The Spiders in Your House - The Rustic Wolf Spider
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- čas přidán 11. 06. 2024
- The Spiders in Your House - The Rustic Wolf Spider
Meet Trochosa ruricola, the Rustic Wolf Spider. In this video we'll do a deep dive on the species, while also exploring the general ecology of wolf spiders as a family (Lycosidae). We'll look at their hunting behaviour, reproduction, intelligence, and of course, how you can expect them to behave if you find them in your house.
For more wolf spider awesomeness, check out the Hebets Lab's CZcams channel. And a big thankyou to Dr. Hebets for contributing some photos and video footage from her own research for this video!
/ @eileenhebets8467
Unless otherwise credited, all photos and video herein are my own.
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
2:25 The Scary Search Results
5:06 First Description, and Identification
12:13 Range & Distribution
13:39 In Your House
15:48 Biteyness and Bite Effects
17:46 The Cheese Test
21:55 Hunting Behaviour
22:31 Wolf Spider Eyes
24:38 Other Senses and Prey Capture Mechanisms
28:58 Courtship and Reproduction: The Lycosid Dating Scene
39:29 Intelligence
Creative Commons licenses used:
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References
Bristowe WS (1958). The World of Spiders. Collins
Eggs B, Wolff JO, Kuhn-Nentwig L, Gorb SN, Nentwig W (2015). Hunting Without a Web: How Lycosoid Spiders Subdue their Prey. Ethology 121(12):1166-77.
Engelhardt W (1965). Die Mitteleuropaischen arten der gattung Trochosa C. L. Koch, 1848 (Araneae, Lycosidae). Morphologie, Chemotaxonomie, Biologie, Autökologie. Zeitschrift für Morphologie und Ökologie der Tiere, 54(3), 219-392.
Foelix R (2011). Biology of Spiders. Oxford University Press.
Hebets E, Uetz GW (1999). Female responses to isolated signals from multimodal male courtship displays in the wolf spider genus Schizocosa (Araneae: Lycosidae). Eileen Hebets Publications 26. digitalcommons.unl.edu/biosci...
Hebets E, Uetz GW (2000). Leg ornamentation and the efficacy of courtship display in four species of wolf spider (Araneae: Lycosidae). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 47:280-286.
Hebets E (2008). Seismic signal dominance in the multimodal courtship display of the wolf spider Schizocosa stridulans Stratton 1991 (2008). Behavioural Ecology. 2008 Nov 1;19(6):1250-7.
Isbister GK, Framenau VW (2004). Australian wolf spider bites (Lycosidae): clinical effects and influence of species on bite circumstances. Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology 42(2): 153-161.
Lalonge S, Redner J, Coderre D (1997). First Canadian Records of Trochosa ruricola (DeGeer), Ostearious melanopygus (O. Pickard-Cambridge), and Dictyna Decaprini Kaston (Araneae: Lycosidae, Linyphiidae, Dictynidae, respectively). The Canadian Entomologist 129: 371-372. doi.org/10.4039/Ent29371-2
Land MF (1985). The Morphology and Optics of Spider Eyes. in Neurobiology of Arachnids (pp. 53-78). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Nentwig W, Gnädinger M, Fuchs J, Ceschi A (2013). A two year study of verified spider bites in Switzerland and a review of the European spider bite literature. Toxicon 73:104-110 doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.201...
Punzo F (2000). An Experimental Analysis of Maze Learning in the Wolf Spider, Trochosa parthenus (Araneae: Lycosidae). Florida Scientist 63(3): 155-159.
Rash LD, King RG, Hodgson WC (1998). Evidence that histamine is the principal pharmacological component of venom from an Australian wolf spider (Lycosa godeffroyi). Toxicon 36(2): 367-375.
Ribeiro LA, Jorge MT, Piesco RV, de Andrade Nishioka S (1990). Wolf spider bites in Sao Paulo, Brazil: a clinical and epidemiological study of 515 cases. Toxicon 28(6):715-717.
Rose, S (2022). Spiders of North America. Princeton University Press. - Věda a technologie
Suffering with bronchitis, I grabbed my inhaler yesterday on the way to rest, opened the lid, and inhaled...a spider. Thank heaven was able to spit it in the potty. It nipped the roof of my mouth tho, so I saved it in a bag, wet and dead looking. Next day, he was fine and I was fine!
Welp...that just gave me a new fear. I'm so sorry that happened to you...Also I hope you get over the bronchitis soon!
Oh gosh! I'm glad you're both [relatively] okay!
I did this but it was with a water pipe and it had an earwig in it lmao
Ain't nobody got time for that!
Same thing almost happened to me, but with a 3M respirator.
i was sitting in my room and this pretty big wolf spider casually crawled up my bedside table and just sat there, when i poked near it it raised a single front leg so i cautiously poked the leg twice just enough to move it without damaging the spider. then it set its leg back down stood there for a minute and casually walked back under the table. weirdest interaction i've ever had with a spider, it's like we met and shook hands... most wolves just sprint away at 400 mph so i guess that one was polite
They seem docile to me too. They remind me of napping cats.
Occasionally I have little spider encounters kind of like this. Yes, usually wolfies will bolt, but the odd one is really calm. Thanks for the comment!
Their 'sad snowman' eye pattern won me over. They are almost up there in cuteness with me to jumping spiders.
They really are, when you see them up close.
let me make them cuter to you, they purr!
Spiders actually have 10 legs not 8. There’s 2 more that grow out of their heads. Horrible disgusting creatures.
People are a lot like spiders. Some of them just mind their own business and control the bugs and pests. And some of them want to crap in your mouth.
@@appalachiabrauchfrau Whaaat?? They purr?? Now I'm intrigued.
