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 4 weeks 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 4 weeks ago
IchNichtenLichten@lemmy.world 4 weeks 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 4 weeks ago
Noooo reading this I thought I was safe being all the way over here :( whyyyy
j4yt33@feddit.org 4 weeks 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 4 weeks 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 4 weeks 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 4 weeks 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 4 weeks 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 4 weeks 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 4 weeks 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 4 weeks ago
Maybe it’s a baby rat. I’m going to believe it’s a baby rat.
cheddar@programming.dev 4 weeks ago
They hunt fish. There’s no need to worry if you aren’t fish.
llamatron@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
If only arachnophobia were so logical
Emperor@feddit.uk 4 weeks ago
Plot twist: they’re already in your house.
j4k3@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
(I’m hacking around with Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead at the moment) Noooooo!!!