Thursday, March 22, 2012

Wolf Spider


Wolf spiders are non-poisonous yet scary-looking spiders.  That is not to say their bite is not painful, but it won't kill you.  We see them where we live from time to time, but the first time I saw one was probably the most memorable.  My wife and I had just moved in and we had an aging Pekingese that needed help getting down the steps at night before retiring.  So, I would carry her down, set her in the grass, and sit on the bottom step while I waited for her.

After only a few nights, I opened the front door one evening to carry her down and it just happened that a wolf spider was walking past the door on the door mat.  To this day, it is still the biggest one I have ever seen.  If I could have held it in my hand, it's legs would have touched the edges of my palm.  It really freaked me out when I thought about how I had been sitting down on the step each night.

I took the picture of this spider at my mother's house in Connecticut.  I was surprised they occurred that far north.  I don't remember seeing any as a kid.  I'm not sure what the "remains" are on the right side of the web.  Probably something it ate.

Here's a tip.  If you are afraid of running into one after dark, take a flashlight with you.  Their eyes are actually large enough to reflect light, like a deer in the headlights.  Don't forget, if you click on the photo, it will enlarge it.

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