Last year I was bitten in the inside forearm by a very large (Carolina) wolf spider. It was camouflaged quite well against the tree it was on, the same tree I used to lower myself down into a ravine. I didn't even feel the bite. My daughter saw the huge spider after I had lowered myself down and I thought to myself, "Wow, that was a close one".
Getting in the car, I noticed a small splotch of blood on my forearm and upon closer look, I noticed they were coming from two tiny puncture marks, exactly where my arm would have been in relation to where my daughter found the spider.
It itched for about a week, the first few days felt like a very persistent mosquito bite and it faded from there.
That event greatly diminished my instinctive fear of these monster spiders. If the biggest one I've seen yet only caused an (albeit lengthy) itch and zero pain, they can't all be that bad.
Now when I see them, I'll trap them and relocate them outside rather than hitting them with a Dyson vacuum as I used to. In the garage, I let them be as they do go after the camel crickets (same as "cave" or "spider" crickets). An old timer once told me never to harass a beneficial snake such as black snakes as they are only there because their prey is also, and it's their prey that you DON'T want, such as mice or rats.
I guess the same is true for wolf spiders. If they're in your basement, garage or crawlspace, it's likely because their non-beneficial prey is as well. Best to leave them be and allow them to clean house of the other creepy crawlies.
Yup, you're absolutely right on this. These spiders do FAR more good than harm.
Wolf spiders have always held a close place to my heart, they have cool eyes and It's always a treat to get to see the moms carrying their babies around.
It really is endearing, yeah. Thanks for the comment!
First time I saw a spider carrying babies, I didn't recognize the 100's of little spiders on her back, I thought she had strange hair at first. Then she fell off a small ledge and they mostly all fell off, ran around for a second then crawled back up on her and then she kept going, none left behind. One of the coolest things I've ever seen. How the hell do all the babies know to run back up there? How does she know when they all got back up there?
@@DoctorManglerOh that's so cute. I love that.
@@DoctorManglerI'd assume mama knows because of those 8 big ol eyes lol
the are cool but their bites fucking hurt
If you've been able to help people learn not to be afraid of helpful, harmless little buddies like jumping spiders, the common house spider and basement spiders, I count that as a huge win for everyone involved.
Me too. Thanks so much for the kind comment!
I love that you call them buddies! I do as well. 😀. I especially love my Wolfies and my Jumpers.
@@LydiAtheistLady Hey, anyone that adorable who causes no trouble and keeps actual pests away is my buddy. Especially when they set up shop in my food plants. Jumping spiders are the cats of the herb pot.
I started keeping captive bred praying mantis's & it really helped me be more comfortable with bugs in general. Even common house spiders. I have to say that preying mantis's are some of the coolest pets I have ever had. They are beautiful & amazingly fun to observe, they are super easy keepers, & they are not really afraid of people!
Long time fan of jumping spiders here and wolf spiders are cool too. I've watched the ebb and flow of wolfs in my back yard for yrs, sometimes I can walk out with a headband light (crucial that origin of light is close to your eyes) and can see pinpoints of light everywhere, wolf eyes. Sometimes they get absolutely huge (up to 3" long) but usually they stay small. In any case I welcome their work in my gardens.
As a spider keeper and enthusiast, I don't know how I haven't found your channel, sooner. I am CONSTANTLY trying to educate people about spiders. CONSTANTLY!!!!!! The miseducation about spiders INFURIATES me every single day. I have 11 tarantulas and a brown recluse (also a scorpion). I could sit here for hours and type and type, but obviously I won't. Just want to say I'm about to binge your videos and thank you so much for your MASSIVELY important education on these super important and wonderful creatures
on a funny side note, I just purchased the sheet music for piano from 1923 for Tarantella, just because of the history of it
I have a black widow living under my porch her name is Lucy
My aged Mother's been frightened of spiders since one's web loomed above her in her shower as a child. I worried about leaving a wolf spider egg sack tucked into the baseboard behind her bed in her basement, but knew she'd never notice. Nine months later, after telling her, and after telling her about how I occasionally relocated others to the storage closet (and how the one house centipede & occasional carpenter ants were all keeping the bug population in check) she adopted a large garden spider living among her flowers outside, calling it Charlotte, and shedding a tear when it disappeared after spinning a large egg sack (I told her Charlotte moved to Florida). Unfortunately squirrels, birds or the Minnesota winter didn't let any young ones pop up the next spring, but that basic shift meant she was experiencing less anxiety in life. [Better than having to put up with the mouse house I kept in the laundry room for a year and a half after live capture of a family of deer mice, although she delighted in, "sightings," of activity and was again sad for the loss when I moved them to a nature refuge last week.]
That little nod after "I'm sure those spiders are all fine" got a chuckle out of me
working-on-it arachnophobe here, and new to your channel! funnily enough, seeing the cheliceral teeth really endeared this spider to me... brains are weird! love your enthusiasm for these fascinating creatures and thank you for sharing it with the world!
I'm not scared at all anymore. That doesn't mean I'm careless and wouldn't be surprised by the random danglers rappelling from the ceiling, but now I don't run away screaming or even run away at all! I'm counting eyes, looking at how the eyes are affixed and arranged in the face, the size and shape of the spinnerets, and what the petapalps look like! I'm so, so grateful to you and your work! You're a heck of a guy, and living proof that knowledge is power! Thanks!!
Chris Hadfield's TED talk about going blind in space helped me train and re-frame my reactions to surprise webbing
I run away
@@michaeladam5091I also used to react like that just seeing a spider within a few feet of me, and was famous for calling my wife into the room asking her to relocate the offending party. Now, I take care of it myself most of the time, and every time my wife sees an interesting looking one she'll actually call me over to take a look at it and see if I can't guess a few things about based on facts about spiders I've learned on this channel. I urge you to keep watching, and try to keep an open mind. You never know, it might take a long time before you get to where I am with spiders now, but you'll get there. Knowledge is power as they say! I hope you are well and having a great day!!
