Need to Know the Truth About Tarantulas

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cjewell

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Oct 11, 2004
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When I lived in DR many years ado I had a single instance in Sosua where a tarantula got into my condo - this was once in 2 years.

Now I am thrown for a loop because I read a post on a website about a woman who recalls having gone on a "jungle tour" in the "rain forest in DR.

During the tour she recounts the guide advising them to watch out for the trees because the tarantulas live there and if one landed on them to stay quiet until they could remove it. Then she goes on to say:

"Once inside the bathroom I did my duty & began to pull up my shorts. Why I decided to look up at that moment I'll never know, but I wished I hadn't as I couldn't pull up my shorts fast enough to get out of there. Up above me, crawling across the beams were 5 -10 tarantulas. I thought I was going to lose it!"

Ok so I don't recall there being a jungle in DR, a rainforest - though I did see a tarantula once.

- Can someone confirm if this is true?
- If so where in the country are they?
- I am visiting Jarabacoa this month and now I am freaked out - does anyone know if they are all over the place there?
 
rogerjac

rogerjac

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Feb 9, 2012
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I live in Santiago in the city and caught one on my front gallareia. Big brown and hairy. Put him in a jar and videoed it to freak out everyone back home. It did. Then my woman decided to make the jar a gas chamber. The creature is still in there but has been motionless for several days. Might not be my pet anymore.
 
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dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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lucky, gal, that. in my 7 years here i have only had a cacata inside the house once and spotted few on the road. they are lovely, calm creatures. to see 10 in one go is a shameless lie or a big luck.
you can go back to worrying about your "friend" and her dominican husband. no spiders here.
 
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cjewell

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Oct 11, 2004
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dv8 said:
lucky, gal, that. in my 7 years here i have only had a cacata inside the house once and spotted few on the road. they are lovely, calm creatures. to see 10 in one go is a shameless lie or a big luck.
you can go back to worrying about your "friend" and her dominican husband. no spiders here.
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LOL. Contrary to what you may believe my "friend" and I are not one and the same. I have been a member here for a long time so knew that this would be a place to get good advice for her. I am not even sure where she is at with her little novella. I know she is taking it much more seriously than before and I think she may have even hired a lawyer. Ahhhh the sceptics - believe what you want haha.

As for the Tarantulas - does anyone know if they run rampant in Jarabacoa? I can only assume that a place like that is what she may have meant by jungle.

I was in Sosua when I saw the one that I did. I just don't want to go trekking, look up and poop my pants --- I am terrified of spiders!!
 
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Rep Dom

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Dec 27, 2011
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Tarantulas exist in the DR. I've seen a few. One was on a road then moved back into the herbs. For the ones who know Sosua it was just accross the little dominican restaurant you find turning right after the end of Pedro Glisante.
The other one was hiding in a cement block that I moved. I was quite surprised when she fell on the ground close to my feet.
It is important to recall that they are nice animals as long as you dont disturb them. So, dont kill them, they are very usefull animals.
 
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Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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yahoomail.com
Just ask ANY Dominican, they will tell you "TRUE" accounts of people they know personally, who have been bitten!
Most don't die , but many do, and others are left in a vegatative state, hard to diagnose here!
Than ask them about "Macos", tree frogs.
You can die just from thinking about one!
I KNOW that's TRUE!
It happened to my sister-in-laws, second cousin's "Novia"!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCC

"Rep Dom" that "Thingy" on "Pedro Calicente" was NOT a Tarantula", it was just a big "CRAB"!
Lots of the girls there have them! :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
 
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dv8

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Sep 27, 2006
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woman, a cacata like people even less than people like cacata. they are not an issue. most of us here have seen one because of living here for a while or traveling. your paths are not likely to cross. but keep your eyes firmly shut during your adventure excursion because most of jungle trip type of things feature a photo op with a snake, tarantula and a parrot. sometimes all three in one go.
 
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cjewell

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Oct 11, 2004
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dv8 said:
woman, a cacata like people even less than people like cacata. they are not an issue. most of us here have seen one because of living here for a while or traveling. your paths are not likely to cross. but keep your eyes firmly shut during your adventure excursion because most of jungle trip type of things feature a photo op with a snake, tarantula and a parrot. sometimes all three in one go.
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Yes but what is considered jungle in DR?? That is what has me confused. I too have lived in DR. I have seen one, I have been stung by all kinds of insects - one that got me quite sick. What freaked me out was this mention of a jungle?? She also said before going into the bath room that there was a bunch was squished ones all over the parking lot and then mentioned all the live ones in the actual stall. I am not looking to know of chance encounters but rather places where they are known to crawl rampant. I am looking to figure out if this is BS and if not, what parts of the country does this occur.
 
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belgiank

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Jun 13, 2009
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lived in Jarabacoa for over a year, never saw one. Not saying they are not there, but I think they prefer a warmer climate.

Now live in Sosua for 4 years, and have seen 3. Last one a couple of nights ago... I brushed him outside, and he gave me a dirty look.

