this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2024
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Giant spiders the size of rats making a comeback in UK (www.independent.co.uk)
submitted 3 months ago by Emperor to c/unitedkingdom
50 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

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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[–] llamatron@lemmy.world 64 points 3 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.

[–] Emperor 25 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Plot twist: they're already in your house.

[–] j4k3@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago

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

[–] ArmokGoB@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 3 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.

[–] IchNichtenLichten@lemmy.world 9 points 3 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.

[–] YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago

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

[–] j4yt33@feddit.org 6 points 3 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.

[–] tobogganablaze@lemmus.org 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 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.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 5 points 3 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.

[–] tobogganablaze@lemmus.org 2 points 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 2 points 3 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"

[–] janNatan@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 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.

[–] j4yt33@feddit.org 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Who didn't say that?

[–] janNatan@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 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.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 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 4 points 3 months ago

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

[–] cheddar@programming.dev 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] llamatron@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago

If only arachnophobia were so logical