Spiders actually have 10 legs not 8. There’s 2 more that grow out of their heads. Horrible disgusting creatures.
People are a lot like spiders. Some of them just mind their own business and control the bugs and pests. And some of them want to crap in your mouth.
I have arachnophobia and find watching documentaries about them helpful. I’m still a bit spooked by them but am quickly falling in love with jumping spiders.
i have a lot of plants in my home and welcome spiders. i have never been bitten and never have problems with other bugs in my house. my favorite wolf spider has lived under my bed (at least that is where i see her run to). from time to time i get a visit at my computer desk from spiders (usually babies) coming down from the ceiling and i take them to my plants. spiders are wonderful creatures... they are all over my orchard and garden. not sure about the learning part... i have had spiders who clearly recognize me. excellent program.
If anything, welcoming spiders into your house is making it less hospitable to the insects!
@@LimeyLassen exactly 🙂
There is no way i could do that!! If a spider gets away from me in my home my day has been ruined
I played with many kinds of spiders as a child and was never bitten.
I feel like spiders are far more intelligent than many would think. I've had a few interesting encounters with them over the years.
It always means so much to me to see love given to a group of animals that tends to get unfair hate. Thank you for the videos, they're such a treat
Great presentation and research.on the wolf spider. The humour is a bonus. Liked and subbed. Thxs for the vids!
@@daviddesilva4971You gotta love how Neither the Long Legged Male OR Big Boned Female had no interest in fighting the Cheese monster!
Of the many spiders that occupy my house, Rustic Wolf Spiders (and other closely related Wolf Spiders) are fairly common and I consider them very good roommates. They are not aggressive, hide 99% of the time, eat the bugs you don't want in your house, and generally keep to themselves. 10/10 house spider, would recommend
I’m absolutely terrified of spiders, just looking at pictures of them much less videos makes me paranoid. HOWEVER, I still watch this series because these videos are incredibly entertaining. I guess that’s a testament to how good you are at this.
You shouldn’t fear Spiders. They’re here to help us and kill major pests.
Get a tarantula. They’re an incredibly easy pet to keep with minimal maintenance that, like fish, you don’t need to touch or let roam freely.
I’d recommend a Brachypelma albopilosum not B. Smithi as they can be prone to defensive bouts resulting in a bombardment of urticating hairs.
I absolutely adore these little critters. Wolf spiders are actually the main reason why I got invested and so interested in spiders in the first place, when I was a little kid some 25 years ago.
Great video, I genuinely enjoyed it and really learned a lot of new things that I didn’t know.
Good stuff, man!
Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪
wow... just discovered this channel. as a lifelong spider lover, i appreciate the accurate detailed information. 🙂
I love spiders! Everyone thinks I am crazy, but I am fascinated by them. Thank you for the knowledge. It may fit in my lifetime's wealth of useless knowledge, (I am a nurse by trade,)but it is something I am very interested in learning. Thank you!!
You remind me of how the word Amateur means Someone Who Loves, bringing us entertaining education about spiders in quality I'd expect from a collegiate class, complete with cited creatures and documented field science! The Cheese test counts as science. You and @clintsreptiles should absolutely collab, you have the same passion for science and similar sense of humor.
Thanks so much! I loved his reaction to bad Halloween decorations - I die a little inside everytime I enter a department store in mid-October...
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Wolf spiders are definitely the largest spiders I come across locally, they love to hide under the leaves by me lol. Also glad I watched this video because i now know about a quarter of the spiders I was labeling wolf spiders aren't wolf spiders, they're grass spiders
Glad the video was helpful! Thanks!
Stealthy ground spiders can also be mistaken for small wolf spiders!
Great natural pest control.
I love having them in my garden, they keep my plants safe :p
Sounds like you like laying next to spiders not the other way around! Remember the lawn is their territory.
I love grass spiders. There was one that lived between a flowerpot and the wall of my house right next to the door. My cats would always run off and come back with fleas so I started dropping some into his web and he became my friend. I think he recognized my voice because he would hide a lot less when I was near him compared to the rest of my family. His name was Phillip and he got my mom to be much less scared of spiders.
I will always tune into these videos but this one is gonna have a special place in my heart.
Wolf Spiders make me nostalgic. I went to a science camp as a tween and caught an ENORMOUS wolf spider- we were doing bug-catching that day. I was so thrilled, but i failed to get her into the bug box because my partner panicked. Now i love to see wolfies around my house, and they've always been incredibly polite creatures. I like to think of them as a tennant of the same apartment complex that works night shift and wants nothing to do with anyone. They prefer the dark, they prefer the most low-traffic areas of the house, and they love our cricket-infested basement.
Our basement that happens to be right next to my painting studio, so i see them running across my painting room floor a lot! Never been bitten, nevwr been threatened, and if you poke one they flee with great exaggerated leg movements. Like theyre fully aware that they are a small, fragile creature in a big, scarry world.
The big female who lives in my studio is named Decapitator because she keeps leaving cricket heads around.
Also they carry their babies in little silk baggies and they're great mamas. I accidentally spooked a momma into dropping her egg sac when I turned over a bit of wood. After a quick 15 second panic and realizing she wasn't actively dying, she searched for her baby backpack and re-equipped it, then went on her way.
The little captions on the spider pics/vids which convey the spider's fictional personality are SUPER cute. As was the funny cheese jumpscare; glad those two got away safely from the black-diamond rated lactic menace! Your editing is as always superb. And once again, I have to give praise to the affect in your voice: factual, reassuring, and compassionate. Your animations this episode were _charming_. Thank you for sharing your journey with the mama and her babies!! Until next time, don't be late and don't eat food.
