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.
Comment on Giant spiders the size of rats making a comeback in UK
llamatron@lemmy.world 3 months ago
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.
ArmokGoB@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 months ago
IchNichtenLichten@lemmy.world 3 months ago
I thought they looked like the dock spiders we have in Minnesota, turns out they’re the same thing. Utterly terrifying but completely harmless.
YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Noooo reading this I thought I was safe being all the way over here :( whyyyy
j4yt33@feddit.org 3 months ago
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.
tobogganablaze@lemmus.org 3 months ago
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 a diving bell spiders.
tal@lemmy.today 3 months ago
The only spider you will mostly find in a lake are diving bell spiders.
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.
tobogganablaze@lemmus.org 3 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 …
j4yt33@feddit.org 3 months ago
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”
janNatan@lemmy.ml 3 months ago
As a native speaker, I’ve never heard the word “fen” in my life. So, that’s probably why they didn’t say that.
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 3 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.
floofloof@lemmy.ca 3 months ago
Maybe it’s a baby rat. I’m going to believe it’s a baby rat.
cheddar@programming.dev 3 months ago
They hunt fish. There’s no need to worry if you aren’t fish.
llamatron@lemmy.world 3 months ago
If only arachnophobia were so logical
Emperor@feddit.uk 3 months ago
Plot twist: they’re already in your house.
j4k3@lemmy.world 3 months ago
(I’m hacking around with Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead at the moment) Noooooo!!!