is no where near NZ. video link
And the giant horshoe crab. Hmmm... yeah
Good for a larf, I guess...edit: Forgot to add that the NZ half crab only looks big enough in pictures. d'oh!
Hiya Evangium! Thought you'd stop by seeing as you were the first on the forum to hear the story (feel proud lol).
Im actually shocked, you had such a complete list and you missed out...
QUOTE (Mattshark @ Feb 3 2008, 04:07 AM)
I can't believe you missed that out Evangium!
QUOTE ((SG)Max @ Feb 3 2008, 04:13 AM)
As for th giant crabs , the part about them climbing out of the water once a year is probably made up. But crabs of those size do exist though , but probably in deep waters .
As for the giant spiders , such spiders do exist , at the bottom of the sea , not on land , the story is probably a fake too
As for the giant spiders , such spiders do exist , at the bottom of the sea , not on land , the story is probably a fake too
Couldn't it just be their mating time?
What spiders are you referring too that live underwater?
QUOTE (Smeagol1 @ Feb 3 2008, 06:45 AM)
I do belive theres an explanation for your crabs...........CRAB PEOPLE CRAB PEOPLE CRAB PEOPLE LOOK LIKE CRABS TALK LIKE PEOPLE!!!!
Lmao, Crab People!
I thought I'd leave a few crabs for everyone to discover (better check yourself )
Horsehoe crabs are actually rather interesting. Very expensive blood Link
Actually the bird eating spider has a species that is found as far as south Victoria. At the risk of destroying a really good yarn
Link
And it's South American cousin is even bigger!! Goliath Bird Eating Spider
(better check yourself )Horsehoe crabs are actually rather interesting. Very expensive blood
LinkActually the bird eating spider has a species that is found as far as south Victoria. At the risk of destroying a really good yarn
LinkAnd it's South American cousin is even bigger!! Goliath Bird Eating Spider
I wonder how much those crab legs would cost at a local restaurant? lol
QUOTE (Undeadskeptic @ Feb 3 2008, 10:23 AM)
Couldn't it just be their mating time?
What spiders are you referring too that live underwater?
What spiders are you referring too that live underwater?
Sea spiders , their legs grow up to 30cm in radius but they have a darn small body. And yes , possibly it could be their mating time
In Fiji crabs invade the land seasonally ... no such occurence happens in NZ, Ive lived here all my life in NZ and the only stories matching your crab story come from my friends and relatives that have visited Fiji
I believe the crabs invading land occurs on other Islands around the world as well
...the spider story is simply ---> False
I believe the crabs invading land occurs on other Islands around the world as well
...the spider story is simply ---> False
QUOTE ((SG)Max @ Feb 3 2008, 02:18 PM)
Sea spiders , their legs grow up to 30cm in radius but they have a darn small body. And yes , possibly it could be their mating time
Sea spiders although New Zealand are in fact are not actually spiders and do not breed on land, they tend to prefer slightly deeper water.
Sadly, the Coconut Crabs DO NOT taste anything like coconut. Just try chasing one down, and biting into it, and you'll see what I mean. 
QUOTE (dazdillinjah @ Feb 4 2008, 05:10 AM)
In Fiji crabs invade the land seasonally ... no such occurence happens in NZ, Ive lived here all my life in NZ and the only stories matching your crab story come from my friends and relatives that have visited Fiji
I believe the crabs invading land occurs on other Islands around the world as well
...the spider story is simply ---> False
I believe the crabs invading land occurs on other Islands around the world as well
...the spider story is simply ---> False
Whilst I respect your opinion you did not give one reason why the spider story was 100% without a doubt false. Please give one my friend
Is this crab similar??? Supposely it was washed ashore during Hurricane Katrina.
QUOTE (jessesgirl778 @ Feb 4 2008, 04:12 PM)
Is this crab similar??? Supposely it was washed ashore during Hurricane Katrina.
It says Page not Found.
Hey, Im an Extraterrestrial Entity! Yay! Champagne! Champagne for everyone!
