Thousands of baby spiders bred in a kitchen will be released into the countryside this week in a bid to revive an endangered species, a government biodiversity agency said Friday. Skip related content
Related photos / videos A female fen raft spider Enlarge photo Some 3,000 baby fen raft spiders reared by ecologist Helen Smith will be let loose in the Castle Marshes nature reserve in Suffolk, according to Natural England.
The fen raft spider is classed as endangered in Britain and can be found at only two sites in England and one in Wales.
The spiders are large -- the body of an adult female can be as long as 23 millimetres -- with distinctive white, cream or yellow stripes across the abdomen.
How happy am i that im not there! :o
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/D.plantarius_on_water_surface.jpg/250px-D.plantarius_on_water_surface.jpg)
An impressive beastie - up to 70mm span including legs. (from wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolomedes_plantarius))
Oooh that's cute.....
Rather appropriate for Halloween ;D
Oh not a happy bunny......i heard Suffolk and thought that would be miles away - i am on the Norfolk/Suffolk border and guess what they are releasing the buggers 16 miles away from me - yippee - not!
I think i am a little further away, but only a bit!!
I have to say the size and number of spiders this year is just plain silly!! I had to put some rubbish out though the back way in the house not something we do often and the number of massive spiders (10 pence peice size) i had to move or dodge was not good. Still they might keep down other things :)
yes thats true cambourne7 - i like your positive spin. I noticed a huge number of flies this year so the spiders should have a feast. I don't really mind spiders or any insects but they don't half make me jump when i am collecting wood for the fire!