"I've never seen a feathered dog ... and the dogs I know come in a lot of different sizes." Even a spider the size of a chihuahua would be big, but one the size of a Newfie or a Great Dane? She shudders a little, despite herself. Something like that could bite her head off.

"Yeah, I've seen a bunch of different kinds, especially at the zoo. Not all of the snakes are poisonous, though - some of them are really friendly, and people keep them as pets. I wanted one, when I was little, but my Dad's too afraid of them."

She paused, smiling fondly. "My Dad's afraid of a lot."