"I had a bad Lawyer." Travis has a great sense of humor.😃😆
What a refreshing video! It's nice to hear them spoken about so respectfully and without any fearmongering. I have a soft spot for Wolf Spiders and I appreciate their contribution to my environment.
When I lived in a rural area of Florida we used to have a wolf spider come in to chase a mouse that routinely got in. The mouse would steal dog food, run partway across the living room, stop to squeak at us, then go hide the stolen food in our shoes. The spider would chase the mouse, also stop in the middle of the living room, wave at us, and carry on with their chase. It simply became part of dinnertime entertainment after a week or so and we couldn't keep either of them out for long.
Any chance you could do a video on the joro spiders that have decided to move into Georgia and that general area? Before people run out and start making DIY flamethrowers (if it hasn't happened yet I guarantee it will, probably in Florida).
i've heard talk about joro spiders in georgia but i haven't actually seen them yet. would you happen to know which specific part/s of the state they're being spotted in? their colours are just so flamboyant and jolly and i'd love to meet one for myself
I'd actually like to cover the Joro spider at some point. I don't have them this far north, but they've been in the news enough that it would be a good idea to do it at some point.
@@b.collins2656 This map is a year or so old but gives a general idea of distribution.
i.redd.it/o71shlx1lbt71.png
@@travismcenery2919 I'm pretty sure I saw one in Florida in the late 80s, she was a beauty. 3D web and a number of other small spiders of different species living in her web with her. I named her Jezebel.
@@travismcenery2919 Now that I'm thinking about, what about those giant fishing spiders? Or doing a collab with @ExoticsLair?
my favorite of all spiders, smart, safe, no aggressive
Brilliant video Travis! Really enjoyed this. I'm always amazed when spiders like these end up on the "deadliest" lists. Really interesting to see them up close, without freaking out, which is likely if I tried handling them. Anyway, great content, keep up the good work!
a month ago I found a momma wolf spider absolutely COVERED in babies at one of the buildings I was cleaning. It took me a while to figure out how to move her since I didn't have a cup or anything. I eventually convinced her to get onto a sheet of paper and stay STILL long enough to get outside. We did lose one baby in the process however.
In my job, I see so many spiders and bugs, I don't have time to save them all, so some do end up sucked into vacuums. But when there's THAT many of them all together, I'll make the effort to move them elsewhere.
Love the fact that you not only go in depth regarding everything about spiders, but also the challenges and hurdles for those who are interested in spiders and would like to research more about them. Keep it up!
That coutship noise is a dead ringer for my printer when it does daily calibration and whatnot. 😂
That momma was startled but protective, and all those slings on her back are too cute!
I loved the technician specifications during the aggression test.
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Thanks, I try to have a bit of fun with those!
@@travismcenery2919I just love how BOTH The Rabid Long Legged Male and the BBW Beauty Female just didn’t bother to fight with the Cheese monster. They both just ran away!
I grew up in rural Arkansas where I've seen hundreds (if not thousands) of wolf spiders throughout my 37 years. I've long recognized their harmlessness. It is rather unpleasant to find them in the house, though, since they tend to be startling as you mentioned, and they can get disturbingly large. The big ones need a bowl rather than a cup to avoid breaking their legs.
They also seem to be able to recognize the territories of other more dangerous species. (That or they don't survive long there.) My garage is full of brown recluse spiders, and I don't think I've ever seen a wolf spider in there.
The sample size of two for the biteyness test mightn't be very useful for generalizing behavior. Those brown recluses in my garage all behave differently per individual. I've seen some of them want nothing but to run, while others default directly to aggression and won't back down for anything; the rest fall all across the spectrum between. That being said, I think the only wolf spiders I've ever seen assume a threat pose were females dragging an egg sac, and that seemed to be only an attempt to create opening for escape. None in my memory ever tried to strike. So, I guess your two spiders were good for demonstrating general behavior even if they weren't enough to thoroughly investigate it.
I can say that once in my childhood I still got a bite from a big wolf spider when I caught it very carelessly. It was a rather painful, but quickly passed prick and a slight redness at the bite site, which disappeared after a few hours.
But mostly wolf spiders are pretty cute and not aggressive creatures, they don't bite, in a dangerous situation trying to just run away.
I wish spiders could have their own anti-defamation league. For people to be afraid of or repelled by creatures they don't even take the trouble to learn about -- that's so sad. Of course, humans display this same prejudicial judgment towards members of their own species. I've enjoyed watching spiders and getting the rare opportunity to interact with them for most of 83 years. It takes only a few minutes to find out which spiders in a given region are truly dangerous (if any!), and then those can simply be avoided. Thanks for these humane and informative videos.
You may find this interesting:
I caught a female of the same species with an egg sac, too. I kept her until the babies dispersed, and I noticed that in the areas where the babies seemed to be gathered most, the mother had made little like, simple nets of web to protect them. Nothing fancy, just little bunches of parallel strands about 2-3cm long.
That's really interesting! I released this one before her young all dispersed, so I didn't observe that part.
Your dry sense of humour is an absolute Hoot and you maintain our fascination of this subject throughout. really great presentation , thanks Travis.
Thanks for creating such a detailed and watchable video. I always loved spiders as a little kid and would memorise facts about them from a Collins Gem book... I seemed to develop more of a fear of them in real life as I got a bit older. Luckily exposing myself more and more to them through content like this (as well as other videos, reddit groups etc) has taken it away and now I can just enjoy that curiosity again!
