a REALLY ugly spider

I saw my first tarantula this morning lying by the side of the road when Sarah and I were taking our early morning run. It was dead (thank the Lord) and being eaten by ants, but still disgustingly fascinating. Tarantulas are not common up here in Jarabacoa because of the altitude; it get's too cold in the winter. But in other parts of the island there's an abundance (ick!).

Here's a belly-up shot:



I flipped it with a stick (wouldn't touch it if you paid me!) to give it a more life-like pose lol. It was surprisingly heavy! Gross!