Spider identification

[DAC8671]

I found this spider in the patio umbrella over Ralph's enclosure. Can anyone help ID it?

Are spiders toxic to torts? Would a sully eat a spider? I've found a few common yard spiders in the enclosure before but didn't think anything about it.

 

[Meg90]

It looks poisonous. Color is usually an indicator of that. You might want to save the body in the freezer, so you have it if you need it.

 

[DAC8671]

I haven't killed it yet. Will freezing it keep it alive?

Here is a better picture...

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I have those in my yard too. I just wash them away with the hose...
I walked around this morning collecting dandelions and other weeds for my tortoises and when I got home and dumped out my bag I had a small (about 10 inches) garter snake in my bag. He must have been wound around one of the big dandelions I found...I like having them in my yard, I hope he stays. I have one that's about 3 feet long that I see often in my yard...

 

[DAC8671]

But what is it?

 

[Yvonne G]

I THINK, I'm not sure, mind you, that its a golden orb spider. They're my very favorite spider. They make these huge webs that reach all the way across my pond. I just love them. No, they are not poison.

Yvonne

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I just did a GOOGLE image search and its not a golden orb spider. However, your spider is the kind that I have across my pond and all over my property. They aren't toxic.

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Looks like I may have been right after all. Here's a site that shows a few of the orb weaving spiders and it looks like yours:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ient=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

I hope that long link works.

 

[DAC8671]

Thanks for the info. When I searched to see what I could find, I thought maybe an orb weaver too. But then I saw a specific pic of a common garden spider and it looks pretty similar too.

So neither is venomous to my tort? What about dogs? Kids?

 

[Shelly]

Technically, EVERY spider is poisonous, but that species should not be harmful to a human or a tort.
My torts sleep under my backyard deck, which is crawling with Black Widows. Never had a problem in 13 years.

 

[Yvonne G]

I just realized that Danny didn't offer an answer on this thread. Can it be? Is it true? Is there a species I.D. that Danny doesn't know? :shy:

Yvonne

 

[George]

I just realized that Danny didn't offer an answer on this thread. Can it be? Is it true? Is there a species I.D. that Danny doesn't know? :shy:

Yvonne

Ha Ha tehe - sorry Danny

 

[galvinkaos]

I would kill any black widows you find in or near your tort enclosure. I kept find blacking widow web in one corner of my tort enclosure but couldn't find the spider. Every day I was knocking them down. One afternoon, about a week later I found Fred (an 18 month old DT) in the same corner I had found the webs, covered in web and dead. I don't know if he was bit multiple times or if it was because of his size that the Black widow was able to kill him. I got way more serious about the spiders then. There was no other reason he should have died.

Dawna

 

[Candy]

I would kill any black widows you find in or near your tort enclosure. I kept find blacking widow web in one corner of my tort enclosure but couldn't find the spider. Every day I was knocking them down. One afternoon, about a week later I found Fred (an 18 month old DT) in the same corner I had found the webs, covered in web and dead. I don't know if he was bit multiple times or if it was because of his size that the Black widow was able to kill him. I got way more serious about the spiders then. There was no other reason he should have died.

Dawna

Dawna, I haven't seen you on here in a while where have you been? Sorry to hear about your tortoise.

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I haven't killed it yet. Will freezing it keep it alive?

Here is a better picture...

I'm sorry I just curious why would you freeze a spider and wonder if that would keep it alive?

 

[Stazz]

O.M.G ! I seriously have the worst fear of spiders!!!! WHAT A SCARY LOOKING THING! Lordy Lordy, I would have a small heart attack if I found that in my house lol