Robinne Weiss
Full Member
- May 19, 2015
Another of my geek-outs is up on Dan Koboldt's Science in Science Fiction blog: Writing Venomous Creatures. Always fun to combine my scientific and literary loves!
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I sort of feel the same way you do about the scorpion 'prevenom', but that's what arachnologists call it. Who am I, a lowly entomologist, to tell them they're wrong about their own study subjects? The key point for writers is that the scorpion needs to sting twice for your character to get really sick and/or die from it, but only once if you simply want to inflict pain on your character ... bunch of cheerful sadists we are ...Very nice! Have to take issue with the idea that lorises are the only venomous primates, though: just look at the UK House of Commons.
Less facetiously, I'm not sure if you can say that prevenom is not venom -- it's just a less potent type of venom, no?
The evolution of venoms and toxins is fascinating...
The big spindly black and yellow spiders in CR were probably the golden orb weaver. I featured them as wonderfully vindictive characters in one of my books. As far as I know they're pretty much harmless to humans. That said, it's near impossible to identify a spider from a verbal description, and maybe they were right ... I don't remember anyone in Costa Rica or Panama ever talking about any spiders as dangerous. They were wary of certain snakes (and rightly so), but weren't at all fussed about the arachnids. Our landlord used to squish scorpions with his bare feet, grinning at us as he did so, because he knew it freaked us out to watch him do it.Great article, Robinne. I finally got round to reading it this morning. I remember seeing many big spindly black and yellow spiders in Costa Rica (I have no idea what they were – I'm sure I was told but I've roundly forgotten). The locals took great pleasure in telling us that if a bloke was bitten by one he'd die in agony with dilated blood vessels.
Were they winding us up? Does this ring any bells?
I've been looking at pictures of spiders, and the golden orb weaver certainly looks like the ones in my memories [that makes me sound like a Blade Runner replicant].The big spindly black and yellow spiders in CR were probably the golden orb weaver.
Is it available to buy? What's the title?I featured them as wonderfully vindictive characters in one of my books.
I always imagined our legs were being pulled. But you never know.I don't remember anyone in Costa Rica or Panama ever talking about any spiders as dangerous.
Wow! Now there's a character for a book!Our landlord used to squish scorpions with his bare feet, grinning at us as he did so, because he knew it freaked us out to watch him do it.
I've been looking at pictures of spiders, and the golden orb weaver certainly looks like the ones in my memories [that makes me sound like a Blade Runner replicant].
Is it available to buy? What's the title?
I always imagined our legs were being pulled. But you never know.
Wow! Now there's a character for a book!
Still in Costa Rica, I remember sitting one evening on the verandah of a clapboard house up in the mountains having a drink with the owner. I was wearing a white shirt, and glancing down I found what I can only describe as a black lobster-cricket-thing sitting on my chest, apparently grinning at me. I suppose a better man would know the name of the thing that accosted him, but once again I've no idea. It did make me jump pretty impressively though.
The owner's nine-year-old grandson laughed at me for the best part of an hour, which put me right in my place.