The Banana Spider: Dangerous or Misunderstood?
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- I know that spiders aren't everyone's favorite animals, but are they really as bad as they may appear?
The Golden silk spider (Trichonephila clavipes), otherwise known as the Banana spider, is perhaps one of the most maligned spiders in NC thanks to its large size and overall less than friendly appearance.
However, these orb weaving spiders are harmless to humans, and actively feed on potential disease vectors such as mosquitos that can transmit some pretty nasty infections to humans.
As you can see from this footage, even when handled the Goldern silk spider is a docile and inoffensive species that does far more good for us than harm.
Full video featuring this species and a co-starring arachnid is up now on The Wild Report UA-cam, go check it out! #wildlife
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"How many are your works, Lord? In wisdom you made them all, the earth is full of your creatures."
Heh they've got leg warmers
Gotta stay warm in the Fall weather!
fluffy bois
Leg floofs
@@TheWildReportOfficialI have always heard these called "Banana Spiders" or "Writing Spiders" while growing up in Virginia. Glad to be more aware of where the names and the confusion comes from.
It makes a lot of sense that Spiders which live on *actual banana trees* should get the name "Banana Spider" first lol. This was very informative, thank you!👍
What is a leg warmer?
They have a habit of making their webs conveniently head level between trees 😂
Haha yep
Me when I'm bicycling:
lol
hahaha
U ever stop to think maybe your walking into their home without knocking?
Jokes on them, that's where my mouth is...
You know? I'm a bit proud of myself from being a former arachnophobe to an arachnid admirer. That has an amazing color scheme to it. 😁
That's awesome, glad you are learning to appreciate our little friends!
Congratulations on conquering your fears. ☺️
I'm starting to be able to watch videos of spiders but I still can't touch them
What changed your mind?
For me, it was seeing the jumping spider. It is too cute to hate and after, I looked at spiders different.
It was jumping spiders that helped me get over it
The Golden Orb Weaver was the first spider to fly to space! They are one, if not the top, most accurate hunters in the insect kingdom. It was taken to zero-gravity space to see how, or IF, it could adjust. After a just a bit of being a tad wobbly, it's beautiful web got even more accurate in angles and spacing, to the millimeter. Their strike and kill accuracy also improved beyond what had been documented on Earth. Cool stuff! Gorgeous gorgeous arachnids, hunters and architects. 😍
What, what?! That's sick, I had no idea.
@@TheWildReportOfficial Yup, too cool!
are you sure that wasn't a jumping spider you're talking about, they sent one of them to space and it adapted very quickly.
@@lobodesade6780 yes, I'm sure. They have sent several spiders over the years now and I only know of the orb weavers. I'm sure it's quite possible they've sent up different specimens. You can just Google orb weaver in space. 🙂
@@lobodesade6780 I’ve heard of the golden orb weavers in space, their names were Esmeralda and Gladys 😊 Another super cool thing about the golden orb weaver is the spider silk clothing artists have made using their silk. The more you know, right? Lol!
the male spider: "she's distracted. Now's my chance!"
I love how its using its pedipalps to crawl along your hand 😍
I searched for this comment. Lol
Had the same exact thought. It's kind of adorable.
She looks like she was wiping her face lol (the male was the tiny one a fraction of her size in the first or second clip)
Ever scuttle your fingers along a surface? Apparently spiders do, too
i couldn’t stop laughing at the way it looked like she was dragging them along almost like noo noo from the teletubbies
@@qa377rofl 🤣 That's cute!
The Golden Silk is such a fascinating creature
Indeed they are!
One of my favorite spiders to see growing up in south FL 🕷️🕸️
They're so cool!
Just recently went hiking and saw one in MD, guess they’re moving up north now too
Same first saw one in gainesville FL. Very cool spider.
Same here. Lots in Gainesville growing up and playing in the woods. Been bitten once but no big deal. Just gorgeous creatures.