QUOTE (Undeadskeptic @ Feb 4 2008, 02:37 PM)
It says Page not Found.
Hey, Im an Extraterrestrial Entity! Yay! Champagne! Champagne for everyone!
Hey, Im an Extraterrestrial Entity! Yay! Champagne! Champagne for everyone!
Don't do a search for Katrina Crabs, Undead ET
@jessesgirl778
Is it this crab? Blue Crab
Or any of these ones? Giant Crabs?
hmmmm.... all crab are delicious ... bigger are better taste
QUOTE (Evangium @ Feb 4 2008, 07:44 PM)
Don't do a search for Katrina Crabs, Undead ET
OMG! ARGH! Its horrible... but why so familiar I wonder?
QUOTE (Undeadskeptic @ Feb 4 2008, 05:02 PM)
OMG! ARGH! Its horrible... but why so familiar I wonder?
Just gives you that tingley, itchy feeling doesn't it
QUOTE
hmmmm.... all crab are delicious ...
So...Many...Wrong...Comments...To...Make...PG Forum...Must...Must...Fight...Them...All!!
LOL dude, you crack me up!
QUOTE (Undeadskeptic @ Feb 4 2008, 07:09 PM)
LOL dude, you crack me up!
At least someone around here appreciates my humour
Cheers for that
QUOTE (Undeadskeptic @ Feb 3 2008, 11:03 PM)
Whilst I respect your opinion you did not give one reason why the spider story was 100% without a doubt false. Please give one my friend
Reason 1 - Tustin is NOT a place in New Zealand
Reason 2 - There are NO giant spiders in New Zealand
maybe you are being confused with the bird-eating spiders in Australia
QUOTE (dazdillinjah @ Feb 4 2008, 10:00 PM)
Reason 1 - Tustin is NOT a place in New Zealand
Reason 2 - There are NO giant spiders in New Zealand
maybe you are being confused with the bird-eating spiders in Australia
Reason 2 - There are NO giant spiders in New Zealand
maybe you are being confused with the bird-eating spiders in Australia
Nelson Cave spider - leg span 15cm
Tunnel Web spider - 3-4 cm body, almost as big as Australian Bird Eating Spiders (6 cm body)
And in a rare reversal of the normal trend, some Australians that have settled in NZ
Avondale spider (aka Huntsman)- 3 cm body, 20cm leg span. Believe me, the article is correct when it states larger specimans are not uncommon!
Christchurch huntsman Smaller version of the Avondale. Tends to be more stockier looking.
QUOTE (dazdillinjah @ Feb 5 2008, 01:00 AM)
Reason 1 - Tustin is NOT a place in New Zealand
Oh really? I wonder, just a thought, if thats beause, its a TINY seaside GHOST TOWN thats been EMPTY for YEARS! For all I know they built another town there, but maybe you are right and my grandfather did make up some stories just to please his grandson, but even that should not have made you utter the most arrogant, simple minded words Ive heard on these forums which are:
QUOTE (dazdillinjah @ Feb 5 2008, 01:00 AM)
Reason 2 - There are NO giant spiders in New Zealand
maybe you are being confused with the bird-eating spiders in Australia
maybe you are being confused with the bird-eating spiders in Australia
REALLY? There aren't? Wow I had no idea that I ws talking about an animal which may or may not exist, commonly referred to as a cryptid and studied in the feild of cryptozoology, CLEARLY the CRYPTOZOOLOGY board was the wrong place to put a story about a CRYPTID!!!
What do you mean IM getting confused? Im not the one that made the stories, that would be my grand dad.
I understand that you live in Aotearoa too, but PLEASE, stop being so arrogant and just except that I also have an opinion.
QUOTE (Evangium @ Feb 5 2008, 01:54 AM)
Nelson Cave spider - leg span 15cm
Tunnel Web spider - 3-4 cm body, almost as big as Australian Bird Eating Spiders (6 cm body)
And in a rare reversal of the normal trend, some Australians that have settled in NZ
Avondale spider (aka Huntsman)- 3 cm body, 20cm leg span. Believe me, the article is correct when it states larger specimans are not uncommon!
