False Tarantula

By looking under a rock found on a hillside, I found the biggest wild spider I’ve ever seen – a False Tarantula. These creatures are about the same size as the local tarantulas but they are in a different family of spiders.

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These spiders usually safely hidden in their self-made caves; wandering males are what most people tend to encounter. They share many similar characteristics as “real” tarantulas, which is why the two are often confused.

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False Tarantulas occur all over California from sea level to the high Sierra Nevada Mountains. Their reclusive habits and nocturnal behavior keep them hidden from view most of the time, so they aren’t commonly encountered.

It is brown to silver gray in color and has fine hairs all over its entire body. This tarantula look-alike behaves much like its larger cousin.  If threatened, it will rear up and expose its fangs as a warning to its perceived attacker. Finding this big arachnid was one of the highlights of my California trip.

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Black and Yellow Garden Spider

Around here the largest spider you’re likely to come across is this one. Many people are freaked out by it’s size and bold coloration, especially when they encounter one unexpectedly.

Its web is a distinctive circular shape up to two feet in diameter, with a dense zigzag of silk, known as a stabilimentum, in the center. The purpose of the stabilimentum is disputed. It is possible that it acts as camouflage for the spider lurking in the web’s center, but it may also warn birds of the presence of the otherwise difficult-to-see web.

In a nightly ritual, the spider consumes the circular interior part of the web and then rebuilds it each morning with fresh new silk. This spider, found on the Erie Canal towpath, has caught a hornet.

As is true in many spider species, females of this species grow to much larger size than males. Black and Yellow Garden Spiders are harmless to humans. Because they are large, many people fear them; however, not only are they harmless, but they are beneficial because they eat a lot of insects.

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