We love orb weaver species in the Treasure Coast, and we're spider ambassadors here. ❤
Their fluffy legwarmers make that they are supercute instead of creepy! Gorgeous little beastie 😍
I always was terribly afraid of spiders... Now I am a proud tarantula mom ❤😂
YES, they are ready for the holidays haha
@@TheWildReportOfficial they absolutely are! 😂
I just want to draw them ❤
@@izzyjones7108 oooh yes! I neeed to see that! 😍
Wasn’t this the “paralyzing” spider they used in “lost” when the two robbers were skeeming and ended up getting bit and the rest of the island thought they were dead and they got buried alive lol
I've never seen Lost but probably haha
The proper spelling is "scheming"
Not trying to be a dick, knowledge is power.
@@littlewolf9049i agree that knowledge is power, but I actually like 'skeeming' for some reason
@@hollies5841 Probably because it's informal, like wearing your hat backwards. It feels more fun that way.
@@TheWildReportOfficialLost was wild😂
I love how she’s constantly using her pedipalps. Whilst she’s walking across your skin. Lovely little lady.
She was adorable
Golden orb weavers. Everywhere here in Florida, their silk really does look like gold in the morning dew.
I used to see them everywhere in South FL, but they seem to have disappeared. I'm glad you're seeing them
Those spiders are everywhere in Williston,Florida and we did call them Banana spiders.
I remember them making a city of silk high in the trees
I walked right through one's web one time while on night exercise near fort Bragg NC. Not so fun :(
@@patdohrety2940 yeah,their webs are big and strong asf and they'll make one in front of your doorstep overnight if you don't keep them in check.
Is the little one on the web a male
Lol no kidding, lots of em over here in Dunnellon, too
I remember sharing a class with you at NCSU glad to see youve gone far
No way, what class?
@@TheWildReportOfficial environmental science I think we were almost in a group for the tree measuring project
@@grimripper4179 That's crazy, it feels like that was so long ago haha
I like how it looks up at you like "hey dude you're gunna have to stop moving around so i can start my job"
They get big
Indeed they do!
@TheWildReportOfficial with the right environment they do
I saw one in the wild as a kid and I was literally paralyzed
You r like my sister, she is always terrified by the sight of spiders, i have always been the wild one and i love spiders
Spiders are perfectly fine outside, not inside my housr
@@scholaroftheworldalternatehist Well said
@@retronister8816 I love spiders too. At least I got the kids not to be terrified of them, but they don't really like handling them like I do.
@@scholaroftheworldalternatehistI only let in jumping spiders and cellar spiders to clean up flies and mosquitoes in my house
Great summary on this spider!
Thank you!
Something about how they're always resting their bodies on your hand unlike other spiders is cute.
I love that too, it's like they want to cuddle haha
@@TheWildReportOfficialdid u feel his little willy when he laid his body on u? Answer the question buddy and don't lie
They're trying to make sure you know they're there without getting spooked enough to frantically react & kill them.
And they’re using their pedipalps (those legs next to the mouth) to drag themselves along because they’re too heavy
I was just thinking that
I was in South Carolina at a friend's family reunion (I'm from Ohio) several years ago. As we were walking back to the car to leave, my attention was temporarily distracted talking to someone behind me and when i turned back around, my face was literally about a foot away from one of these sitting in the middle of a giant perfect spider web spun between two trees maybe 5 or 6 feet off the ground. It looked like something out of a horror movie to me because I thought these things only existed in the tropics. The craziest thing was how big each strand of the spider web was. The spider web looked like a fake movie prop because the strands were so big and they had a golden hue. I was fascinated and I went to research it and yes, I found out it was called a "Golden Orb Weaver". I'm only now finding out that they're not dangerous to humans, but they are definitely the scariest looking spider you will encounter in the US. The spider was bigger than the one in this video BTW. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah they legitimately do look fake, especially the big ones with especially golden silk. It's no wonder people are freaked out by them.