BelgianK
 
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Rep Dom

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Dec 27, 2011
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Criss Colon said:
Just ask ANY Dominican, they will tell you "TRUE" accounts of people they know personally, who have been bitten!
Most don't die , but many do, and others are left in a vegatative state, hard to diagnose here!
Than ask them about "Macos", tree frogs.
You can die just from thinking about one!
I KNOW that's TRUE!
It happened to my sister-in-laws, second cousin's "Novia"!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCC

"Rep Dom" that "Thingy" on "Pedro Calicente" was NOT a Tarantula", it was just a big "CRAB"!
Lots of the girls there have them! :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
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CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC, please let me moderate what you re saying. :)
First of all, there is no reason to be bitten by tarantulas. Just let them live their live and everyone will be happy.
Of course, it s wise to check shoes and clothes before getting dressed :)

Then, nobody dies because of tarantulas nor gets in a veg state. They are not black widows.

So dont kill them... One cant for instance complain about dog poisoning and at the same promoting the killing of tarantulas because they could be dangerous. :)
 
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Rep Dom

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Dec 27, 2011
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cjewell said:
Yes but what is considered jungle in DR?? That is what has me confused. I too have lived in DR. I have seen one, I have been stung by all kinds of insects - one that got me quite sick. What freaked me out was this mention of a jungle?? She also said before going into the bath room that there was a bunch was squished ones all over the parking lot and then mentioned all the live ones in the actual stall. I am not looking to know of chance encounters but rather places where they are known to crawl rampant. I am looking to figure out if this is BS and if not, what parts of the country does this occur.
Click to expand...

dont understand what you're writing bro
 
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cjewell

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Oct 11, 2004
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Rep Dom said:
dont understand what you're writing bro
Click to expand...

I am writing about a blog I found online where a women said she took a "jungle" tour in DR and was shocked to see a whole bunch of squished Tarantulas in the parking lot. Then when in the washroom there was more than 10 crawling on the ceiling of the bathroom stall. She also mentioned that when in the jungle the guide said to watch the trees because they fall from the trees. I have seen one in Sosua but have never heard of what this woman wrote about on her blog.

I am looking to find out if there actually is a "jungle" in DR (which I don't believe to be true) and if she is referencing national park or some area with a lot of trees - I want to know where this is so I never go there. I started thinking about a recent 2 day road trip I have planned to Jarbacoa which has lots of trees and rivers and started to worry that perhaps that was what she was talking about when she said jungle.

Best answer for me so far as that Tarantulas don't like the cold and apparently Jarabacoa should not be an issue but with that said I am curious if there is a spot in DR that is like this?? So far haven't gotten a confirmation on that.
 
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belgiank

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Jun 13, 2009
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friends live in the mountains at los charamicos... according to them they spend 3 days a year brushing of baby tarantulas of their porch, as they come down looking for warmth... around 5 pm apparently...

Is it true the babies are blue colored? Just wondering.

BelgianK
 
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cjewell

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Oct 11, 2004
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belgiank said:
friends live in the mountains at los charamicos... according to them they spend 3 days a year brushing of baby tarantulas of their porch, as they come down looking for warmth... around 5 pm apparently...

Is it true the babies are blue colored? Just wondering.

BelgianK
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I don't think Los Charamicos is in the mountains --- unless it is a different Los Charamicos, Los Charamicos is by the ocean beside Sosua. I did see one in a condo I lived in Sosua once many years ago - not sure if it was an adult, the body was about the size of a peach and it was not blue - it was brownish/black.

That's no biggie though - what this woman described freaked me out. I wonder if the babies are blue?
 
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Rep Dom

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Dec 27, 2011
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cjewell said:
I am writing about a blog I found online where a women said she took a "jungle" tour in DR and was shocked to see a whole bunch of squished Tarantulas in the parking lot. Then when in the washroom there was more than 10 crawling on the ceiling of the bathroom stall. She also mentioned that when in the jungle the guide said to watch the trees because they fall from the trees. I have seen one in Sosua but have never heard of what this woman wrote about on her blog.

I am looking to find out if there actually is a "jungle" in DR (which I don't believe to be true) and if she is referencing national park or some area with a lot of trees - I want to know where this is so I never go there. I started thinking about a recent 2 day road trip I have planned to Jarbacoa which has lots of trees and rivers and started to worry that perhaps that was what she was talking about when she said jungle.

Best answer for me so far as that Tarantulas don't like the cold and apparently Jarabacoa should not be an issue but with that said I am curious if there is a spot in DR that is like this?? So far haven't gotten a confirmation on that.
Click to expand...

I guess the dr forests can be somehow seen as jungles.
But you can go there safe. Dont worry, the tarantulas will leave you alone... :)
 
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belgiank

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Jun 13, 2009
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cjewell said:
I don't think Los Charamicos is in the mountains --- unless it is a different Los Charamicos, Los Charamicos is by the ocean beside Sosua. I did see one in a condo I lived in Sosua once many years ago - not sure if it was an adult, the body was about the size of a peach and it was not blue - it was brownish/black.

That's no biggie though - what this woman described freaked me out. I wonder if the babies are blue?
Click to expand...

you are talking about the same los charamicos... and they call those hills mountains...

There is no rain forest here, only something you could describe as jungle with vines... harmless. Yes there are some boa's but still have to hear from one attacking a human...

I did hear about a guy thinking he saw an anaconda in his swimming pool, but it proved to be the hatian gardener taking a nude swim, at the same time he saw a small garden snake in the pool, but he had forgotten he had invited ccccccccc

BelgianK
 
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cjewell

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Oct 11, 2004
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Rep Dom said:
I guess the dr forests can be somehow seen as jungles.
But you can go there safe. Dont worry, the tarantulas will leave you alone... :)
Click to expand...

I am surprised no one has quipped that a sanky encounter is more likely then one with a tarantula haha.
 
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