Florida Identifies A New Spider Species

Living in the Florida woods, is a lesson in the unusual. So I am never surprised with what shows up.

I have seen a Florida panther lounging in my backyard, like he thought he was lying in the savanna. I have seen monkeys, Florida mink, and wild boar along the canals. I had a baby bobcat run up to me crying, as if it was asking, "Where is my Mommy?" I have nursed Anhinga, Blue Herons, baby owls, back to health. Baby rabbits, squirrels, turtles, thinks the place is an urgent care clinic.

I try to be a good neighbor. I don't bother the snakes and spiders, unless they get too close to the house. Black snakes and lizards can be a nuisance, but I never kill them. We already have a ton of different types of spiders here, some bigger than my hand. I am not a fan, and I try to avoid them at all cost. Not often very lucky with that. I once got caught up was in a darn spider bloom, stuff that belongs in a horror movie.

This spider should be very safe, since it makes its home in the woods, the only way we are likely to cross paths is when I take a stroll through in the woods,which I like doing time to time.

In news that will no doubt send a shiver up arachnophobes' spines, Georgia biologist Rebecca Godwin has conclusively identified the Pine Rockland trapdoor spider as a new species. The spider resembles "a small tarantula without the hair," Frank Ridgley, Zoo Miami's conservation and veterinary services manager, told Newsweek, adding that its "body is shiny black, almost metallic looking." But the similarities don't end there. Like tarantulas, Pine Rockland trapdoor spiders are venomous, though their venom is not nearly potent enough to pose a danger to humans. Its primary purpose is to make the contents of prey insects easier to consume, Ridgley said. He compared the pain of a bite to that of a bee sting.

Mysterious spider found in South Florida identified as new species

I don't know. It looks threatening. I feel threatened. Prolly oughta nuke it to be safe.

a reply to: Assassin82

I saw the movie.

Nuking it could make it worse.

LOL
Yet another reason to tell my sister NO! when she says I should move down there.
I know it's not rational, but god I hate spiders.
Sneaky B(*&^@#!

It's funny how there are cute, fuzzy little jumping spiders, and then there are the ones straight out of a horror movie.

I used to go on fishing trips with some friends in Nebrasky, and we would see some huge spiders by the docks, and even in the cabins. We thought they were wolf spiders till we found out they were Dark Fishing Spiders. These mofos would get huge!
One night after a few high-octane beverages, a friend and I found a way to sort of nudge a big spider onto our hands. We started doing it more, to freak out the arachnophobes in the group. We handled about 5-6 spiders without being bitten. They were surprisngly docile.

a reply to: chiefsmom

You are not very likely to ever see one of these fellows, so you are safe from it, unless you go camping in the woods, then still a very low chance of seeing one.

Since I don't think it evolved over night in the pine rocklands, I am guessing it has been there all along, and was able to remain hidden, until they critically reduced its habitat. Which greatly disturbs me, because we are the last hope for all the critters out here, as they are destroying massive amounts of land in the name of progress, out here where I live.

But fear not! Florida is teaming with life. Come learn and see.

a reply to: ColeYounger

Sorry, I don't have the ability to see any spider as "cute".

But I will admit that I will take a cute spider, over the "cute" rats that my dear friend has as pets.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn



If I saw that thing, I'd freak out!

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

I had a rat as a pet. She was sweet.

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
a reply to: ColeYounger

Sorry, I don't have the ability to see any spider as "cute".

But I will admit that I will take a cute spider, over the "cute" rats that my dear friend has as pets.

This jumper will shake hands and give a High-5:

a reply to: Assassin82

We have hobo spider types here. They will come right at you with their front feet up. You turn on the light and see one on the floor, better run before it drags you away.

I am not scared of spiders but they are very agressive. A normal glass isn't enough to cover it, a big wine glass is barely enough. Sheet of paper under it.. I prey on their thankfulness and not come back, because I don't kill them, instead guide them through my neighbors post door slit.

Joke. I let them free outside.

a reply to: Night Star

Yeah Night Star, you and my friend would have gotten along very well.

She was one of my closet friends for well over twenty years. I never in that time thought any of her pet rats were cute.

a reply to: ColeYounger

Still not cute.

And would likely not survive my high five.

20 some years ago, a friend of mine from Florida had a moving company and needed help for a load he was bringing up my way in West Michigan.

After we got the job done he stayed at my place over night. Before he left for home, we were looking around at the property and he decided he wanted a few oak saplings to plant back in Florida. We found some up by the road and as we were digging them up I asked him if what he was doing was illegal in Florida, bringing plants down there from Michigan. He said yeah, but was unconcerned until we found something in the roots of one of the saplings.

It looked like a small grayish silken tube, maybe four inches long, about the width of my pinky. We both looked at it, then each other, when we got a knife and began to cut it open. Inside the tube, at the bottom of a pile of dead bugs was the most ugly little spider I ever saw. It was about the size of a dime and built for digging, obviously a trapdoor spider.

At that point, I'm like, "See what you were gonna bring home with you!" I looked into Michigan trapdoor spiders and found no reference to it online. We took a picture of it near a dime for size comparison. If I find it I'll post it. I have always thought it was an unidentified species, but now that I know what to look for, I've found them everywhere around here. We have some very pretty sub species of northern black widows I suspect are unknown as well.

Of course, who knows what was in the soil of those saplings my buddy took back to Florida 20 years ago. But then again, spiders lay eggs don't they?

There are lots of species of insects that they have not discovered yet, but that doesn't mean they are new. I would bet that there are people who already knew of these spiders in the woods, they may have been there for centuries or more. Science just discovered and classified them and studied them. If there venom was poisonous, I am sure they would have had them classified thirty years ago or more, possibly even a hundred years ago.

There are discovering new species of insects every year, some only vary from another species upon examination and testing...otherwise they could be mistakenly thought to be another species.

We got some weird spiders around here, they change color to match the leaves and flowers, but they already have been discovered, I just discovered they do that.

a reply to: ThatDamnDuckAgain

We have hobo spider types here. They will come right at you with their front feet up.

I once saw a Steve Irwin show about some of the dodgy critters in Australia. There was a dangerous spider (like a funnel-web maybe?) that had a mean disposition. Steve waved a stick or something out in front of the spider, and it chased it. It freaking chased it!!
I'm generally not afraid of spiders, but I'd be screaming like a little girl if that thing came at me.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Florida has that funky climate that they classify as subtropical, but we can get frost down here, even on the southern end. Almost anything living can make in down her in Florida, that is why we have so many invasive species; of a multitude of varieties.

Oaks do extremely well down here in Florida. The pine beetles have taken out a large number of my pines, but the oaks are flourishing. I love oaks. Not that I don't like Florida pines. They remind me of Dr. Seuss trees.

My mother says, "Anything that grows in Florida, if you leave it long enough will become a tree".

a reply to: rickymouse

I agree. I don't believe there is anything new under the sun.

Just things that are clever enough to make sure we don't know they exist.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn
I'm all about spiders being outside, in their natural environment.
They just don't always stay were they are supposed to! I'm sure this kind would, but we've got the big hairy buggers that seem to find their way into our house and show up in the worst spots, like on the ceiling, above our bed. So much for sleep.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Just when you thought Florida had enough reasons for a giant wall.


If it isn't already, it should be called the doubledown state.