A dead nastie on the edge of the pathway at the back our our house.
Never seen anything like it before in my life! It's about 2 inches long
with a fat body like a big spider ?

https://picasaweb.google.com/valerie...54502794374242
--
Old minds are like old horses;
you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.
~John Quncy Adams

In message , AriesVal
writes
A dead nastie on the edge of the pathway at the back our our house.
Never seen anything like it before in my life! It's about 2 inches
long with a fat body like a big spider ?

https://picasaweb.google.com/valerie...ow/56259545027
94374242

I'd assume it to be a crustacean. (Picasaweb keeps redrawing the image
on me, so I can't count legs, but are there 10?) If you're inland, then
I'd suggest a crayfish. If you're on the coast a number of marine
decapods would also be possible.

Try uk.rec.natural-history.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"AriesVal" wrote in message
o.uk...
A dead nastie on the edge of the pathway at the back our our house. Never
seen anything like it before in my life! It's about 2 inches long with a
fat body like a big spider ?

https://picasaweb.google.com/valerie...54502794374242
--



Looks like a signal crayfish

Tina

On 05/07/2011 20:59, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message , AriesVal
writes
A dead nastie on the edge of the pathway at the back our our house.
Never seen anything like it before in my life! It's about 2 inches
long with a fat body like a big spider ?

https://picasaweb.google.com/valerie...ow/56259545027
94374242

I'd assume it to be a crustacean. (Picasaweb keeps redrawing the image
on me, so I can't count legs, but are there 10?) If you're inland, then
I'd suggest a crayfish. If you're on the coast a number of marine
decapods would also be possible.

Try uk.rec.natural-history.

It's nothing like a crayfish tho - has a spiderlike body. I'll try the
newsgroup link you posted, tx.

--
Old minds are like old horses;
you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.
~John Quncy Adams

On 05/07/2011 21:35, Christina Websell wrote:
wrote in message
o.uk...
A dead nastie on the edge of the pathway at the back our our house. Never
seen anything like it before in my life! It's about 2 inches long with a
fat body like a big spider ?

https://picasaweb.google.com/valerie...54502794374242
--



Looks like a signal crayfish

Tina




It doesn't have a tail like a crayfish - soft rounded body like a big
spider?

--
Old minds are like old horses;
you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.
~John Quncy Adams

On Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:46:24 +0100, AriesVal
wrote:

On 05/07/2011 21:35, Christina Websell wrote:
wrote in message
o.uk...
A dead nastie on the edge of the pathway at the back our our house. Never
seen anything like it before in my life! It's about 2 inches long with a
fat body like a big spider ?

https://picasaweb.google.com/valerie...54502794374242
--



Looks like a signal crayfish

Tina




It doesn't have a tail like a crayfish - soft rounded body like a big
spider?

Signal crayfish on its back, with the tail curled in death: if you
look closely, the slightly ragged broad end of the tail seems to be
just about distinguishable, reaching the penultimate leg on the lower
side as we look at it.

--
Mike.

On 05/07/2011 22:06, Mike Lyle wrote:
Signal crayfish on its back, with the tail curled in death: if you
look closely, the slightly ragged broad end of the tail seems to be
just about distinguishable, reaching the penultimate leg on the lower
side as we look at it.

Aha, I'll take a closer look at it tomorrow in daylight. Now I'm
wondering how it got here dead or alive ?

--
Old minds are like old horses;
you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.
~John Quncy Adams

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:46:24 +0100, AriesVal
wrote:

On 05/07/2011 21:35, Christina Websell wrote:
wrote in message
o.uk...
A dead nastie on the edge of the pathway at the back our our house.
Never
seen anything like it before in my life! It's about 2 inches long with
a
fat body like a big spider ?

https://picasaweb.google.com/valerie...54502794374242
--



Looks like a signal crayfish

Tina




It doesn't have a tail like a crayfish - soft rounded body like a big
spider?

Signal crayfish on its back, with the tail curled in death: if you
look closely, the slightly ragged broad end of the tail seems to be
just about distinguishable, reaching the penultimate leg on the lower
side as we look at it.

--
Mike.

I had a good look a the picture after reading the above and agree the tail
/paddle shape is just visible.

Bill

Yes, I agree. Crayfish, with tail curled over. Have you tried touching it - I think if you put your finger under the jaggedy bit Mike refers to you would be able to uncurl it enough to convince yourself that it is a crayfish.

On Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:21:50 +0100, AriesVal wrote:

Aha, I'll take a closer look at it tomorrow in daylight. Now I'm
wondering how it got here dead or alive ?

If it is a Signal Crayfish some one has probably hoiked it out of a
local river and killed it. It carries crayfish plague which is
leathal to native european crayfish.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"AriesVal" wrote...

A dead nastie on the edge of the pathway at the back our our house. Never
seen anything like it before in my life! It's about 2 inches long with a
fat body like a big spider ?

https://picasaweb.google.com/valerie...54502794374242


I think that is a "False Scorpion" an Arachnid that is useful in the
house...
http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsh...seudoscorpions

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On 05/07/2011 22:35, kay wrote:
'Mike Lyle[_1_ Wrote:
;929276']On Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:46:24 +0100, AriesVal
nvalid wrote:
-
On 05/07/2011 21:35, Christina Websell wrote:-
wrote in message
o.uk...-
A dead nastie on the edge of the pathway at the back our our house.
Never
seen anything like it before in my life! It's about 2 inches long with
a
fat body like a big spider ?

Looks like a signal crayfish

Tina
It doesn't have a tail like a crayfish - soft rounded body like a big
spider?-

Signal crayfish on its back, with the tail curled in death: if you
look closely, the slightly ragged broad end of the tail seems to be
just about distinguishable, reaching the penultimate leg on the lower
side as we look at it. Mike.

Yes, I agree. Crayfish, with tail curled over. Have you tried touching
it - I think if you put your finger under the jaggedy bit Mike refers to
you would be able to uncurl it enough to convince yourself that it is a
crayfish.

I'll shovel it up this morning and take a closer look at it - I think
you're all right, it's probably a signal crayfish, probably dropped by a
bird as we're not so very far as the crow flies from the River Exe.


--
Old minds are like old horses;
you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.
~John Quncy Adams

On 05/07/2011 23:00, Bob Hobden wrote:
"AriesVal" wrote...

A dead nastie on the edge of the pathway at the back our our house.
Never seen anything like it before in my life! It's about 2 inches
long with a fat body like a big spider ?

https://picasaweb.google.com/valerie...54502794374242



I think that is a "False Scorpion" an Arachnid that is useful in the
house...
http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsh...seudoscorpions

It's similar but much bigger than a pseudoscorpion, it's approx 2 inches
long.

--
Old minds are like old horses;
you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.
~John Quncy Adams

But the one in your link is stated to be 3-4mm long. It would be dwarfed by the woodlouse in Val's photo!

Heron?

....