Not going to Sri Lanka. Nope. Nope. Nope.

(First, a caveat: I've *never* been interested in visiting Sri Lanka, so this is mostly not a hardship.)

benveniste sent me this link about a new giant tarantula species that has been discovered in Sri Lanka.

It is as big as your face.

As. Big. As. Your. Face.

Now, look, I'm distraught at the loss of habitat for wild creatures of all sorts, and the deforestation of Sri Lanka is dreadful. But as deforestation has happened, this enormous, envenomed creature has shifted its living quarters from old trees to old buildings.

Not going there. Nope.

With that said, here is another of Sri Lanka's really big tarantulas, and it is one of the most stunning creatures I've ever seen. It is, alas, critically endangered.

Still don't want to meet it in the wild.

To anyone who thinks they might be one of my students someday...

...this editorial at Gawker pretty much sums up my attitudes and expectations.

With thanks to supergee, from whom I swiped the link. :-)