How To Avoid Meeting Huge, Scary Spiders Face-to-Face on Georgia Hiking Trails
2023-04-04
There's old and excellent hiking advice shared among the expert Georgia trail trekkers: on early morning hikes, never go first. Instead, invite one of your tall friends to lead the excursion.
Well, at six feet, five inches tall, I am the friend that fellow trekkers send ahead. And that is how I've come to meet my unfair share of ugly Georgia spiders. For a more detailed account and photos of the Georgia spiders I've met while hiking, visit OurTravelCafe.com, (where advertising may provide income to the site and author.)
Here are a few of the common Georgia spiders I've met face-to-face -- or, more accurately, web-to-face:
Joro Spider. With 34 common spiders, I don't think Georgia needed another. But likely riding along with plants and goods from China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan, we got number 35 in 2015. They liked our climate, and decided to stay and multiply and multiply and multiply. With bodies up to one-inch, their legs can stretch to four inches. And they have supersized webs.
Golden Silk Spider. Also known as banana spiders, the females are particularly impressive in size with bodies up to two inches long and legs twice that. Plus, these devious devils can actually adjust the hue of their webs based on sunlight conditions.
Spotted Orbweaver. Neoscona crucifera hangs out at the edge of its web, ready to devour its small prey. They hang out in fields, parks, backyards, and gardens. They are nocturnal and are very seldom seen during the day -- until you take a web to the face. Then, they stay to the side of the remaining web and likely laugh with your friends!
For more on the Georgia spiders I have met, visit OurTravelCafe.com. If you want more about others of Georgia's 35 spiders that I haven't met, check out this Georgia-focused article at ThePetEnthusiast.com.
More Hiking from DeanLand
We do lots of Georgia hiking. Here are some of our favorite and most popular recent hiking posts from Newsbreak and OurTravelCafe.com:
You can follow DeanLand here on Newsbreak and see our posts more frequently in your feed. Simply use the "follow" button, located before and after this article on your phone, or on the left side menu on your computer. You can also see extended posts on family-friendly activities by DeanLand at OurTravelCafe.com.
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