Huge ‘extinct’ spiders are being found in UK homes | Nature | News
Giant spiders have returned from the brink of extinction and are now found in homes across the UK. Experts said the species, which nearly went extinct in 2010, was one of the “rarest invertebrates” in the country but was now making a comeback.
It is believed that there are currently up to 10,000 breeding female Fen Raft Spiders across the UK; 3,750 of these are located in 12 counties in Norfolk. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has worked to save the species in recent years with a conservation breeding reintroduction programme. According to Chester Zoo, the team raised hundreds of baby spiders in individual test tubes and hand-fed them tiny flies.
They added: “Eventually the young spiders were strong enough to return to their habitat, which our partners had worked to restore, and we released hundreds of them! Now, almost fifteen years later, our friends at @Natures_Voice estimate there are 10,000 breeding females in the UK and they’re having their best year on record.”
As reported by Yahoo! NewsThe Fen Raft Spider feeds on other spiders, damselflies, dragonfly larvae, and even fish and tadpoles. They are usually seen in marsh ditches grazing between June and September.
Tim Strudwick, from RSPB Mid Yare nature reserve, said: MailOnline: “The Fen Raft Spider is one of the UK’s rarest invertebrates and we are proud of the role our reserves and teams have played in its recovery.
“These spiders have an important role in protecting the rich aquatic diversity found in the grazing ditches on our reserves. The females are impressively large but also beautiful; it is really special to see them.”
Fen Raft Spiders are known for their chocolate-brown color and distinctive cream-white stripes. They weave large tent-like “baby nets” to protect their young.
It is one of Britain’s largest spiders, with leg spans reaching up to 7cm. They can also walk or run on water to catch prey.
RSPB ecologist Jane Sears added: “The RSPB has played a key role in the reintroduction of these spiders and means we must continue to restore, manage and protect the wetland habitats where the Fen Raft Spider thrives to ensure the future of not only this species but many others.”
