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Specimen of the Week: Week Sixty-Seven

By Emma-Louise Nicholls, on 21 January 2013

Scary MonkeyIn less than three months, my sister is going to fly to Morocco. To run one hundred and fifty six miles. Within six days. Through the Sahara Desert. Carrying everything she needs on her back. No, I’m not kidding. To add to this already incredible (or incredibly insane) feat, she is battling a hip injury AND, will be camping in the desert quite probably surrounded by armies of her worst nightmare. SPIDERS. Not original, but not to be made light of, arachnophobia is a real issue. Besides spiders (for which I fear there is no hope for her rehab), there is another species she may well also come across, that is in severe danger of, at first glance, resulting in arachnophobic shrieking. In an attempt to avoid slipper and flip-flop deployment should the two of them meet, I want to introduce you and her to this special species, in the hope that you both will reach a level of peaceful appreciation, or at the very least an understanding that they are not in fact spiders to be feared, and squished. This week’s Specimen of the Week is… (more…)