h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Facts about Spiders - A86303216
Author: White Novo - U14937191

Any more information anyone knows that could be added (quoted) in this entry, please comment below.

I am sitting here with tears of laughter after reading your Entry White novo. Thanks! it's been a stressful day so this has improved it no end.

I think you were correct the first time, by putting this into the Alternative Writing Workshop. This is truly very funny indeed, but until we alter the criteria for the Edited Guide, this has to remain purely factual - however much I love your logical naming structures and research into these little known animals.

ps Have you read this one?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/approved_entry/A68278477

It's great to have you aboard h2g2 at this time of change for us all.

May I ask why it was so funny to you? I honestly wanted to improve what I have put into this entry...

I'm so sorry, I thought those names were made up. I should have known better, I sincerely apologise. Are you saying that all these names are true, and that there really was a spider that weighed 500 pounds?




It has been a long day, maybe I should give up now...

Yes everything posted is true. I spent a long time researching about those two types of spider. And your apology is not necessary, but greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I enjoyed reading it good work

Why cant they die of natural causes?

Don't quote me on this, but I think it has something to do with a spider's carapace, if sufficiently scaled, it could adequately shield a nuclear blast.

sorry, correction, upon further research a second ago I've discovered that it is because spiders do not age like humans, they reach adulthood and then keep ageing. Spiders do not have death through age what so ever.

oh you beat me to asking that exact same question bob

>>>can’t die by natural causes.


and here are a few other queries I have:


>>> The largest spider ever found was over eight feet long and weighed over five hundred pound

You will have to expand on this statement, as this is where I began to think the whole thing was a spoof.


>>> book lung
>>> downward pointing chelicerae
This needs explaining too


>>> (Nemesiidae) Have venom ---> remove the capital 'H'

>>>The world's biggest spiders are mygalomorphs

---> do you mean the world's biggest living spiders?

>>> that are upto a meter in diameter.

---> that are up to a metre in diameter.

(space between up and to and spell metre the UK way)


I think one thing that I would do to see that the reader understands that the names are real, would be to write a couple of sentences saying how imaginatively their common names are - and give examples for one or two, showing that they exemplify characteristics of this name.


Footnotes help in explanations of simple things as well.

So Beethovens bider could still be alive? <smiley

Just a little point

primitive Mesothelae,. the two were believed to be

Thanks for the insight everyone, I'll work on this entry within the next couple of days. Thanks again

Well that didn't take as long as I thought. I hope the points named above have all been completed. Please let me know if there is anything I missed

A spider is a long living creature that can’t die by natural causes.<<<

I'm still having problems understanding what you mean here - spiders have to die of something, if not old age or disease - do you mean that unless they have a trauma they live forever? surely not



>>>Some spiders are even classified as mammals because they have hair and produce milk. <<<

No - this sentence was one that had me in the spoof believing corner. If you rephrase it somehow? eg

Some spiders could even be imagined to be mammals because they have hair and produce milk.

I'll have another look tomorrow. It's late here now.

Lanzababy

Thanks for the input, I've made a few changes and added a few extra bits to explain what I meant.

This is really fascinating. I am confused by "but what a lot of people are not aware of is that spider eggs contain an enormous amount of energy that could significantly affect human life, but because the eggs require high amounts of fusion, humans do not have to suffer the effects. "

I know I only have a BS in Biology and have had very little in the way of physics but I do not understand the use of fusion above. Please explain this.

I have added to the entry something that I hope will halt your confusion...

Quote: "Being chelicerates, their bodies consist of two tagmata, sets of segments that serve similar functions: the foremost one, called the cephalothorax or prosoma, is a complete fusion of the segments that in an insect would form two separate tagmata, the head and thorax; the rear tagma is called the abdomen or opisthosoma. The first appendages behind the mouth are called pedipalps, and serve different functions within different groups of chelicerates. Spiders' chelicerae have two sections and terminate in fangs that are generally venomous, and fold away behind the upper sections while not in use."

I am going to over here until there's something I can help with.

I am fascinated, and cannot wait to learn more.

I am still puzzled about this 500-pound spider. If there ever was such a thing, where was it? What evidence is there? I'm seeing nonsense on the web, and the Straight Dope offers no information.

I think we need help from an arachnologist here, or at least Willem. I'll send him a link. He should be back as soon as the cold snap in South Africa improves, he says it's too cold to type right now.