What type of spider is this?

[Bunnylady]

Redhen is also a spider 'expert' - send her a PM or better yet send the spider to her in Mass.

Just can't resist stirring things up, can you, Sour?

The OP's spider looks like a wolf spider to me. We have several species of wolf spiders around here, some that grow to an adult size of about an inch or so, to one kind that has about a 4" leg span. They are beautifully camouflaged, but other than the shock you might experience when seeing one, they are pretty much harmless.

 

[piphens7]

I think you are all very brave & I am so so so glad we don't have such huge spiders in England as I am terrified of them, I hate this time of year as we get house spiders moving in for the winter & I have night terrors about them! I was thinking of a form of therapy to help but my sister had this done & she said to overcome your fear you have to handle a spider!! So I can't even do that! I would love to visit America & Australia however I'd need sedation if I came across a wolf spider! Strangely I'm obsessed with them! Anyway think your all awesome for not freaking out!

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: Have you heard of ancestral miasma? It helps form instinct in both animals and humans. It's a heritable mental pattern, which gets stronger and stronger every time it's acted upon. Almost like a habit, except this one is imprinted genetically and will be passed on to at least some, maybe all, of your offspring.

If there was no pre-existing miasma of that sort, it can still be learned in one lifetime and unlearned in one lifetime too. Strangely enough, juniper berries help unwrite it. If I have a chicken or animal which has negative patterns of thought or behavior which aren't bad enough to cull for, then juniper will help them write new pathways. Therapy is only as useful as the mind is plastic; if you're lacking ability to change you won't get far. Various things help make our genetic patterns and DNA 'laws' changeable.

The minds of humans and animals are like soft rock. A thought is like a tiny trickle of water. If it passes over once it leaves no impression unless there was strong emotional or physical stimuli attached to the experience that provoked the thought. (In that case, a thought/reaction/behavioral pattern can become a set and powerful instinct in one blow, so to speak). Generally though, thoughts must be repeated before they carve a definite pathway, like water carving through rock to make a riverbed. Neural pathways become large, easily visible highways after something is repeated enough times, and thoughts and patterns of behavior follow/flow much swifter and easier down this now well established highway. What was once a single filament of thread becomes a thick many-stranded rope. But without traffic it can wither and die, due to our brain's plasticity. The same is true of animals. Juniper berries can also undo miasma which predicts physical issues, health, mental, and so forth. Some mental patterns lead to physical diseases in both humans and animals, particularly heart disease and self abuse.

Anyhow, I understand that this sounds 'woo-woo' and possibly witchy to some folks, even though it's not either... But just offering a different take on what can impel behavior, especially heritable compulsions, in animals and humans. There are many treatments, orthodox and otherwise, which deliberately or coincidentally correct or worsen these ancestral miasmas. We create new miasma, and 'embroider' the old, with our lifestyles, our habits of thought and behavior, our environments, our diets, etc. As do our animals.

Best wishes.

 

[piphens7]

Thanks for taking the time to reply , I am open minded about most things and that was very interesting. I have unintentionally passed on my irrational thoughts on spiders to my youngest, which I am cross about.

 

[KristyHall]

It looks like a wolf spider. They are docile and prefer to run rather than bite. Their bites are usually harmless but can be very painful. Roughly 1 percent of the population has a sensitivity to wolf spider bites that cause their bodies to react to it like brown recluse bite, causing a painful sore that can become infected very quickly.

A cool fact bout wolf spiders is that their eyes glow if you shine a flashlight on them. You can easily locate wolf spiders in the grass at night by shining a flash light round until you catch their green blue eye reflections.

 

[duckinnut]

Yup certainly looks like a variety of a wolf. While I would never own a spider but do appreciate their contribution to society. Some see them as pests but I view them as pest eradicators. If I find a web in the house in a place that is not bothersome,why bother them? They take care of any ants,flies or others that have the misfortune of their web. Think about it. They build their web and stay put for the most part. Sure there are bug carcasses on the floor but that is the point. Free pest control. Granted there are many non web building species and do their part as well. My DD has an innate fear of them in general which I find unreasonable but she has learned to catch them but won't release them in fear of getting on her. Size matters not. My true love affair with them is their web building, a true marvel. Only if we mere humans could build as they do, or any building animal does. To build with such quickness and strength. Rain, wind and insects many times their size fail to damage the creation. I leave with this, is there anything more captivating than a dew filled web on a crisp fall sun filled morning?

 

[Bunnylady]

It looks like a wolf spider. They are docile and prefer to run rather than bite. Their bites are usually harmless but can be very painful. Roughly 1 percent of the population has a sensitivity to wolf spider bites that cause their bodies to react to it like brown recluse bite, causing a painful sore that can become infected very quickly.

A cool fact bout wolf spiders is that their eyes glow if you shine a flashlight on them. You can easily locate wolf spiders in the grass at night by shining a flash light round until you catch their green blue eye reflections.

Many, many years ago, I spent a couple of summers working as a camp counselor. One of the things we did was go on "jewel hunts." Like Kristy said, you hold a flashlight beside your head at the level of your eyes and scan the grass and leaf litter in the woods. Lots of critters' eyes will reflect the light back; it's surprising how many spiders are out there!

 

[Angelicisi]

A dead one I hope...

Found in southeastern NC.
Picture taken at night in outside storage building.