this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2024
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The UK’s largest breed of spiders, which can grow to the size of rats and hunts fish, are making a comeback in Britain.

From near-extinction in 2010 - when only a handful remained as their wetland homes were destroyed by humans - the number of fen raft spiders are now steadily increasing thanks to recent conservation efforts.

The spiders are set to have their best year on record at nature reserves ran by RSBP.

The conservation charity revealed that the most recent survey estimates the total number of female spiders to be up to 3,750 across 12 sites in Norfolk and Suffolk Broads alone.

The spider can spin a web as large as 25cm and can grow to the size of a man’s hand.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Thats not a spider, this is a spider

points to all of australia.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (3 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

It can eat them but catching and killing might be trickier.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

a power struggle between the spiders and rats begins, with each slowly growing bigger to outpower each other, years pass and we have dog sized spider and rats, and dog kind joins in... a few years later we have cow sized spiders,rats, and dogs... it never ends.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

And one day if rats and spiders breed, I will be remember in History as the personn who reintroduce dragons in my country 😨

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

and hunts fish

Sufficient info for me

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Well if it can eat rats, I might try to introduce this specie in my niehbourhood.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_raft_spider

In October 2010 the first introduction of a great raft spider population into a new site in the UK was carried out in a joint project by Natural England and Suffolk Wildlife Trust and supported by a grant from the BBC Wildlife Fund. The project saw around 3000 spiderlings bred and reared by Dr. Helen Smith and the John Innes Centre, 1600 of which were released into suitable dykes at the Suffolk Wildlife Trust Castle Marshes nature reserve. The site is part of the Suffolk Broads and lies 50 kilometres (31 mi) downstream, from Redgrave and Lopham fen, between Lowestoft and Beccles. Work was carried out to improve the ditch network at the site to prepare for the reintroduction and provide optimal habitat for the new spider population.

Dr. Helen Smith knew that the one great problem with the UK was an insufficient number of giant spiders running around, and she intended to remedy that.

Each spiderling was hand reared in separate test tubes and fed with fruit flies.

"Eat. Eat and grow large and strong."

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Wikipedia says "70 mm including the legs" btw. So not even close to the size of a rat

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Doesn't matter, arm thyself with a flamethrower anyway

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

They are the size of rats the size of spiders.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Can't argue with that

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Could be a baby rat.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Always uplifting to see a struggling native species doing well. Hope I get to see one of these beauties up close one day, shame they are still limited to just a few locations.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

And it was that very summer, when taking a leisurely swim in one of Britain's lakes, that ns1 got his wish, his face surfacing directly underneath an alarmed seven-centimeter giant raft spider on the hunt.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Don't think I'd want to subject the poor spider to that, however funny it would be for onlookers!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago
[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

That's so nice! I'm so happy for them! Is there a map of exactly where they're making a comeback so I can avoid those places particularly!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Christ, now I know why my ancestors moved to the US, haha.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Moving from the UK to the US to escape scary animals is an... interesting choice lol

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Have they seen the badgers we get over here??

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

The hedgehog can, when suitably agitated, get mighty feisty. Mighty feisty indeed.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

At least they didn't get sent to Australia!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I hope it wasn't to try to escape fishing spiders because the US has 9 from the same genus. And Dolomedes tenebrosus is even larger than our European ones.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Wet Australia

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

This is going to be really great for my next level one restart. I'm going to be able to get so much xp as soon as I get my hands on a dagger and a clumsily constructed wooden shield.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Devs are finally making some good changes, although small.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago
[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Time to push the country into the sun.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (7 children)

I'm sorry what? We have a native spider the size of a rat? Why did I not know this. This is important information.

I am never leaving the house again.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

they're apparently 7cm wide including the legs, so more like the size of a mouse and even then it's being a bit generous.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I don't think you're likely to ever come across one if you don't live in a lake, they have only been identified in a handful of places.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

They usually are found around the shore or river banks only walking onto the water for hunting. The only spider you will mostly find in a lake are diving bell spiders.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The only spider you will mostly find in a lake are diving bell spiders.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_bell_spider

The diving bell spider or water spider (Argyroneta aquatica) is the only species of spider known to live almost entirely under water.

That sounds neat.

Their bite is often described as being very painful to humans and as causing localised inflammation, vomiting, and slight feverishness that disappears after 5-10 days.

That sounds less agreeable than the giant raft spider.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Their bite is often described as being very painful to humans and as causing localised inflammation, vomiting, and slight feverishness that disappears after 5-10 days.

That sounds less agreeable than the giant raft spider.

Sentence after that:

However, solid evidence is lacking

It's really hard to get bitten by any spider. I can't imagine how hard it must be to get bitten by spider that lives underwater. I have to check those wiki sources ...

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Ah I misunderstood that a fen is actually a thing (non-native speaker here). So I correct my original post to "if you don't live in a fen"

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

As a native speaker, I've never heard the word "fen" in my life. So, that's probably why they didn't say that.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Oh, I guess it was you who didn't say fen. But it's probably more correct to leave "fen" out, at least if you want to be understood. It is not s common word. I had to look it up.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

They hunt fish. There's no need to worry if you aren't fish.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

If only arachnophobia were so logical

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Maybe it's a baby rat. I'm going to believe it's a baby rat.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

I saw one on the wall when I was staying just outside Guildford. I was in disbelief that I would see such a thing in Europe.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I thought they looked like the dock spiders we have in Minnesota, turns out they're the same thing. Utterly terrifying but completely harmless.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

Noooo reading this I thought I was safe being all the way over here :( whyyyy

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Plot twist: they're already in your house.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 months ago

(I'm hacking around with Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead at the moment) Noooooo!!!!!