Spider © 2008 Bo Mackison

This is actually a scorpion, not an itsy-bitsy spider. I discovered (surprise!) this monstrous guy while exploring a cave deep in a rain forest in Belize. Once it was determined he was quite harmless (gulp! – sure he was!) I aimed my lens at the scorpion from 6 inches away. Alas I only had my zoom lens – wish I’d had my macro. Now that might have been a great photo.

This arachnoid-friendly cave is a Mayan archeological site. Scientists have found artifacts from the Mayan Empire dating from 1000 A.D., evidence the cave was used for ceremonial and religious purposes. (You really don’t want to know exactly what kind of ceremonies, do you?)