Spiders of Yellowstone
The Yellowstone ecosystem is full of life, including a species generally less appreciated, even when it's not Halloween: spiders. Let’s discuss some of the most prevalent species in the area, their potential danger to humans, and even their purpose in the web of life. You will not be bitten in the reading of this blog.
Black Widow
Perhaps the most infamous spider in the US, known for both its menacing black color with red markings and its venom. How dangerous is it really? While its venom is extremely potent, it’s not meant for something as comparatively large as humans. For us, it can cause strong reactions and even sickness, but death is very unlikely.
Daddy Long Legs (Harvestmen)
These are some of the most recognizable arachnids in the world, which is the same order as spiders but not actually of the suborder of spiders. That’s right—these long-legged specimens aren’t spiders but rather their own suborder of Opiliones. They don’t spin webs, they have different body compositions, and don’t have venom. After all, a member of the old MythBusters TV show team famously got in a box full of thousands of them and left unscathed (though we fully understand the apprehension to trying such an activity).
Wolf Spider
These guys live in every corner of the US and are named for their superb hunting ability. They also look a lot like the next three species and vary significantly within their own family, so if you want to identify them, we recommend using an identification app or reverse-searching an image of them.
Hobo Spider
Also, generally brown with patterns or stripes, American hobo spiders live only in the Mountain West. Once thought to be very venomous, the CDC no longer includes them on its venomous spider list.
American Grass Spiders
Once again brown with patterns, these arachnids are very common in the Yellowstone area. The unique thing about them is that their webs aren’t even sticky (they use webs for shelter, not hunting). How do they hunt? They’re super fast.
Fishing Spiders
These spiders are so unique and interesting that they probably deserve their own post but this all they are getting for now. Called Fishing Spiders because they hunt on the surface of lakes, rivers, or wherever else there’s water, they are brown with lighter streaks on their sides. They have tiny, hydrophobic hairs that allow them to use water’s surface tension to literally walk on water. They sometimes eat small fish, which even with the knowledge that you are not the same size as a small fish, is still a little scary.
Cat Eye (Cat-Faced) Spider
Distinguished by their large yellow-brown abdomens, they are easily spotted. Many arachnophobic humans are able to resist harming Cat-Faced Spiders by recalling that with their large size, they commonly eat other spiders.
Since we forced you to read about one of the world’s most universally feared creatures, we do want to put your minds at ease regarding one subject: Readers may find articles claiming there are tarantulas in Yellowstone. We can confirm this is not the case, with the Yellowstone ecosystem being far too cold for spiders that large.
This blog post is brought to you by Flat Creek Inn.
Photo credit: V B (Unsplash)