8:01 from my experience keeping rustic wolf spiders, I've had quite a few dig burrows
8:12 Some wolf spiders like rabidosa rabida do have spinnerets that are kinda long
22:06 Some wolf spiders the ones in the genus Sosippus build webs
24:42 From my own experience, wolf spiders will be more of an active hunter during the dark
27:54 I think Hogna carolinensis also does this, when I was trying to make them mate (they were similar in size), my female lunged at him and flipped on her back and stayed like that for a while. God bless your soul Aragog
39:30 For intelligence, some things I have noticed with my wolf spiders is that when I handle them, they become more accustomed to it and tolerate it more and more. Wolf spiders also seem to respond to your very presence as well since whenever I walk past mine, they seem to walk to me a day after feeding them. After some days of not feeding them, they quickly stopped doing that
For your cheese test, it depends on the species, I bothered a Schizocosa mccooki once, and after a bit it decided it had enough and bit me.
yea i kept some rustic wolf spiders with a friend once and almost all dug burrows
Yeah, there are a few outliers among lycosids. And you're right, trochosa do construct burrows, but did the ones you were keeping stay in the burrows permanently, all the time? The ones I find around here are always out wandering. They made a burrow to make the eggsac, but left once the eggs all hatched.
I didn't keep any long enough to develop the kind of "relationship" with them that you did, but I absolutely believe it. These spiders definitely are capable of learning.
I used to raise crickets years ago. (Originally for a tarantula, but eventually kept as pets themselves.) I studied the little guys for years and found that they have a huge amount of intelligence. They had language, fairly complex. They had social rules, and circumstances under which the rules were broken. They hade a dominance order. And they did recognize and remember me. When I had to take their terrarium down to clean it the poor crickets were terrified for I'd say weeks. They would all run for cover every time I'd walk by. But when it had been a long time since I destroyed their home they became quite tame. They would continue their business with me walking by or watching them for hours. Some of them even seemed very curious about me and tried to examine me through the terrarium glass. And one time when I only had one cricket alone he actually turned and sang his courtship song directly to me in response to me talking to him.
I've studied other kinds of tiny critters, too, like katydids, and found a shocking amount of intelligence in them, too.
So my thought is that if some kinds of insects can have a crazy high degree of intelligence I could easily see where some arachnids could, too.
In nature the crickets I had don't live in high concentration groups like mine usually were. And yet they showed all this social intelligence. The same with the katydids that I raised. So I would imagine that spiders are capable of a lot more than just hunting and terrain recognition, too. Especially since the stakes would be so high if a disagreement with a neighbor spider went wrong.
@@travismcenery2919 sorry for a late reply, but my Trochosa did stay in their burrows permanently.
@@anyascelticcreationsBelieve it or not, I actually experimented with different wolf spiders living together (not just the same species) and they exhibited a sort of hierarchy as well. The two Carolina wolves were top dog followed by the rustics then the ground wolves and the rabid wolves were kind of like the security force. They immediately spun a perimeter fence about 3-4 cm tall and the rabid wolves regularly patrolled it as well as would stand vigilant guard over others that were molting or spinning eggsacs from the other spiders and prey. The carolinas, significantly chonkier than the rest, would regularly kill the larger crickets and heartier prey I would give the commune and would regularly be seen delivering the already weakened prey to the smaller spiders that may not have been able to make the kill themselves. At one point, my largest Carolina, Queen Jolene, orchestrated, facilitated and actively encouraged the elaborate escape of 5 of the other much smaller spiders even though she was far too incredibly massive to escape as well! (I was watching in awe but managed to recapture all 5 escapees and kept them in a different enclosure for a while so Jolene didn't get depressed and feel like she failed to free them. 😅 They're simply fascinating and incredible creatures!
Grew up with Wolf Spiders. Usually found them in bathtubs and sinks. Never killed them just scooped them up in a cup or just picked them up in my hand and placed them in a closet so the cat wouldn't torment them. Had a good scare about a month ago where I nodded off in my recliner and felt something on my right hand. I opened my eyes and saw a Wolf Spider as big as my hand. I leaned forward slowly; it turned and ran down my chair and disappeared. Honestly, I was more surprised than scared once I saw what kind of spider it was.
Another banger! I'd say you toed the line between focusing on the species while also using said species as a jump-off point for general wolf spider knowledge :) The last bit about intelligence being filtered through human experience, and thus we're quick to brush off anything that doesn't conform to our standards, is always an important thing to consider.
Great work, Travis! Love your stuff keep it up :)
Thank you for making this. I’ve grown up terrified of these spiders, finding spiders that I assumed were wolf spiders in my bed sheets since I saw them all of the floors of a house in California. Seeing them actually choose to run away rather than fight the persistent cheese helps me see them in a different light. Please keep making these, it’s very informative and your humor makes these enjoyable. If you could do a video on wind-scorpions, that would be awesome! Found one in the aforementioned house and as kids we thought we had a camel spider was in the house lol
A friend recently recommended your channel to me, and while it'll take me a bit to catch up on your past videos, what I've seen has been great! Was also looking for a wolf spider video, as that is the group that I've worked on the most in the past. T. ruricola was an unintended species we ended up catching a fair bit of in a pitfall study I did in undergrad, but not one I've ever seen in homes in this area. We mostly run across Tigrosa helluo (formerly Hogna helluo).
Glad you're enjoying the videos, and thanks for the comment! I find T. ruricola more outside my house than inside, but it's not unusual for me to find one that has wandered in.
Whew! That's a lot of research, great camera work, and information. As always your video is fascinating. It's quite difficult for a casual spider watcher to discover more than the unaided eye to take in. Most spiders don't much care for being handled and are very fast at exiting the scene. If nothing else, this video will help me identify some medium-sized brown spiders with stripes down their abdomens by process of elimination. Thanks for doing all the hard work so that spider dilettantes can learn and enjoy.
