Austraila has flying spiders and this**creepy thing warning**

[irisblue]

Coconut crabs. THIS is the ultimate nope. It's by far the largest land-dwelling arthropod in the world, as well as of the biggest known land animal with an exoskeleton. Likely it's the largest such creature in the planets recent athmospheric history. It can weigh 4.1 kg (9.0 lb) and grow up to a fucking meter (3 ft 3 in) from leg to leg.They have an acute sense of smell which they use in order to find food. Officially they feed on fruits, nuts, seeds and pith, but also "other organic material". I'd like to remind you all that humans are organic. They're famous for eating coconuts. They actually climb in trees to drop them down. They can climb.












all of this stolen from imgur, pictures & comment.

This & the parachuting spiders have quenched my desires to go to Australia. Maybe New Zealand?

[Wounded Bear]

1. Oh Hell NO!

Thanks for ruining my morning!

Them's some scary looking critters.

[Arkansas Granny]

2. Are they good to eat. One crab could feed a family!

[LiberalElite]

3. I always wanted to visit Australia - are these things normal?

OH HELL NO - Here I thought the Florida Palmetto Bugs were bad!

[Ron Obvious]

4. Cthulhu!

Eeww!

[pinboy3niner]

5. A coconut crab ate my dingo!

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

8. That's not a burp...

...this here's a burp:

[irisblue]

20. !

[Initech]

6. This one podcast I listen to has an ongoing segment called "Australia Wants To Kill You".

Maybe I should submit this to them.

[pinboy3niner]

7. I saw them play the Troubador last weekend

[Initech]

14. Zing!

[SwissTony]

9. Come to Australia, you might accidentally get killed

Come to Australia, good people. It's not nearly as "dangerous" as some people think. I had a Dutch colleague who went to Oz a few years ago. She was worried about the "scary" animals and insects. I told her just to use common sense...don't put your hand into holes in the ground...if you're in croc country, don't go swimming in natural pools...shake out your shoes before you put them on in the morning. When she got back, I asked if she'd seen any scary creatures. Her answer? "Nah".

I'm pretty sure we don't have coconut crabs anymore. I've never seen one. And this wiki article suggests we don't.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_crab

Anyway, you Americans have bears. And a rattler has a different attitude than a brown or red-bellied black. Our snakes are much more likely to back off.

[GoneOffShore]

10. There's good eating on of those, I think.

Especially if they eat coconuts.

[MuseRider]

11. Wrong crustacean

but I immediately thought of lobstrocities. "Dum-a-chum? Dad-a-chec?"

[petronius]

18. +1. These sure seem like they may have been at

least part of the inspiration there...

[Arugula Latte]

12. Thank your didgeridoo these fuckers can't fly!

[MrScorpio]

13. How do they taste after being broiled in lemon juice and butter? nt

[DawgHouse]

15. I will never again complain about raccoons knocking over my trash cans!

[trof]

16. Mmmmm...GUMBO!

YEAH!

[Kali]

17. they really do look like giant hermit crabs without the borrowed shells

and reading the wiki article - I see they are a species of hermit crab. I am so good.

unfortunately they are extinct in Australia, I would love to see them. very cool.

[irisblue]

19. yes they are, and here are 2 more.

[eppur_se_muova]

21. Well, New Zealand does have meter-long crayfish ...

also carnivorous snails (world's largest) that lay hard-shelled eggs. They chase and devour the giant earthworms.

Oh, and the parrots have been known to strip rubber gaskets, wiper blades, etc. from parked cars. And bite chunks of flesh out of the backs of sheep.

But it sounds pretty safe for humans.

[magical thyme]

22. In a Sunburned Country,

Bill Bryson, killed every desire I ever had to go to Australia.

Made me lol til it hurt. Could only tolerate 3 pages at a time before the pain was too much.

But visit Australia? Just no. Never. Not ever.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

23. My first thought was

I'm gonna need a big pot of boiling water, a quart of Mayo, some onion, a bunch of celery, some sour cream, and some salt and pepper.

And some bread, lots of bread.


Crab salad sandwiches for the neighborhood.

[irisblue]

24. when you do your next crab boil, you know where to find me

Welcome to DU

[pinboy3niner]

25. I'm thinking vinegar and crab spice and melted butter

Chesapeake Blue Crab style. And instead of those little tiny crab mallets, each diner will be given a chain saw.

And some beer, lots of beer.