Black Widow Spider

fayswon · #1 (**permalink**) 09-06-2008, 17:09

Photographers Comments
Had company on the weekend, from a neighboring prairie province. A comment was made about how, if you want to see a Black Widow Spider, all you have to do is go to the Okanagan Valley. Regretfully, thats when I opened my big mouth and said, Well, you neednt go to the Okanagan Valley, there is plenty under this house trailer.

Derek Franklin · #2 (**permalink**) 09-06-2008, 18:15

Hi Fay,
great shot, lovely colours and nice composition.

However if I knew that thing was under my house Im afraid I would
be moving, I cannot do spiders yack.... Nice shot tho :0)

xp1 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-06-2008, 18:39

How do you get pictures like this. I,v just bought a new camera so I am looking around here for inspiration and I have found my first topic.
Great picture.
Cheers.

**Dennyboy** · #4 (**permalink**) 09-06-2008, 19:25

Fay, hope you were at full zoom, this little sucker looks dangerous. Good shot mate.

**Tawny** · #5 (**permalink**) 09-06-2008, 22:43

Wow Fay! what a find, and a corker of a shot, great pose showing all 8 legs and that ball like abdomen, i like the background here, its natural and the colour really contrasts well with the spider.

**Dennyboy** · #6 (**permalink**) 09-06-2008, 22:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tawny

Wow Fay! what a find, and a corker of a shot, great pose showing all 8 legs and that ball like abdomen, i like the background here, its natural and the colour really contrasts well with the spider.

No legs if i had my way (joke) wouldnt kill unless it was me or him!!!

fayswon · #7 (**permalink**) 09-06-2008, 22:49

I found this, after opening up a little door to under the trailer, looking for my missing kitty. She somehow likes the dark privacy and she pays no mind to the spiders. Was shooting upwards (not too bad for hand held) at this spider who was lurking in the shadows; I think he was ready for a fight; most of them scurry away. This one is one of the bigger ones. Some can be near lethal and others only cause abit of swelling. Should always put on coveralls, if crawling under the trailer for fix-it jobs but, then again, that doesn't always work. Know of a guy who got bit from inside his coveralls and spent 2 weeks in the hospital.

Thanks for commenting guys..Oh yeah, the sure identifying mark is the red, hour glass on it's under belly.

Ireland · #8 (**permalink**) 09-06-2008, 23:54

This is a beautiful shot Fay, nice lighting and complimentary colours. You captured him/her so perfectly. You are so brave, though. As much as I'd love to get a shot like this too, can't say I'd be opening that door.

whatt · #9 (**permalink**) 10-06-2008, 02:54

Hi Fay .. another cracker .. lol .. as I have heard others say around here ...lol ... good comp, great colours and that spider is just glistening .. I don't mind spiders.. but sure wouldn't want to be bite by one of these ..they are nasty buggers... Thanks for sharing ...
Cheers
Else

Joseph Carmichael · #10 (**permalink**) 10-06-2008, 07:25

Hello Fay......I thought that it was too cold for this spider in your part of the world. We have the same spider here in Aust. (lots here in WA.) Here he has a bright red stripe running down his back, and hence his name RED BACK, but still the same spider (as the Black Widow). Altho very slow moving and also very timid a bite from these spiders can be very painful if not quite dangerous, and if you are not well or not treated quickly, one can die from it's bite.

In Northern Italy, back in the 16th centuary, in a town by the with a name similar to Tarantla (named something like that) many a feild worker was bitten by the Black Widow and they mistakenly believed the colprit to be a large black hairy spider (now named Tarantular after the Italian village) and to continue....they would scream with pain, and spin and dance around doing the dance of the Tarantular, until they were cured.
After many bites, the folk, went on a hunting party to rid the town of these spiders, and consequently they killed all the Tarantulars in the village. And ofcourse we know now the wrong spider.
So be careful.........

Cheers,