Christchurch huntsman Smaller version of the Avondale. Tends to be more stockier looking.
Tunnel Web spider - 3-4 cm body, almost as big as Australian Bird Eating Spiders (6 cm body)
And in a rare reversal of the normal trend, some Australians that have settled in NZ
Avondale spider (aka Huntsman)- 3 cm body, 20cm leg span. Believe me, the article is correct when it states larger specimans are not uncommon!
Christchurch huntsman Smaller version of the Avondale. Tends to be more stockier looking.
Thanks dude!
Man, the Australia to NZ joke, ouch man, ouch. Lolz.
But even you seem skeptical now with your recent PM to me. I think the forums are turning against me. Its all coz I've got 3 stars, everyone hates people with three stars.
QUOTE (Undeadskeptic @ Feb 5 2008, 09:45 PM)
Thanks dude!
Man, the Australia to NZ joke, ouch man, ouch. Lolz.
But even you seem skeptical now with your recent PM to me. I think the forums are turning against me. Its all coz I've got 3 stars, everyone hates people with three stars.
Man, the Australia to NZ joke, ouch man, ouch. Lolz.
But even you seem skeptical now with your recent PM to me. I think the forums are turning against me. Its all coz I've got 3 stars, everyone hates people with three stars.
There, there. There, there.
I'm getting paranoid myself. I'm starting to think think there's a dedicated group of believers out there on a mission to reply to my posts the same way as the Sunday doorknockers tell me I need to believe their beliefs
Small ghost towns are hard to find data on, especially if all the inhabitants left a while ago. More so if the ruins of the town are on modern day crown land. And the NZ Ghost Town wiki is pretty sh**house, with only 6 towns listed
Pity your grandad didn't come from a ghost town in the USA As for da Moose, in the 10 years I spent growing up in NZ, I'd never heard about them. Just a freaky coincidence about the name of the researcher.
You incredible use of smileys astounds me lol.
Tell me about it. Its a friday morning, Im about to head off to school, coming up our drive is the local God Hates Fags guy. Oh goody I think. What a perfect way to start the day.
There is a New Zealand ghost town wiki? Oh my god some people honestly have too much time... but then again I did draw a comic about Ants in the weekend as a parody of human society, morals and humanity in general. I show it to my friends first day back at col and they go "Dude, why is there a full page diagram of two ants making love?".
So thats what I do in my spare time, draw ants having fun I guess that makes spending spare time on a NZ Ghost Town wiki a bit better.
I hope that moose guy finds a moose. Theres loads of physical evidence, its practically gauranteed that it exists, its just so rare now that its become VERY elusive.
I hope a moose is found for another reason too.
If a colony of moose, which are VERY large animals can survive undiscoveredin the Fiordlands with little evidence for their existence, a small pack of Moa can with ease! Fingers crossed for the Moa!
Man Im putting research into Ep.3 of Mysterious NZ, and its big...
Tell me about it. Its a friday morning, Im about to head off to school, coming up our drive is the local God Hates Fags guy. Oh goody I think. What a perfect way to start the day.
There is a New Zealand ghost town wiki? Oh my god some people honestly have too much time... but then again I did draw a comic about Ants in the weekend as a parody of human society, morals and humanity in general. I show it to my friends first day back at col and they go "Dude, why is there a full page diagram of two ants making love?".
So thats what I do in my spare time, draw ants having fun I guess that makes spending spare time on a NZ Ghost Town wiki a bit better.I hope that moose guy finds a moose. Theres loads of physical evidence, its practically gauranteed that it exists, its just so rare now that its become VERY elusive.
I hope a moose is found for another reason too.
If a colony of moose, which are VERY large animals can survive undiscoveredin the Fiordlands with little evidence for their existence, a small pack of Moa can with ease! Fingers crossed for the Moa!
