Fish Spider.mov

I was cleaning the garage, looked up at the underside of the overhead door, and spotted her. She had all eight eyes on me, staring with an intelligent gaze.
Fish spiders live near water. In this case, she was about 90' from the Grand River. They can submerge themselves, and carry small air bubbles near their body on the hairs of their
legs. They eat small minnows, as well as all sorts of insects and, as do all spiders, their own kind.
I've had a number of very close encounters with them, and have never been bitten.
This is the first time that I've let one walk on me unhindered, and I'll tell you, it was quite a mystical experience. That mystical experience was shattered when she darted into my shirt and attempted to roost in my arm pit. If I were a higher evolved creature I would have been able to embrace that experience. But, still being on Enlightenment journey, and with countless miles to go yet, I freaked out. I didn't harm the spider though!
Dear friend Susan Fawcett says that she's never been bitten by a spider, despite handling them often. She's a biologist par excellent and I strive to emulate her. So when this Fish Spider made her move toward the intimacy of a stroll down my arm I embraced the idea, knowing that all will be as it should be, and that I'd better relax. Spiders, like dogs, sense fear.
Don't kill these creatures when you encounter them. They are a top predator in their class, and they help maintain the balance in their domain.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• fish
• spider
• dolomedes
• tenebrosus
• prisauradae
• big
• arachnid

[terrytory1]

Nice... you are amazing. (Especially like the way you edited the section where she crawled toward your shirt... girly shreik segment cut out?? ;) jk...

Hope that fishin' spider doesn't have any spiney barbs!?

[11mkelley]

Beautiful. Thank you for this up close peek into fishing-spider world. I am going to show my class this and remind them as I always do~ that they CAN respect ALL creatures.

[LuvMyBirdies]

Nice fishing spider...She's huge!