Glad it's helpful, and thanks so much!
Grass spiders and nursery web spiders can look similar to wolf spiders as well
Thanks for the update with more info.
I lived with wolf spiders living in my bathtub drain for several years. Once, one bit my big toe. Yep, I saw him do it. Yep, it hurt quite a bit, but only lasted a couple minutes. No swelling, no after effects beyond a minute or two of pain.
Loved the video. Very interesting and informative as well as in depth. I have seen quite a few wolf spiders in my yard, garage, and a few inside. On a couple of occasions I've seen the females covered in the baby spiderlings. Very interesting spiders to say the least. Thank you for everything you do.❤️🕷️
You're most welcome, and thanks!
Hey Travis, another cool group of spiders to do would be the raft/fishing/dock spiders of the dolomedes. Beautiful and for a lot of folks they may be some of the largest spiders they will see. Around where i am in upstate new york ive seen a few with 3 inch plus legspans and their parenting habits are quite cool too. Just caught one hanging out in my house the other day in fact! I'd also love to see if they could, or more importantly would, bite the cheese. Love all your videos so ill definitely be watching this several times over the next few days!
Oh and of course you mentioned them in this very video!
I haven't done a long-form video on these spiders yet, but I'm keeping one right now (Donna, whose picture you saw in this video). I did a short video in which she built an eggsac in captivity, and let me capture the whole process:
czcams.com/video/Y1Zf7T1_GfI/video.html
I think this arrangement of eyes is probably ideal for any predatory organism. Amazingly efficient and effective. Eyes to the front, you hunt. Eyes to the side, you hide. They have both
I live with wolf spiders and the biggest one lowered itself right in front of me one day seemingly introducing itself. I'm not sure if it is still living in the sump pump well, and I find it intriguing as intelligence was demonstrated so simply. I replied by catching the web it was hanging by and gently lowering it to the floor next to me. ❤
the same wolf spider keeps coming back so my house(probably because i dont leave it far from my house) i can tell its the same one because its missing a leg so i just learned to live with it now :)
I get so excited when another one comes out! So grateful, your work is amazing.
Glad you're enjoying the channel, and thanks so much!
Thank you for making this. Found a wolf spider in my house, and had to enlist a neighbor to put her outside because her sheer size was enough to make me terrified to walk room to room. The lingering fear has given my girlfriend a Strong aversion to all things arachnid related. The cheese test quite literally made me let out a long exhale I hadn't even realized I was holding in. Much appreciated!
I had to help a little wolf spider in my basement for a while. She had such a big egg sack that it would get stuck under the door every time she tried to move from inside to outside. I have no idea why she tried to take it under the basement door so many times, but I had to unwedge it and hand it back to her on an almost daily basis. Doubt she had any way of knowing a human was handing it to her, but she always scooped it right out of my fingers and went right on her way. Eventually I found her outside in the grass next to the door with all her little babies aboard.
Spiders and a handful of arthropods being such active parents has always fascinated me. And I pretty strongly agree with the scientist' statement on humans applying a natural bias to how they read into the perceived intelligence of animals ( especially animals less like us than our furry tetrapod cousins). Hopefully more and more research can be done on how animals in general see the world
FINALLY, a channel on spiders I can LOVE ❤ Nicely done! Professional quality, scientifically accurate, yet humorous and sensitive to both spiders and people who might (understandably given all the B.S. out there on spiders) be afraid of them. Subscribed, hit notifications, and I'm sending this vid to various people who claimed they've been bitten by wolf spiders, to which I say "really? did you see it bite you, and was it actually a wolf spider??? Love the mamas with the busload of kiddos on their backs--I have dozens of photos of that going back to when I had to use actual film, pre-digital. Never been bit by a wolfie--lived with them in and around my home happily for decades--they take care of real pests--don't kill them! In fact, I spritz water for them in the winter when it gets dry indoors due to the heat--I do that for all my house guest spidys--especially the jumpers, God, I love jumpers....
Here in West Virginia we get some massive wolf spiders around. The ones that have babies on their backs CAN be a little braver when you come too close. They seem like they might be rushing at your chasing you, but i think its just them at a last resort to protect their babies? i have no idea. i have seen some massive wolfies here though.
Good to know wolf spiders don't make webs. A friend of mine claims she walked into a web at head level with a wolf spider with babies on her back. She ended up with a head full of baby spiders... don't know what type of spider it was.
Yes, there are some species that get really, really big. And I'd expect mothers carrying young are probably extra-protective. Thanks for the comment!
"I had a bad Lawyer" said the Italian Wolf Spider.
Travis has a great sense of humor 😃😆
I used to be afraid of wolf spiders. I have had them drop on my leg from lurking under a table top. They have run over me in my recliner. I brushed one off the table once. They’ve never bitten me. I’ve come to view them the same way as the tarantulas in their holes outside my RV. While they’re not my favorite companions, they’re more congenial than a lot of people.
Always informative and entertaining! I hope you are able to keep producing such excellent content. I have no problems with spiders, and really enjoy learning about them. Most of the spiders in my house hang out in the basement; I rarely see them upstairs. ❤🕷️
I came across your videos about a week ago, and ever since, my interest in spiders and their lives blossomed. Love the content!
I am amazed at how you find these little wolf spiders. Your little comments on the images really give the spiders a character most probably would not see before squishing them. I am trying to get some arachnophobic people in my life to understand that killing them instead of taking them out of your house is not a bad thing! I am also hoping that my daughter learns from you, since she still has NOT learned from me, that spiders have a job and we are too big to be food!
Thanks to your wife for editing your script! I understand how difficult it is to cut some great content, but she does it well!
