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Do you all know what kind of spider this is? It was very big, bigger then the young slimey salamander near it (of course that might not help much).

Location: Cagles Chasm Complex. South Eastern Tennessee.
Date: 10/7/06

Um, is it a "Wolf" Spider?

Here's a link to a female wolf spider. They look significantly different from the males. Check this link (scroll down the page, male and female shown):

http://tinyurl.com/n5vu6

Thanks. It looks just like the Genus:Hogna Species:Helluo.

Looks to me the type that would get me shuddering uncontrollably if I ever saw it.
Had at one time checked out this crawl-lead that went to nothing. Sigh, ok... flipped over on to my back and there on the ceiling about 4 inches from my face was this nice sized spider just clinging there. .... I don't remember the crawl back out.
Like Ron Weasley I rather follow the butterflies.

Ralph E. Powers wrote:Looks to me the type that would get me shuddering uncontrollably if I ever saw it.
Had at one time checked out this crawl-lead that went to nothing. Sigh, ok... flipped over on to my back and there on the ceiling about 4 inches from my face was this nice sized spider just clinging there. .... I don't remember the crawl back out.
Like Ron Weasley I rather follow the butterflies.

I hear ya Ralph. On a ridgewalk for the Hoosier Nat'l. Forest, I crawled into a very small "sit up" room. when I raised my head to check out the ceiling, my light nearly brushed a very large Wolf spider. My exit was very slow to avoid disturbing it further.

On another occasion I saw what I thought was a mouse run across my basement floor. Turning on a light revealed a Wolf spider with a 5 inch leg span. My bedroom was in the basement at the time...I now sleep upstairs!

Ralph E. Powers wrote:there on the ceiling about 4 inches from my face was this nice sized spider just clinging there.

That's why I like carbide so much.

I'm a big wuss when it comes to spiders. One time there was some freaking crazy ones in this tight lead, so instead of pushing on I let my girlfriend take over the lead checking so she could scare them off for me...

How big was this spider? Size of a small egg, or more the size of your palm?

Come on boys! It is only a spider - they can't hurt you all that much! Besides, spiders rock and butterflies are boring.

vaejovis wrote:Come on boys! It is only a spider.

Spiders are great. You know I dont even kill them in the house anymore no matter how loud my wife is hollerin. I hear that spider-alarm going off and I usually meander towards the sound of the alarm, smug and certain I will need a magnifying glass to even see it. Most of the time I am equiped with a glass or clear plastic container, and a flat piece of plastic. The glass goes over the spider, and slide the plastic underneath and now you have a pet spider. I usually have a good gander at it and then take it out to the bushes in the back. I figure he probably came inside on accident, so he'd probably rather be back outside.

Usually the spider alarms result in non-life threatening, or heart stopping spiders. IOW, the spider alarm is very sensitive and goes off at the smallest of spiders.

One day, I heard it going off in the downstairs bathroom and I thought my bemused, "Isnt that cute" thoughts and headed to the rescue. This time however, when I turned into the room, I even had to stop and go "whoa!". A big she-wolf was sitting there on the floor. I was so impressed that the spider alarm really did come through this time! Did a little catch, observe and release and we were safe again.

In my experience, wolf spiders are actually pretty mellow.

Yeah, spiders. I like em.

Here's the one that most nearly bit me in a cave, a tarantula in Panama. I decided I didn't want to get it muddy so grabbed it a bit too gently and didn't get my fingers placed right. While showing the biting parts to a buddy, it nearly got around and gave a demonstration. Normally I just let them walk around on me, but you can't see the fangs so well that way.



Anyway, we left it (and us) unharmed after a photo.

Keith

I found this rain spider hiding among my kid's toys in Lusaka, Zambia. It had a 7" legspan and was most cool. Probably best that I found it and took it outside before my kid, 1.5 years old at the time, decided to play with it, though.



Keith

Spiders, man I got lots of stories, but I'll end with the most current. Here's a photo of a Yellow Sac Spider taken in my kitchen in Falls Church, Virginia. It's probably the third most poisonous spider regularly encountered in the US.



Yep, as much as I like spiders, these get mooshed. Didn't stop my kid, now 4.5 years old from getting bitten six weeks ago. Last week the wound stopped re-opening and bleeding. Should be down to a little round scar in another two or three weeks. The kid and I find it rather uninteresting. The wife's opinion differs.

Keith

Wow, Keith. Bummer for the kiddo! I'm glad he's recovering!

vaejovis wrote:How big was this spider? Size of a small egg, or more the size of your palm?

Come on boys! It is only a spider - they can't hurt you all that much! Besides, spiders rock and butterflies are boring.

It was closer to palm size.

I like bugs, and all animals. I am trying to get a picture of every species there is (which will take forever).

Do you all remember the computer game Amazon Trail? That sortof gave me the idea.

Squirrel Girl wrote:Wow, Keith. Bummer for the kiddo! I'm glad he's recovering!

Bam,

Nah, no big deal. I figured out what it was early on and treated it ever since. Jen lost confidence after 5 weeks, and ordered us to the doc. He said my diagnosis and treatment were correct. I've been bitten by so many things, including yellow sac spiders, that I am generally good with that stuff.

Today the boy found a smallish wolf spider at Riverbend Park, and just had to show me. He holds no grudge against the Arachnids, nor do I.

Keith