Warning! Warning! Spider Alert! Don't panic!!! by Denzil
Denzil

Warning! Warning! Spider Alert! Don't panic!!! by

Don’t scream – I did warn you!

This is a trapdoor spider, which I had an intimate moment with in the garden on Sunday (my finger missed it by about 2mm). I have NEVER seen such an aggressive spider – it reared right up and struck out repeatedly at anything near it. It’s about 3 cm across and 4 cm long (big bugger!!). I caught it and put it in a jar, then set about identifying it. I had heard that there were funnelweb spiders in the Adelaide Hills – AND THERE ARE! But this isn’t one of them. It is a poisonous spider with a bite which will cause some pain and discomfort, but won’t kill you (unlike a funnelweb). Sorry about the flash.

Arachnophobes will hate to hear that I let it go in the garden this afternoon :)

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Tags

denzil, funnelweb, scary, spider, trapdoor

Comments

  • Sharon Hammond
    Sharon Hammondabout 4 years ago

    eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwww

  • Scared you, didn’t i!!!!

    – Denzil

  • Christopher  Ewing
    Christopher E...about 4 years ago

    lmao!! funny!! and yea, something like that will startle you for sure, im glad you released it back too, this is a excellent shot tho, even with your lighting, the glass distrubuted it beautifully, really brought out the detail on the spider…great shooting here denzil

  • Thanks Chris, really appreciate your comment. I don’t have much macro capacity on my camera, and anyway, I didn’t want to get too close, in case it really woke up and went me again!!!

    – Denzil

  • JCameron
    JCameronabout 4 years ago

    ewewewewewwwewweweeeeewwweewew!!! Eew! brrr! Spiders! cute’n’nasty li’l fellas arnt they!

  • Thanks Jade, and thanks also for adding this to your favourites – although it’s a weird thing to want to look at more than once!!!

    – Denzil

  • whisperingruth
    whisperingruthabout 4 years ago

    Oh Denzil! Even the spiders Down Under are so exotic…….LOL…..

    I just hope you don’t find any of these guys in your bed!!

  • Aren’t they just!! Not much risk of him coming indoors – they’re solitary hunters, and most perish at the fangs of their mates, after doing the wild thing (just once I guess!). As usual, the female is the deadly one!

    – Denzil

  • Carlos Teófilo
    Carlos Teófiloabout 4 years ago

    Fabulous capture Denzil.

  • Thanks Carlos – one capture I’ve kept, the other one I’ve let go LOL

    – Denzil

  • Angela Harburn
    Angela Harburnabout 4 years ago

    Just glad it’s on RB and not in my garden Denzil – I don’t mind the spiders here in the UK – in fact I am the one that saves the rest of the family from them – but I don’t know how I would feel about this one! lol xxx Great shot though! xxx

  • Thanks Angela – he was actually pretty scary, particularly when I thought he was a funnelweb, which are deadly. But Google being the womnderful thing it is, I was quickly reassured that while he might bite me, I wouldn’t die! I’m not really scared of spiders in general (only snakes = ugh), so it was an interesting experience for me.

    – Denzil

  • nikki75
    nikki75about 4 years ago

    fab shot fab spider

  • Thanks nikki – want me to send you one??? LOL

    – Denzil

  • Rachel Leopold
    Rachel Leopoldabout 4 years ago

    Hey denzil you still got spidey? It looks just like the ones we saw at James’ mums farm in Monarto!! Wow, lets talk spideys!

  • Hi darlin’ – no, I let him go, and when I looked this afternoon, he was gone – but he could have been eaten by something else I guess – or he’s lying in wait for me somewhere else, hah ha!

    – Denzil

  • Lance Leopold
    Lance Leopoldabout 4 years ago

    I have a healthy respect,(called fear) of spiders,but like all living things they have a purpose,glad you set it free too,Denzil,nice shot!!!!

  • Thanks Lance – every time I try to do a macro, I remember your terrific lens, and put another dollar aside, for the day!!

    – Denzil

  • JCameron
    JCameronabout 4 years ago

    Well, yeah, i know! But hey! it would be a challenge to draw! (with your permission?)

  • Go for your life girl!! I look forward to seeing it:)

    – Denzil