Can anyone identify this spider?

[Feanor]

I was setting up a camera trap in the Chequemagon national forest when I happened upon this very very large spider. It was obviously calling the tree I was looking to use home. I took several images and went looking elsewhere.

It was huge, easily the largest spider I've ever come across at this northern latitude, for instance, its sac, was about the size of a half dollar! Overall, its size was equal to that of my hand, including fingers!

I have no experience with such critters, though it is IMO not a wolf spider, those do not venture into trees. Any ideas, or a concrete identification would be appreciated. I put it here in hunting as it appeared to me the best possible place for the topic.

 

[dc.fireman]

Appears to be a freshly molted Carolina Wolf Spider?

 

[rcmodel]

It would be a Wolf Spider around these parts.

Not necessarily completely harmless but almost.
But much much better then a Black Recluse or Black Widow bite.

They seem to be more afraid of me then I am of them.

And thats going way out there on trust on the spiders part!!

rc

 

[Cosmoline]

Looks like a classic wolf spider to me. There are a gagillion varieties of them, but they're all pretty much the same beast. Forward eyes, fast strong legs, stalk and sprint attack, limited web use. Some do hunt in trees. Some hunt in my bathroom. One was hunting in my tea kettle once, believe it or not.

 

[Feanor]

Looks like a classic wolf spider to me. There are a gagillion varieties of them, but they're all pretty much the same beast. Forward eyes, fast strong legs, stalk and sprint attack, limited web use. Some do hunt in trees. Some hunt in my bathroom. One was hunting in my tea kettle once, believe it or not.

I promise you my friend, if that critter showed up in your bathroom you'd shoot it, at least I know I would!

 

[beatledog7]

Not very photogenic critters, spiders. Never met one I'd care to date.

 

[shiftyer1]

I get those in my shop and their huge. Always been told it's a wolf spider. I'm also pretty sue they eat each other.

 

[leadcounsel]

I once left a dark colored glass of water on the floor in my bedroom for about a week. While I was collecting dishes to clean, I picked it up and carried it to the sink. Saw a shimmer that looked like ice cubes moving around... but of course it wasn't ice cube. A MASSIVE spider with legs the entire circumference of the glass was inside!!! I shudder to think taking a big drink of that in the middle of the night in the dark and having that thing on your face or worse in your mouth.

It was the biggest spider I'd ever seen outside of a zoo or museum, much like the one in the photo.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Oh hell yeah - that's Richard but he answers to Dick. If you see him again, tell him to write. We were supposed to hear from him if he found work.

 

[788Ham]

Apache,

I think that Arizona sun is getting' to ya my friend!


Feanor,

Whats the limit on them? I assume that why you were posting the camera.

 

[PigButtons]

Since this is already out of control

The average human eats 4 spiders in their sleep over the course of their life.

If one of them happens to be a full grown wolf spider you can skip breakfast that day.

 

[Bio-Chem]

Now how is that anything other than one of those made up stats to scare kids? Does anyone here know of someone who has woken up with spider guts in their mouth? Of all the people in the world who supposedly eat 4 spiders in their lifetimes certainly at least one person would have woken up during the act of consumption, and then spoken about their experience. I've never once heard a personal story of said event.

 

[Bio-Chem]

next time you need to put your hand next to it in the picture to give it a sense of scale.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

next time you need to put your hand next to it in the picture to give it a sense of scale.

Nah, that won't work for scale for me. Now, on top of his hand... That'd be perspective.

 

[303tom]

Looks like a plain old Missouri Taranchula ie; Wolf Spider...........

 

[Snag]

That is creepy as hell, damn I hate spiders.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Never seen a wolfy as big as my hand, but it's not uncommon to find them with dime-sized abdomens and about a 3" legspan here in CO. They're fuzzier in these parts, though.

Not necessarily completely harmless but almost

Well, their bites don't feel good and get a bit inflamed. I dunno what would happen with one that size, but the normal sized (~1.5" legspan) ones I've been bitten by left me a decent welt.

But no, they're not really venomous. Just local irritation, no necrosis or systemic issues (that I've ever heard of).

It was always funny to watch the cats play with them. You know when they bite kitty. lol.

 

[SimplyChad]

Looks like a wolf spider or woods tarantula

 

[WardenWolf]

There's lots of different varieties of wolf spider. We have one here in Arizona that's fairly small, but fast as hell. It's mottled grey and its legs are more or less evenly spaced around its body, giving it a star or asterisk shape. To my mother's dismay, I won't even try to go after those things. They're harmless and it's completely not worth the effort of going after something that fast. If you miss it once, you'll never get another chance. It'll be gone in a flash.

 

[Cosmoline]

If you want to see an even more terrifying cousin of the wolf spider, google huntsman spider. As big as a tarantula but stronger and much faster.

 

[Godsgunman]

The only good spider is a dead spider IMO. I woulda used him as target practice myself. I hate those things.

 

[627PCFan]

Ill ask. What caliber for that spider?

 

[SEE IT LIKE A NATIVE]

I wonder if I would get him on the first mag ? Seriously any spider bite will be painfull and prone to infection ! Luckily they usually try to get away given the chance ! I bet you shake your boots out better from now on before putting them on ! Kevin

 

[H&Hhunter]

Ill ask. What caliber for that spider?

.45-70...

 

[rcmodel]

When I lived in Colorado, we had mountain tarantulas that migrated from the high country to the plains to mate.
Our duplex was right in the way.

One evening I came home from Ft. Carson to find my wife and the neighbor lady running around screaming in the back yard.
Seems my wife went out back to hang up clothes and a tarantula went in the house while the screen door was propped open.

I tried smacking it with a broom, but every time I took a swing, the dang tarantula would jump 6' in the air and take off after me.

I finally got my model 41 S&W target pistol out of my gun box, loaded it with .22 rat shot, and got him on the living room rug the first shot.

We named him Harry, and kept him in a pickle jar full of vodka for years, but he went missing some time ago.

Another time we were coming home from Pueblo very late at night and Highway 115 had a moving black stream clear across it for about 50 yards.

I thought it was running water and drove through it before I could even try to slow down.
Turns out to be thousands of jumping tarantulas the size of tennis balls crossing the road.
The windshield and grill had splattered giant spiders all over it.

I was afraid to get out of the car when I got home, cause I didn't know what was still under it!!

rc