Man Im putting research into Ep.3 of Mysterious NZ, and its big...
QUOTE (Evangium @ Feb 4 2008, 12:54 PM)
Nelson Cave spider - leg span 15cm
Tunnel Web spider - 3-4 cm body, almost as big as Australian Bird Eating Spiders (6 cm body)
And in a rare reversal of the normal trend, some Australians that have settled in NZ
Avondale spider (aka Huntsman)- 3 cm body, 20cm leg span. Believe me, the article is correct when it states larger specimans are not uncommon!
Christchurch huntsman Smaller version of the Avondale. Tends to be more stockier looking.
Tunnel Web spider - 3-4 cm body, almost as big as Australian Bird Eating Spiders (6 cm body)
And in a rare reversal of the normal trend, some Australians that have settled in NZ
Avondale spider (aka Huntsman)- 3 cm body, 20cm leg span. Believe me, the article is correct when it states larger specimans are not uncommon!
Christchurch huntsman Smaller version of the Avondale. Tends to be more stockier looking.
The Avondale spiders (famed in the movie Arachniphobia) are the biggest we have but despite a reasonable leg span they are skinny sized spiders and very docile
as you refer the biggest spider invasion we have had from Aussie seem to be the whitetails and I have seen some big whitetails here in Auckland
but Id prefer to assume the thread author is referring to a cryptid (as mentioned above) and Id like to say Im not always so sceptical, just having lived here all my life this is the first time Ive ever heard of the notion of huge spiders here (even as a rumour or as some cryptoid yet to be discovered)
same with the crabs (at least not on NI & SI) but the details of that story are identical to what the crabs do in Fiji
just expressing my opinion
QUOTE (dazdillinjah @ Feb 6 2008, 06:46 AM)
The Avondale spiders (famed in the movie Arachniphobia) are the biggest we have but despite a reasonable leg span they are skinny sized spiders and very docile
as you refer the biggest spider invasion we have had from Aussie seem to be the whitetails and I have seen some big whitetails here in Auckland
but Id prefer to assume the thread author is referring to a cryptid (as mentioned above) and Id like to say Im not always so sceptical, just having lived here all my life this is the first time Ive ever heard of the notion of huge spiders here (even as a rumour or as some cryptoid yet to be discovered)
same with the crabs (at least not on NI & SI) but the details of that story are identical to what the crabs do in Fiji
just expressing my opinion
as you refer the biggest spider invasion we have had from Aussie seem to be the whitetails and I have seen some big whitetails here in Auckland
but Id prefer to assume the thread author is referring to a cryptid (as mentioned above) and Id like to say Im not always so sceptical, just having lived here all my life this is the first time Ive ever heard of the notion of huge spiders here (even as a rumour or as some cryptoid yet to be discovered)
same with the crabs (at least not on NI & SI) but the details of that story are identical to what the crabs do in Fiji
just expressing my opinion
No worries. Skepticism is healthy. Stops you from misidentifying an elephant as a chimera that's part snake, part bat and part donkey.
Even the Bird Eating Spider is a bit of an exaggeration, since (big as it is) it's more likely to be eaten by a bird than the other way round
I find, when it comes to bugs and spiders, size is proportionate to phobia and lighting
Heya Undeadskeptic
Happy Waitangi Day.
As a side note, remember the Camel Spider rumours sent out by American Soldiers in Bahgdad? Reached the troops here too. Surely someone saw the email. Quite a laugh. Some thought they were going to be attacked by massive screeching spiders. Paints a scary picture I'll admit.
Famous email pic - 2 Camel Spiders.
Solifugae Wiki Link
Happy Waitangi Day.
As a side note, remember the Camel Spider rumours sent out by American Soldiers in Bahgdad? Reached the troops here too. Surely someone saw the email. Quite a laugh. Some thought they were going to be attacked by massive screeching spiders. Paints a scary picture I'll admit.
Famous email pic - 2 Camel Spiders.
