It's been a month since we've had rain, and things have turned their usual heat-baked brown.
Saga was doing his "power walk" down the trail on a loose rein, and I was admiring the deer, birds, and rabbits... until I almost got a face full of this:
Holy Giant Lichen Orb Weaver Spiders, Batman!
Yes, I know it's a crappy iPhone picture, but I SWEAR, this thing was about an inch and a half across. That picture was taken from about five feet away, and that's how ginormous it was! I managed to duck at the last minute, and we avoided it, but I swear if I had run smack into that spider and had it ON me, I would not have been responsible for my actions.
Here is a way better close up of a Giant Lichen Orb Weaver taken by somebody with a really expensive camera who was probably not trying to control a horse while taking a photo one-handed. Photo credit goes to this web site.
After that bit of excitement, I kept a sharp lookout for the buggers. I've never seen them before, but saw probably half a dozen of them tonight in huge webs that span the width of the trials. Yeesh. I'm not sure whether to be glad that they were so big I could see them and avoid them, or totally freaked out that they were so big I could see them from 10 feet away.
In other news, the snake I found crossing the road last month was hanging out in the barn last night. I'm not sure where he disappeared to - he slithered off while I was running for the camera. I do hope he leaves a note as to his location, so he doesn't scare the ever-loving-crap out of me when I go out to feed. The neighbors might wonder if they hear screaming at 6 a.m., you know?
Yeah that is really disturbing. As for our barn, we have a resident group of hippie tarantulas that keep strolling through the area like "hey sup." They really could give a damn if we are there or not!
ReplyDeleteThose can't be hippie tarantulas at your barn... all the hippies live down here. ;) But I think I'd take tarantulas over these guys... at least the tarantulas stay on the GROUND!
DeleteWe know it's fall around here when the webs start showing up across the trail. Our trail spiders are fuzzy and red, not gargantuan like yours (holy crap!). The first person in line carries a stick to knock out the webs... (sorry spiders)
ReplyDeleteLast summer I hit a writing spider web with my riding mower - they are giant too - and the spider dropped onto my mower... only I couldn't find it on the mower - anywhere. I frantically searched my hair, then my neck, then inside my clothes. Looked down and it was on my calf. I can't replicate the sound I made as I brushed it off me. ;)
Oh geez, there is NOTHING worse than not knowing where a bug/spider is and thinking it's ON you. I am pretty sure that screaming like a girl, running in circles, and waving your arms around like a maniac is perfectly acceptable under those circumstances!
DeleteHi. I Googled Texas spiders and found your post. I have that same type of spider in my back yard and live near you off of Slaughter in far south Austin! Thanks for your research!
ReplyDeleteThere sure are a lot of them around this year! I'm glad the pics helped you identify your spiders.
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