19:10 THE HOP DUDE IM CRYINGGG, POOR LITTLE GUY GOT SO SCARED 😭 😭 😭
I was terrified of spiders as a small child and I checked books out from the library hoping to learn how to destroy them. At first, I was so frightened of spiders I could hardly even look at their pictures on the pages. Jumping spiders and crab spiders won me over first by looking so unique. Wolf spiders caught my attention next because of the cool common name (i always imagined that they were like werewolves of the spider world. After reading all the spider books my school library and public library had to offer, i had become a huge spider fan. Keep up the good work!
The skits are an awesome addition to the content! I love how far in depth the research as well as the tests/ pictures you do yourself.
I saw what I thought was a wolf spider carrying an egg sac in her fangs. Now I know that she was a pisaurid, how cool! Thanks for the great videos 👍
I have a wolf spider female, she was sizable, and even had 1 shed after I got her. She is now over 3 years old- previous wolfies ive kept usually only lasted 1-2 at most. I agree that there are more to these guys, as ive seen distinct personalites. For example, compared to the others ive had in the past, this unusually long lived girl is quite aggressive, and confident. She happily threat displays at the water droplet dispenser ifi pester her with it (although she always gleefully dives face first into water droplets that land in front of her), and at least earlier in her life she had a tendency to kill as many prey items as she came across- even dropping ones she already killed to get at new ones (previous spiders ignored or ran from additional prey items once they had one in mouth).
I wanna like this comment 20 times ... But sadly I can't
@@claycavok She passed away in March, having lived over 3 years (a good year+ longer than average) RIP little Misha.
I used to hate spiders so much. I got so scared of one that I dropped a hose reel on my foot and broke a blood vessel! You’ve really helped ease my anxiety about them, Mr. Spider guy!
Sorry about your foot, but I'm so glad to hear the channel is helping. Thanks!
Great video! Spiders kind of fascinate me and make me feel squeamish at the same time, but your knowledge and presentation is really engaging
Thanks so much, I'm glad it helps!
I just got recommended this video and I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to find such a beautiful spider channel, this video was really enjoyable (and informative of course)!
Thank you as always for the detailed and informing videos! It's so hard to find good and accurate youtube videos about spiders that are more common
I live in Arkansas currently and have noticed that we have a kind of wolf spider much larger than the one shown by your finger in the video. I would guess ours to be about 1 - 1 1/2" from toe to toe in a normal standing position. And they definitely do carry their babies on their back. Lots of babies. Lots and lots of babies.
I wondered what my cat was so interested in one day so I went over to check it out in case she had found something dangerous. And what I saw was hundreds and hundreds of tiny little spiders stampeding across my living room floor. 😱 Don't get me wrong. I like spiders. I especially like wolf spiders. But that was waaayyy too many for me in my home.
When I moved an end table shortly afterward I saw a wonderfully large female who I assumed was the parent of the swarm. (Which is why I tentatively identified the babies as such. They were far too little for me to ID as they were racing across my floor.)
Not long after that I found a similar sized female on the outside of my building. She was carrying her litter of spiderlings on her back, just like the one in my apartment must have done.
And my neighbor had the fortune to actually see one of these gals drop her young. She described it as a "spider bomb". I thought that was a perfect term for these big mamas and their young.
I wonder how the mother tells all of her children to jump ship all at the same time. And why the wee ones in my apartment all ran for cover in the same direction.
I admit, I would have preferred to witness this phenomenon someplace other than in my home. 😅 Though, I'm glad we have these xl spiders around.
The "spider bomb" would be amazing to see! And I can understand the nervousness about having so many in your house - but spider infant mortality is abysmally high, so only a handful would survive for long.
@@travismcenery2919 I agree about the "spider bomb" being amazkng to see. Unfortunately my neighbor didn't appreciate the coolness of it. It was pretty cool to see the aftermath of the one who dropped her young in my living room I admit, even if it was in my home. I wondered how many of the little guys would survive. I think a lot of them ran out my door that I often keep open. I know hundreds hid inside, but I can't imagine they'd find much that is small enough for them to eat. I hope they leave my peaceful silverfish alone. Though, they're welcome to any baby earwigs they can find.
I saw the spider bomb once, unfortunately also in my house. My mom tried to put a bucket over the spider to scoop it out of the house. It must have startled the spiders, because when she eased it up to slide paper underneath, all the babies scattered. Definitely something to keep in mind when you're trying to safely remove a wolf spider.
@@tea_time_t I think we're onto something. I think the mother wolf spiders somehow send a signal to the babies to run for their lives when the mama fears for her own. I think the spider bomb exploded in my home at the promoting of a kitty paw. If I were mama wolf spider and a giant paw bopped me on the head from above I would probably tell my babies to run for their lives too.
I'm sorry you ended up with a bazillion baby spiders in your home. And that your poor mom maybe had the surprise of her life, too. But at the same time, I'm glad that you got to experience rhe "spider bomb", too.
As a resident of Toronto, I am, Sir, extremely offended by your lack of insulting said city! There is plenty wrong here, most being not enough spiders.
You're tellin' me.
I love this comment so much... And I'll try harder next time I mention Toronto.
What a treat to find your channel! This presentation on wolf spiders is very enjoyable. I recently chased one in my daughter’s home, and wished I saw them in my own home. I keep a few new world tarantulas for many years. The spider king stage is so engaging, what with dirt curtains and water dishes to fill with substrate. I love spiders and joyously welcome each one I find.
Glad you're enjoying the channel! I've had three new world T's, but I've never had them at the sling stage - it sounds like a fascinating challenge (but not one I can undertake right now). Thanks so much for the comment!
