This is Guillerma. Our second night here, upon going to the kitchen for some water, we found her hanging out. At first I thought it was a cockroach, because lets face it, I've been to Mexico before. As I got closer, it looked more like a spider to me. Justin caught it in a tupperware container, he definitely deserves points for that. After looking are her up close, we couldn't tell if she really was a spider. I mentioned she almost looked like a lobster or crab, and Justin said it looked like a scorpion (he's so freaking smart). I contacted a Zoologist friend to see if he could help us identify her. This is what he said:
Nice find! Those are really cool creatures - a type of arachnid,
distinct from scorpions and spiders. They go by a number of names,
like tailless whip scorpion or amblypgygid. They are pretty shy and
can't hurt you in any way - no poison, weak pinch, etc. I've only
seen a couple of these in my whole life (in Costa Rica) so I'm excited
on your behalf! Thanks for thinking of me when you found it and it's
really nice to hear from you. I hope your adventure is, well,
adventurous!
Arlo
Pretty cool huh?!?!
He also mentioned in a comment that you can see one of these on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. So if it looks familiar to you (like it was to Justin) that is probably why. Here is the link for that part in the movie:
- http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP3Y9ejFBMDg4eFFpc0k=
For more info on Amblypgyids, go to:
- http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP3Y9ejFBMDg4eFFpc0k=
The video above is Guillerma's release. We hope she's doing well, we will miss her.
Justin & Karina
(posted by Karina)
4 comments:
Hey guys! I didn't know you have a blog. Cool cool. Kat and I used to have 3 of those tailless whipscorpions as pets, they're so neat! And watching them eat is so cool! Yay I'm excited to read up on your travels. Hope you're having fun!
Hey Jeff and Kat! It was so fun reading about your stay in Thailand that we were inspired to do the same. It's a nice way of keeping a journal of our travels. I still have my handwritten journal from England and Scotland from back in the day, but unfortunately I don't have photos to coincide with those exact moments.
Poor Guillerma didn't eat the little beetle we tried to feed her, I think she was depressed, possibly even suicidal. I still whistle for her at night, hoping she will return. Anyway, thanks for commenting! It's nice to know you guys are reading this, it motivates us to keep posting...
K
Hi guys! keep the pictures/stories up, I love hearing from you! I gave Stefi the address and she'll look up too. Nani, you don't need to e-mail me, I've been reading from the blog. I want to go visit you guys but Randy doesn't like traveling, may be I'll go myself.How much would it cost to go to DF and the Museum? that is what I would like to go see... Love, MOM
You're welcome to come by yourself, we'll hang out with you! :) That goes for anyone who is adventurous enough to come. We have an extra bed downstairs (for the next two weeks), a couch upstairs, and a hammock outside.
I'm not sure how much it is to go to DF, and crossing state lines is a little more complicated than normal; they have military quarantines for people who might have a fever. They are being extra careful because of the flu, and honestly, I'm very impressed with the prudence of the government's response. Also, even though the flu isn't a problem in Yucatan, many places were closed until recently (yesterday), including Chichen Itza. I'm guessing more places are closed in DF, and will remain closed for the majority of the month since it is "ground zero" for the flu.
Basically, even the cruise ships haven't come here, a lot of touristy places are closed, and vendors are bored out of their minds. We are quite literally the only tourists in Mexico (pretty much). So if you come, I'd plan on staying in Yucatan, and Q Roo.
Hope to can come. Hope we hear from you soon.
K
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