I have these spiders in my back yard here in Columbia south carolina they eat the bugs that bother my plants
I went to college in Orangeburg. Spent lots of time in Columbia obviously. Great memories. Spider free though. LOL.
@@raymiller4808
That was an entertaining story. Pretty decent writing. Good descriptions and comparative details.
My gf and friends are spooked out by these as they get pretty big with really long legs and the bright yellow colors they have. I guess its a normal reaction we human have embedded in our DNA over generations of trials and errors of our ancestors. So I understand how they feel cause i sometimes paralyze for a second when i see a snake in the grass or branches & it gives me the heebee-jeebees lol. I leave all spiders alone cause they do us so much good. But eventually I’ll have to clean up the cobwebs that the Silk Spiders make because it’s so huge and there’s so many of them in my back yard 😂
I live in Georgia & us southerners get alot of “wildlife”; insects, arachnids, marsupials (opossums) reptiles, mammals & birds large and small. I have a flowing creek in my backyard with pretty dense woods so I’ve learned to enjoy the circle of life no matter how small it is. There’s a few families of deer that roam around, we hear the owls at night and falcons in the day. I caught a glimpse of a couple blue heron cranes. We’re starting to see more & more wildlife come closer to my home because their habitat is being destroyed and the safest place for them is here. But We’ll get the occasional pack of coyotes too , which is crazy to me because i have never seen or even heard about them around until as of recently. Most likely because all the smaller animals are around now including the deers & I suppose it’s also because more people are moving here and there’s alot of development happening around us & theres nothing anyone can do about it. Its a curse & a blessing.
& i don’t live in the country or rural side lol, i live in an underdeveloped suburbs but if you go a couple miles out, its a sprawling city. Thats Georgia for ya lol
Yeah there seems to be an instinctual fear of certain animals for sure, but with experience and education that fear can turn to fascination! Sounds like you've got some neat wildlife around you, I'm a little jealous.
Working for the parks and recreation in SA TX I came across a nest/web of those that was built over 2 porta-potties that were right next to each other.
The web went from the ground, over the top and back to the ground, as if someone had thrown a huge net over both of the portables.
There was HUNDREDS of those banana spiders in the web.
I know they’re not poisonous.
I still left. 😂
I’m just here to cut grass. 😂
Not my circus, not my monkeys.
I've always heard of them as orb weavers
it looks like SpongeBob from the top
thats what i was thinking
Nothing beats nearly having one in your face when you are running through the forest as a kid in Florida.
Yeah man I love these spiders! I have an over abundance of egg cases this year so would share with anyone who might want some!
They are so cool! I've never had someone solicit spider egg casings in my comments section before, haha
lol well this started last year when one put her eggs on a cardboard box under a tarp I have set up as a tent and I just left it there thinking it would be cool to see them emerge this spring. Well I ended up with around 20 that decided to stay. I now have around 15 egg cases under same tarp and need to figure out what to do with them all 😂
@@jamesblake7338 I'll take some off your hands! Are just asking one to cover the shipping charge or selling them?
@@sarahsharp8595 good morning Sara u surprised me lol so let me research a few things. Do u have this spider in your state? In order to know what shipping would cost I need to know your state and zip code maybe. I’m in North Carolina and this is a very common spider here, but would be worried about introducing to state it’s not in . I’ve never tried selling spider egg cases before lol so have no idea what would be fair. How many would u want?
Very cool looking spider, no doubt.
My favorite spider ❤️ Except for jumping spiders
Those are the biggest spider where I live next to wolf spiders and you got some balls holding that monstrosity
They're not dangerous so maybe grow some balls
Another harmless spiders that gives me chills, this guy has balls of steel, I can't even pick up a cardinal any more, and they are as common as they come. I would not be going anywhere near that thing. Rule #1 of Nature, if it looks dangerous, it most probably is!
I like to call those the “nope x3”
I always knew them as writing spiders.
Neat! We always called the yellow garden spiders writing spiders.