Subscribed, liked, and now commenting. You’ve a calming demeanor whilst conveying real knowledge. I appreciate that. Thank you and awesome video!
Thank you much for these videos, appreciate the good content and hard work. Now maybe less people will give us trouble for catching and releasing spidery friends from our house to the backyard instead of swatting them lol
would you ever do one on huntsman? theyre so common here in my town, yet so feared. i think theyre funny.
I've heard their venom is very potent and causes pretty severe necrosis, but I've also heard they are pretty chill spiders that rarely bite unless you actively try to hurt them.
I'd love to cover the huntsman at some point, but I don't have them here in Nova Scotia. I'm still figuring out how exactly to go about covering spiders I don't have personal experience with, but it's in the plans for down the line.
I helped escort a wolf spider out of my coworkers office just last week! They were all freaking out and begging me to kill the poor little guy, but I convinced them to give me the lid of a box and a piece of paper. Simply brushed the wolf spider onto the box lid and walked with him outside. From what I have seen this one wasn't even fully grown so I'm glad I was there to help get him out of my coworkers desk harm free lol.
delightfully educational as always--every new video ends up being the highlight of my day!
Never clicked a video faster🫶
I found a big female wolf spider with a blue egg sac I wish I could attach the picture of her
Great format! Kept me engaged the whole time and even though I have learned a lot about spiders back when physical libraries were more of a thing, your research and observations have taught me tons more! Keep up with those cheese tests!!!
I love the detail you give to these videos! Keep them coming! I’m hooked!
Glad you like them!
I wouldn't go to a medical practice that didn't know the difference between poison and venom
The only difference I see is spelling. (Sarcasm)
Love your long videos. I'm here for them! It has changed the way I think about spiders. Still make me shudder due to their look, but they're helpful. So I keep em
These videos are so interesting and thorough, I can’t wait for the next one!
A few years ago I discovered one of you rustic wolf spiders on our laundry room floor. I grabbed a broom and poked it at him in an effort to get him out of the room. As soon as I poked him, he faced me, reared back on his hind legs, raised up his front legs and appeared challenged me to a fight. He clearly didn't care how big I was. I was impressed, but he lost anyway.
Been here since the first 3 videos you made, and I wanted to say it is insane how fast your channel grew, you are amazing with your editing skills, and good job dude.
Just the other day I cupped a Hogna baltimoriana in a Subway restroom and brought it outside. Dude was a biggun haha Thanks to channels like this one I'm slowly getting over my fear of spiders. So thank you for all the quality content!!!
I had a horriblly long work day and finding this channel put the proper cap on the day. Great video!
I was so thrilled to find your video. I’ve always been fascinated by spiders and don’t find them creepy at all. I never squish spiders and even let them live in my house because I assume they are feeding on insects that I prefer not to have in my house. I have been bitten by a wolf spider but it was totally my mistake by reaching into a laundry basket that she had been resting in. It felt like a prick but didn’t swell. I’m also a beekeeper and when I get stung I swell a lot. We have seen many wolf spiders over the years with egg sacks and I don’t allow anyone in my family to harm them and I always enjoy seeing her with the hatched babies on her back. When my friends tell me that spiders creep them out yet they find butterflies beautiful , I tell them that they should imagine them as a butterfly without the wings, and they won’t be so creeped out.
Cheers buddy, another fascinating and informative video from start to finish. Hope the channel keeps growing and you can keep doing it.
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Amazing videos as always!! Love the wolf spider. You should do a video on the SIX SPOTTED ORB WEAVER. such beautiful creatures. I always try to feed them lightning bugs and moths when i see them out at night. Thank you avain for your very informative videos.
Such an awesome channel. Entertaining and informative at the same time. Keep up the great videos! 🕷️
O. M. G. Travis! Your videos are betterer and betterer every time! I see I was mistaking a wolf spider for a huntsman I found in my bathroom here in Florida! He was a big boi and so beautiful. I love your channel the most. Thanx so much!
Love wolf spiders and all the information you gave in this video was great! Keep it up. Can't wait to see more :)
Many years ago when I was teaching young children, a little boy spilled his milk on the slab of concrete we were sitting on for a little picnic in the shade on the playground. The kid was very upset so whether it was just right off the top fo my head or based in some distant childhood memory, I exclaimed to the tearful child..."Don't worry Jason, the milk spiders will come and drink it up!" Why I thought the idea of milk spiders coming to drink uptake spilled milk would be a cheerful thought for little Jason I'll never know but I was as surprised or more so than the assembled picnickers when about 5 minutes later we glanced down to see 2 "daddy longlegs" using their palps of whatever those deals are, to lap up the milk puddle they were standing in! I know they're not actually spiders, but we were all amazed. I discovered years later that harvesters have a special love of fats...doesnt everyone!!
This was the shot of spider-y goodness I needed mid work week. Thank you!
I found your videos yesterday and I cant stop watching them! they're so interesting, keep it up!
Thanks so much, glad you're enjoying them!
This was incredibly informative. Thank you!
I’m so happy the algorithm brought this to my homepage!
While I want no business with spiders zooooming towards or crawling on me, I do quite like them! I think it’s absolutely fascinating to watch them go about their spider business, so I’m glad you took the time to explain some of what “spider business” entails for these guys. And who doesn’t love cute baby pictures and nice family portraits? Subscribed!🕷
Loved this video! This is only my first introduction to your content, but I loved this one so much and would love to learn more about different species of wolf spiders! Your style of editing and narrating is particularly endearing. Many times I found myself grinning ear to ear at a funny line of narration that made me think about the spiders in an entirely different light. Maybe some day this will be a field I pursue. I dunno, I think I feel a calling. Thank you for loving spiders and sharing that love with us!
Mate this is awesome, I never expected to find a video like this so fascinating.