this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2024
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UK Nature and Environment

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The UK’s largest breed of spiders, which can grow to the size of rats and hunts fish, are making a comeback in Britain.

From near-extinction in 2010 - when only a handful remained as their wetland homes were destroyed by humans - the number of fen raft spiders are now steadily increasing thanks to recent conservation efforts.

The spiders are set to have their best year on record at nature reserves ran by RSBP.

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[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 19 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Great???? Anyone?? This is good right?

[–] DoctorButts@kbin.melroy.org 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Spider meat burritos are about to get even more affordable in the UK, seriously I can't wait

[–] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

....3 more spideritos please! And a side of legs! Fried!

[–] skeletorfw@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago

This is good, I promise! Unless you're an arachnophobe who made their home literally in a fen I guess...

[–] tobogganablaze@lemmus.org 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I didn't know UK rats were this tiny.

[–] cows_are_underrated@feddit.org 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Jokes on you

Actually the headline of ops article is an exaggeration. The spider only grow upt to 8cm.

[–] tobogganablaze@lemmus.org 8 points 1 month ago

Oh I'm well aware. News article about spiders usually get the size wrong. And most other things.

[–] harrys_balzac@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 1 month ago (3 children)

The article is very poorly written. Saying they can grow to the size of a mans hand? Good thing that all men have the same size hands.

[–] tobogganablaze@lemmus.org 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It's also not the "The UK’s largest breed of spiders". If they are going by legspan (which they have to do to get anywhere near hand size) then Tegenaria parietina has it easily beaten.

[–] cows_are_underrated@feddit.org 7 points 1 month ago

Their webs grow up to 25cm in diameter, but they themselves are much smaller(up to 8cm)

[–] SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 month ago

Plus the article is referring to total leg span as its size, where many people are thinking of the size of the spider's body. They're not very big, nowhere near the size of most tarantulas. They're so small and light they can literally walk on water.