Spiders

[Mike Bradbury]

I did a lot of caving in my younger years and a particular cave we would frequent in Kings Canyon had these large hairy brown cave spiders that had glowing eyes when your head lamp shown on them. They looked like real skinny tarantulas. The leg span was about 3" long and just as hairy as the tarantula but the body was much skinnier, they mostly clung to the ceiling in large numbers and would stay motionless unless you got to close and then they would dart off, they were quick too. Never researched what species they were but we tried to keep our distance, although sometimes it was unavoidable and you would have to try not to make sudden move and frighten them and cause a spider stampede.

To answer jhaymon's question; I am not afraid of spiders and I mostly let them do their work unless they set up shop in my thoroughfare. The last thing I want to do is be walking out to my truck and feel the circular web wrap around my face pinning a large hairy frightened spider to my nose. The brown widows I posted about are as good as toast if I see them, I have got too many animals and kids that I value too much to have a poisonous species in my yard.