Get near their eggs...you will experience fear
I didn't think i would miss north Carolina as much as i did after moving back to my home town in winter of 2021. I lived in central NC since fall of 2006, right before my 24th birthday. I don't miss the trash politics and I'm glad we always lived on base, as its pretty much lord of the flies for anyone not worth at least high 6 figures, but i miss the environment. It was so lovely and i appreciated how easy it was to garden. I live in vegas now and even tho i grew up here, it dosen't feel like home anymore. And i definitely can't garden.
Yeah NC is an amazing place but certainly not flawless. Love our wildlife!
They are so beautiful. I hope to hold one
They are easy to work with if you want to try!
That spider is very pretty
I have four of these in my yard. I love them. They catch so many bugs with their huge webs.
I’ve seen these on Jekyll Island, their webs are so pretty
It's beautiful. Very cool 😎 ❤❤❤😊😊😊 love spiders ❤
Spiders are one of my favorite animals. Ants are my number one.
If ants were bigger I think I would like them more, it's just hard for me to connect to them.
To each their own. They are just such a well organized little creature and that's pretty damn impressive to me. @@TheWildReportOfficial
Funny how fear mongering works. I remember as a kind my Uncle telling me that spiders sometimes hitch rides from South America on Bananas and that they sometimes kill people. Got to love when one occurrence explodes into a legend…
They are absolutely spectacular!
Yes they are!
Pretty yellow baby
This one shows up in a gigantic form in the addictive "Earth Defense Force" video game series, hanging in its web and throwing web strands a really long way at you, almost like fishing lines. If one of the strands happens to catch you, it will slowly pull you in until it can start munching on you. EDF!
EDF!! EDF!!
What the heck that's so cool!
What elegance!!
I already got over my fear of spiders but when I saw that spider's mouth grazing over your skin, I had chills down my spine 😨🥶
I was actually bitten by one and died a few years ago in Georgia. I can attest that they are, in fact, deadly to humans.
Rest In Pepperoni my friend
@@TheWildReportOfficial😂
😊🙏 Thank You for more info like this ... Many learn to live in harmony with these scary looking but non-venomous Golden Orb Weaver spiders in their forest parks! 🌷🌿🌏✌💜🕊
Fishing in Florida, my lure hung up on one of their webs. We have nothing like this up north! Beautiful creature.♥️🇨🇦
Always left them alone. They love all types of Flys and mosquitoes.
We see a lot of these in the North Florida woods. They string their long webs across forest roads, which really "bugs" us motorcycle riders. Running into a web sucks. 😮
That's a male in the web with the giant female. The south calls them bananas spiders out of ignorance and visual likeness. I lived in Alabama for years and these Golden Silk Spiders are one of my favorites.
Thank you!
I live in SC and get these guys from time to time. They're beautiful even though they trigger that primal arachnophobia in me, especially because they make their webs in the perfect spot for you to walk through without realizing. Idk how many times my face has come within inches of one of these handsome fellas
Had one of these that lived next to the front porch when I was in middle school and living in SC. Wasn’t a fan of spiders then and would stay away from it, but they’re pretty cool.
many are afraid of spiders, but I have discovered from my own house in the country that once they have painstakingly built their web, they do not move there for anything in the world.
They are actually very useful in keeping flies and mosquitoes at bay.
First time I ever saw one of these was in person was in college. There was a forest next to our school with trails I would often walk down. One day I went for a walk and about ten minutes in a see something several hundred feet ahead, that looks like it's in the trees. I keep walking but it's obviously in the wrong position to be in the trees. I keep walking and whatever it is appears to be hovering in mid air, so I think maybe it's a hummingbird. Finally I get about 20ft from it and see it's a spider the size of my freaking hand that has built a web across the trail, and was just sitting in the middle of it, right at my head height.
I didn't go back out there for a couple of weeks.
Fron what i heard they verry painful but not lethal. Spiders arent out bite you.
