Why did this spider die on my entry way?

[UnDeaD77]

I walked outside this morning, and this little guy was slowly crawling, but moving slowly, and just stopped, and his legs were cruelling up, as he was dieing for some reason. Is anyone a spider expert? as to why it died, and what type it is?

[P8riot]

Wolf Spider. Old Age - looks like it was a pretty good size? Nasty jumping buggers.. they can put a hurtin' on ya.

They get 4-5 inches across around here.

Edit: I didn't mean hurt you like deadly or anything.. just an ouchy bite. They eat bugs real good and love cockroaches.

[UnDeaD77]

I was thinking wolf, don't they bury themselves into the ground, and leap out to catch prey?

I also got semi- close to take that picture, I'm glad he was dieing, I can't stand spiders that much myself. Although I think I'm less freaked out of the bigger spiders, they seem less dangerous than the little ones we've got down here in Texas. Widows...ugh stay away from those.

[P8riot]

I think in FL we have every bug on the planet and the spiders to match. I don't think the Wolf as a group bury themselves but rather use other animals holes to hide it. All the kinds I know of (but I am no expert mind you) lie in ambush and leap out on their prey.

At least it wasn't in you ear.

Edit: I looked closer and it is hard to tell, but the Thorax looks partially desiccated or 'dried up' - it may have just been a really old bugger or it's mate or rival attacked it and mortally wounded it.

[w.WAREHOUSE]

If you are living in Texas, there is a good chance that spider friend of yours belongs to the Aphonopelma tarantula family.

I used to have one for a pet that I found out in a park. They live under rocks and in abandoned mouse borrows, and usually feed on insects...although we trained ours to actually eat mice too.


General information on them:
Height: Approximately 2-3 inches high.
Body length: Approximately 3-4 inches.
Life Span: Females-40+ years, Males-15 years.
Color: Light brown abdomen with dark brown legs.
Females: Are larger than males, and have an abdomen about the size of a quarter.
Males: Smaller than females.
Characteristics: Have 8 legs, 2 big fangs, and are very hairy


As to what killed it:
Most tarantulas are killed by predatory wasps called Tarantula hawks. The Tarantula hawks sting their prey and use the paralyzed tarantula body to lay their eggs in. The offspring of the Tarantula hawks hatch inside the spider and eat their way out!

Here are my 2 votes for what it was:

http://www.members.tripod.com/~McCoi...rt/tbrown2.jpg

http://www.animal-world.com/encyclo/...nTarantula.php

[P8riot]

Originally Posted by w.WAREHOUSE

As to what killed it:
Most tarantulas are killed by predatory wasps called Tarantula hawks. The Tarantula hawks sting their prey and use the paralyzed tarantula body to lay their eggs in. The offspring of the Tarantula hawks hatch inside the spider and eat their way out!

That would be a good explaination of that spot where it looks like the desiccation starts on the thorax.

If you are REALLY curious about it, you could scoop it up and take it to your nearby Ag Extension office - I don't know if you have Ag Extension offices in your area, but we have them everywhere.

[CingularDuality]

Yeah, that definitely looks like a tarantula to me.

I used to have one as a pet when I lived in Arizona. Bought crickets for it at the pet store... Let the spider go after a few months, and tossed the last two or three crickets out, too. House was infested with crickets until we moved out.

[UnDeaD77]

Yeah, after studying both pictures, almost identical. Still, I'm weary of spiders. I was bitten by a brown recluses when I was 11 or 12.

[whistler]

I'm getting pic dead

[=MAXx=]

Originally Posted by P8riot

I think in FL we have every bug on the planet and the spiders to match.

I can second that.

[Ricca]

Im live in Ga and the best spider to me is a DEAD one....

[Buckets]

Thats a tarantula and it probably died by being canabalized by tarantula hawk larvae. They're really nice, docile spiders. I used to play with them when I was a kid growing up outside of Tucson.

[Acreo Aeneas]

Poor Spidey!