Bothered by beasts

When this massive spider (a good six inches across) was spotted lurking around the cofee table in the Amazon lodge where I was staying, there was, understandably, a general concensus it was time to scream like a bunch of schoolgirls and run for the hills. `Don´t worry, it´s not dangerous.´ said the guide. Although we respected his years of experience and were comforted by his reassuring tones, I noticed no-one felt the need for an after-dinner coffee that evening.

So, when I spotted this similarly-sized critter while out for a little jungle expedition later that night I asked if it, too, was harmless. `Oh no.´ said the guide after taking a quick look. `That one will paralyse you.´ Nice to have someone around who knows the goodies from the baddies. We were told our rooms were safe as long as we kept the doors closed at all times and made sure the mosquito nets were intact.

My faith in the security of my room took a battering, however, when I returned home to find a cheeky-looking frog clinging to my wall. This guy was about the same size as the spiders and I found myself hoping the two species were not in the habit of swapping tips on how to put the wind up humans. Having just spent three hours being told how practically everything in the jungle will kill you stone dead if you so much as look at it the wrong way, I decided to err on the side of caution and called for the guide - who chased Mr Frog out with a flip-flop.