Skultulas, from Ocarina of Time
We have them here in Miami FL and they're really cool looking
Not dangerous to humans at all. They won't even bite unless forced to.
He doesn't have a nervous system, he has a confident system
We call them banana spiders in Texas. Some of them are so big that you can see them up in their web from almost a hundred feet away up in the trees…
So cool. Saw a different type of banana spider in Florida and would check them out every chance I could. They looked like Jimmy Hendrix designed them.
I like how it is also using its fangs as legs to walk
Yeah the pedipalps are so cute!
She's a Female. If you look carefully at the end of the short, you'll see a Female Golden Silk Orb Weaver (large) and a Male one (small).
We had Banana Spiders in Okinawa that were like face huggers.
I love when they make the big white stripe on their web. They are basically saying, "Hey, I live here. Please don't walk face first into my home." Avoids a lot of bad times for both parties.
When I was a child, I lived in South Carolina for a while, and I was taking a hike in the woods and ran through one of these webs. The damn thing crawled up my shorts leg, and bit me on the ass cheek it was horrible
Those are beautiful. Love the colors
Such a beautiful spider,I love how she uses her pedipalps to help her walk. It’s just cute af.
Its web has 8 times the tensile strength of steel and Kevlar.
THEY HAVE A VERY INTERESTING SHAPE..COOL
They are so beautiful. They eat bad bugs.
I had seen this in costa Rica it's beautiful but scary
That's a pretty spider.
I'm not sure if these are the same spiders I sometimes see around my house or not. They look about the same, with their long, skinny legs and thin bodies, and their webs can get really big and expansive. I had one weave a near 6-foot web between a tree and the roof of my house.
Omg they are so preppy they have lag warmers
It’s so cute that they have two tiny legs on their face almost
These are all over here in Florida and so beautiful to look at
That is a stunningly gorgeous spider, what is it doing walking with its pedipalps? Its so sweet!
Isn't it adorable?!
Wow she is such a beautiful Spider
Beautiful critter. I would hold it.
Thank you for the amazing trivia about these spiders. ❤ from Asia.
Thank you for watching!
Funky little dudes. Very cool!
A lot of information in such a short vid well done
When I was a kid in North Carolina I ran head first into one. Scared me so bad thinking it was deadly with that vibrant color.
The colors can definitely be alarming if you aren't sure what you're looking at!
I hate spiders. But they way it walks with it's pedipalps is kinda adorable.
Really charismatic guy!
That spider is beautiful.
That is definitely not a Bananna Spider. That is the new silk bug.
Oh wow this guy is cool
Yeah super cool!
Fun fact this spider is called the electrical spider mostly by kids from philipines. 'Gagambang kuryente'
Because their mostly on electrical wires from electric posts
That's really neat!
Spiders can sometimes be cute
What a beautiful spider!
If you feed one on a regular basis, it begins to recognize you and crawls across it's web to greet you and take your treat. I've had one crawl across my face from accidentally walking through a web. If it's a narrow walking trail and it has tall enough vegetation to hang from, it'll be on your face too!
That's cool, I'd love to 'tame' one!
That's not a banana spider btw. What people call the "banana spider" is the brazilian wandering spider which is the boner-death one😭
That's what the short is about...
I live in Northen Australia, these beautiful spiders come and go throughout the year. Probably the biggest one we had was by a very careful ruler measuremeant and some guesstimation, about 20cm across, she was massive. And her web was 2 meters from the front door under the roof overhang, so everytime you walk into the house, she would be chilling just off to the side.
Y'all have (I think) the biggest orb weaving species in the world over there!
Golden orb weavers are harmless.
I'm lucky enough to live on 4 acres of wooded land with a creek running through it. Every year, I walk through the woods and see these beautiful animals and their magnificent webs stretching between the trees. The way the morning sunlight refracts and reflects off the dewdrops on every tiny strand of their web is truly something to see.
Their webs are pretty magical, such underappreciated critters