Solifugae Wiki Link
QUOTE (psyche101 @ Feb 5 2008, 11:47 PM)
that legendary camel spider pic is not funny
even they just a size of kid's palmi've seen the vid, and camel spiders are fast runner
QUOTE (kenshinx @ Feb 6 2008, 10:05 AM)
that legendary camel spider pic is not funny even they just a size of kid's palm
i've seen the vid, and camel spiders are fast runner
even they just a size of kid's palmi've seen the vid, and camel spiders are fast runner
Just to put people's minds at rest - from the link provided
QUOTE
Myths
Solifugae are the subject of many myths and exaggerations about their size, speed, behavior, appetite, and lethality. They are not especially large, the biggest having a legspan of perhaps 12 centimetres (5 in). They are fast on land compared to other invertebrates, the fastest can run perhaps 16 kilometres per hour (10 mph), nearly half as fast as the fastest human sprinter. Members of this order of Arachnida apparently have no venom, with the possible exception of one species in India (see below) and do not spin webs.
In the Middle East, it is widely rumored among American and coalition military forces stationed there that Solifugae will feed on living human flesh. The story goes that the creature will inject some anaesthetizing venom into the exposed skin of its sleeping victim, then feed voraciously, leaving the victim to awaken with a gaping wound. Solifugae, however, do not produce such an anaesthetic, and they do not attack prey larger than themselves unless threatened. Other stories include tales of them leaping into the air, disemboweling camels, screaming, and running alongside moving humvees; all of these tales are dubious. Due to their bizarre appearance many people are startled or even afraid of them. The greatest threat they pose to humans, however, is their bite in self-defense when one tries to handle them. There is no chance of death directly caused by the bite, but, due to the strong muscles of their chelicerae, they can produce a proportionately large, ragged wound that is prone to infection.
Venom controversy
While the absence of venom in Solifugae is a long-established fact, there is a single published study of one species, Rhagodes nigrocinctus, carried out in India in 1978 by a pair of researchers who did histological preparations of the chelicerae, and found what they believed to be epidermal glands Extracts from these glands were then injected into lizards, where it induced paralysis in 7 of 10 tests. While this study has never been confirmed, and while other researchers have been unable to locate similar glands in other species, this particular species does appear to possess venom, although it is not known if there is any mechanism for introducing it into prey (recall that the researchers manually injected it into lizards).
Solifugae are the subject of many myths and exaggerations about their size, speed, behavior, appetite, and lethality. They are not especially large, the biggest having a legspan of perhaps 12 centimetres (5 in). They are fast on land compared to other invertebrates, the fastest can run perhaps 16 kilometres per hour (10 mph), nearly half as fast as the fastest human sprinter. Members of this order of Arachnida apparently have no venom, with the possible exception of one species in India (see below) and do not spin webs.
In the Middle East, it is widely rumored among American and coalition military forces stationed there that Solifugae will feed on living human flesh. The story goes that the creature will inject some anaesthetizing venom into the exposed skin of its sleeping victim, then feed voraciously, leaving the victim to awaken with a gaping wound. Solifugae, however, do not produce such an anaesthetic, and they do not attack prey larger than themselves unless threatened. Other stories include tales of them leaping into the air, disemboweling camels, screaming, and running alongside moving humvees; all of these tales are dubious. Due to their bizarre appearance many people are startled or even afraid of them. The greatest threat they pose to humans, however, is their bite in self-defense when one tries to handle them. There is no chance of death directly caused by the bite, but, due to the strong muscles of their chelicerae, they can produce a proportionately large, ragged wound that is prone to infection.
Venom controversy
While the absence of venom in Solifugae is a long-established fact, there is a single published study of one species, Rhagodes nigrocinctus, carried out in India in 1978 by a pair of researchers who did histological preparations of the chelicerae, and found what they believed to be epidermal glands Extracts from these glands were then injected into lizards, where it induced paralysis in 7 of 10 tests. While this study has never been confirmed, and while other researchers have been unable to locate similar glands in other species, this particular species does appear to possess venom, although it is not known if there is any mechanism for introducing it into prey (recall that the researchers manually injected it into lizards).
