- Joined
- Dec 24, 2012
- Messages
- 645
Just found my maybe my largest local true spider ever she's a dolomedes scriptus fishing spider or striped fishing spider.
I catch lots of these but always only take a couple home to keep the populations up since few make it to adulthood.
I went spider hunting tonight at my local river which has boulders all along the banks and a rock dam.
Some of the rocks 10 feet long just massive.
Anyhow started searching didn't have much luck found a couple two inch sub adult females and some nice sized males.
As I was walking up river I found a nice 3.5" female legspan so I collected her
I was about to call it a night because a storm was moving in.
I was happy with find her but something told me / my gut feeling to keep searching .
So went up to the rock dam where there is more current in the water and I spotted couple 3 inch females and a pair that were getting ready to mate.
I wanted to leave them alone then as I was walking I looked ahead and on a large rock I was still about 20 feet way and was like omg that's a big spider
I walked towards her slowly not to spook her and as I got close she, moved a few inches I was like oh crap she's going to get away with all the large rocks they usually go in between where they are impossible to get out unless the rocks are small enough to be moved.
I quickly put large collecting jar over her and she somehow got out!
I looked for her on and around the rock but they move with lightning speed I thought oh noooo she got away!
Then I looked down by my foot and there she was got her this time.
Below is a picture of her next to another sub adult female around 2.5+ so she's good.size larger and just a pic of just her.
I don't think they can much larger than this anyhow maybe on a rare occasion they usually max out at 3.5.inches at least in my area. With this one being one of those rare finds.
I will use her for breeding stock . I usually keep a couple dozen and grow them up to about juvenile stage and then release few of those to help their survival chances.
I have couple huge sub adult males that are 3.5+ inches and a molt to go before I can breed them maybe the female, already has in the wild should know in a couple weeks for sure.
I catch lots of these but always only take a couple home to keep the populations up since few make it to adulthood.
I went spider hunting tonight at my local river which has boulders all along the banks and a rock dam.
Some of the rocks 10 feet long just massive.
Anyhow started searching didn't have much luck found a couple two inch sub adult females and some nice sized males.
As I was walking up river I found a nice 3.5" female legspan so I collected her
I was about to call it a night because a storm was moving in.
I was happy with find her but something told me / my gut feeling to keep searching .
So went up to the rock dam where there is more current in the water and I spotted couple 3 inch females and a pair that were getting ready to mate.
I wanted to leave them alone then as I was walking I looked ahead and on a large rock I was still about 20 feet way and was like omg that's a big spider
I walked towards her slowly not to spook her and as I got close she, moved a few inches I was like oh crap she's going to get away with all the large rocks they usually go in between where they are impossible to get out unless the rocks are small enough to be moved.
I quickly put large collecting jar over her and she somehow got out!
I looked for her on and around the rock but they move with lightning speed I thought oh noooo she got away!
Then I looked down by my foot and there she was got her this time.
Below is a picture of her next to another sub adult female around 2.5+ so she's good.size larger and just a pic of just her.
I don't think they can much larger than this anyhow maybe on a rare occasion they usually max out at 3.5.inches at least in my area. With this one being one of those rare finds.
I will use her for breeding stock . I usually keep a couple dozen and grow them up to about juvenile stage and then release few of those to help their survival chances.
I have couple huge sub adult males that are 3.5+ inches and a molt to go before I can breed them maybe the female, already has in the wild should know in a couple weeks for sure.
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