George Uetz, The Man Who Heard Purring Spiders

George Uetz has been mentioned previously as the height of professorial coolness at the University of Cincinnati since he was highly-skilled in rearing and researching black widow spiders (i.e. Redbacks in Oz) while he was also appearing on the WEBN album project back when people made music instead of electronics.  (UC:  George Uetz, University of Cincinnati – Purring Spiders)

It seems wolf spiders know how to make a purring sound when they're courting and it's audible to humans.  If you hear it then you know the wolf spiders are coming and, well, they're looking for love.

Ed:  he even finds music in spiders!

Apparently so and check the article since you can feel how much he digs it.


I went out to his house one night for a guitar circle and it's not the cleverest idea to pack a Stratocaster for an acoustic guitar circle but it was still cool to be there and jammers were all over the place.

Ed:  no spiders?

No-one asked.  Sometimes that's best.


Since you're probably expecting a redback spider, how about a Giant Australian Earwig instead.

Ed:  they look bloody big enough to pull the sleigh for Father Christmas!

Nah, not Giant Australian Earwigs; in Oz, they use emus to pull the sleigh.


Things are a little different in Australia.

Ed:  what does that have to be George Uetz?

Australia has the strangest creatures on the planet and he has a clear fondness for finding them.  It seems on obvious match.