QUOTE (Smeagol1 @ Feb 2 2008, 12:45 PM)
I do belive theres an explanation for your crabs...........CRAB PEOPLE CRAB PEOPLE CRAB PEOPLE LOOK LIKE CRABS TALK LIKE PEOPLE!!!!
I almost died laughing when I saw this! xD
I love the idea of giant crabs like that, and given the unique species in NZ and Australia I have no doubt that they're possible. It's too bad no one thought to ask outside the town about them, but that's not altogether uncommon. As for the spiders, they're possible too, up until a certain size limit that I can't remember. There was a thread on it where someone put up the reasoning behind the limit.
QUOTE
up our drive is the local God Hates Fags guy
Put on a feathered boa, strike a pose, and go, "Hey there tholdier!" Although I'd probably just beat him up, myself.
Edit: In the camel spiders pic, compare them to the hand of the guy holding them, not the guy behind them. That's the trick. =)
QUOTE
They are fast on land compared to other invertebrates, the fastest can run perhaps 16 kilometres per hour (10 mph), nearly half as fast as the fastest human sprinter
trick or no trick .. camel spider always have a place under my shoes
QUOTE (kenshinx @ Feb 6 2008, 04:55 PM)
trick or no trick .. camel spider always have a place under my shoes
Amen to that!
Wraithgod: Where can I get a good pink feather boa? Oooo, with gold tips!
QUOTE (kenshinx @ Feb 6 2008, 01:55 PM)
trick or no trick .. camel spider always have a place under my shoes
Camel
toe spider? Sounds really hairy scary....
QUOTE (Evangium @ Feb 6 2008, 12:26 AM)
Camel toe spider? Sounds really hairy scary....
toe spider? Sounds really hairy scary....Zingggg! A good one.
QUOTE (Evangium @ Feb 6 2008, 04:26 PM)
Camel toe spider? Sounds really hairy scary....
toe spider? Sounds really hairy scary....Thought you were tying to clean the threads up............
QUOTE (psyche101 @ Feb 6 2008, 04:50 PM)
Thought you were tying to clean the threads up............
Pull of the dark side was too strong to resist
(que Imperial March Theme)
QUOTE (Evangium @ Feb 6 2008, 05:08 PM)
Pull of the dark side was too strong to resist (que Imperial March Theme)
(que Imperial March Theme)I hear they have cookies !!
QUOTE (psyche101 @ Feb 6 2008, 07:50 PM)
Thought you were tying to clean the threads up............
Clean the threads up? Are we talking about the same Evangium?
QUOTE (Undeadskeptic @ Feb 6 2008, 05:34 PM)
Clean the threads up? Are we talking about the same Evangium?
What he said !!!
HeHe
Who me? nah!!!! 
QUOTE (Evangium @ Feb 6 2008, 05:19 AM)
Who me? nah!!!!
QUOTE (Incorrigible1 @ Feb 6 2008, 09:37 PM)
I could say something about the correlation between nose and feet sizes with other body parts, but then I'd just be making a big d*** of myself
QUOTE (Evangium @ Feb 6 2008, 05:43 AM)
I could say something about the correlation between nose and feet sizes with other body parts, but then I'd just be making a big d*** of myself
Didn't the princess extort Pinnochio to lie? I get the "belief" she somehow enjoyed it?
QUOTE (Incorrigible1 @ Feb 6 2008, 09:46 PM)
Didn't the princess extort Pinnochio to lie? I get the "belief" she somehow enjoyed it? LMAO. Game set and match- Incorrigible1. I got nothing
QUOTE (Evangium @ Feb 6 2008, 05:55 AM)
LMAO. Game set and match- Incorrigible1. I got nothing
What can I say? Over the years, amongst many a lady, I've become a cunning linguist. The ladies seem to appreciate my verbal talents...................
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