I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and no one ever told me about the Pacific folding trap-door spider. I sure never saw one. But this lucky woman out walking her dog saw one on the sidewalk and — oh what a waste — ran away.
Experts say the spider she spotted is a Pacific folding trap-door spider. It’s not a tarantula, but it is a “tarantuloid” – a related type of arachnid – according to Jaymie Chudiak, general manager of the Victoria Bug Zoo.
“It is the closest thing we have to a tarantula,” Chudiak said. “They are incredibly beautiful, but also very large, so people who do see them go, ‘Oh my gosh, what is that? It’s enormous.’ But they’re actually extremely docile and timid.”
If you want, there’s a picture at the link. It’s beautiful.
I also learned this.
Like tarantulas, there is a commercial market that sells Folding Trapdoor Spiders. Many species in this genus are brown or dark brown. The black, native Pacific Folding Door Trapdoor Spider is commonly sold in the Pacific Northwest as a pet.
“Commonly”? “Commonly”? It is true. I wasted my youth, because I never saw one. Now I want to.
“But they’re actually extremely docile and timid.””
So they can be trained? Sit, stay, stand up on four legs? Kill the cat before it kills me, perhaps? Or even, breed and breeda and breed, then conquer the world in my name? Crush all who would oppose us mercilessly under your [arachnid heel] (and suck their remains dry)?
I might be reading a bit too much into one word there. Am I being paranoid? Or am I not being paranoid enough?
They shouldn’t be allowed to sell wild animals as pets.
Am still unclear – is it the spider that folds or its trap door?
Egads. I looked them up and came across this sentence “If you live in Washington state, there is a good chance you have a bunch of them in your backyard”. at https://shannonbowleynature.com/2015/05/05/antrodiaetus-pacificus-the-lurkers-of-the-pacific-northwest/. I live in Washington state and have several acres of forest on my property, so I probably have some in my yard. Not amused.
That spider isn’t anything to worry about compared to the invasion of the Asian giant hornet.
It’s been in BC for a year and has been seen moving south into Washington state.
If they can’t eradicate it from the PNW in the next few years, chances are that it will eventually be everywhere in the USA.
It’s a ground nesting species which means the nests are hard to find unless you step right on them.
I’ve done that before too many times with other species of ground nesters.
It’s not fun.
Giant Hornets getting established in North America would be catastrophic for our honey bees.
According to the New York Times these hornets kill up to 50 people a year in Japan.
oh….only a ‘tarantuloid’…
I feel so much better….
That’s only a few miles from my house. I’ve never seen one of those, but I’m certainly going to keep my eyes pealed now. They look so cool!
I’ve seen one of those! It was on my property when I lived in the Coast Range west of Eugene. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but I remember the distinct shiny black thorax and short, meaty legs. And it was big, maybe 2″ from leg tip to leg tip. (And those are short legs remember, with a fat body.)
Can’t beekeepers build hives that will keep the hornets out? The hornets are so much larger that a metal screen ought to keep them from getting into the hive.
jack16
Another BBB Spider ,looked at the photos ,didn’t scream or nuffin .
About them Giant Hornets ,are thems the ones that Japanese Honey Bees all cover with their bodies so that the Hornet is roasted alive from the heat .I did read that European Honey Bees haven’t learned that trick yet .
The above is a bit of film about them Hornets getting roasted ,i know it is from Nat Geo ,don’t think they mention jebus though .
I did some hurried checking to see if they’re in the Okanagan. It’s bad enough to discover Black Widows nesting less than a meter away from my goalie equipment in the garage. Now we may have “tarantuloids” here, too?