Walker Nature Education Center
A LOOK INSIDE • Environmental Films 3 • Trout Released 3 • Calendar of Events 4 • Native Spotlight 7
Nature Notes By Sharon Gurtz
September • Eastern Red-backed Salamander eggs hatch. • Fall mushrooms appear. • Monarch butterflies are migrating. • Fall colors appear on Sumac and Black Gum trees.
October • Songbird migration peaks. • Marbled Salamanders breed. • Snakes seek winter dens. • Chipmunks and squirrels gather nuts for winter.
November • Deer rut peaks. • Raccoon and Red Fox grow winter coats. • Juncos and sparrows arrive from the north. • Migratory waterfowl begin to appear.
BRANCHING OUT A Wolf in Spider’s Clothing By Ken Rosenthal Let us begin with a disclaimer: I had to work at liking spiders. A naturalist can have favorites and not-so-favorites, but flinching from a creature a fraction of your size does not instill confidence. Vocational responsibility dictated that I learn to appreciate spiders. Small jumping spiders were my jumping-on point, a visual predator with large eyes that you can see watching you, yet with fangs too small to bite through skin. I eventually graduated to handling a gentle tarantula for which I developed a modicum of affection. Yet on this journey of arachnid discovery, I have found wolf spiders the hardest to appreciate. While all spiders can produce silk, not all spiders spin webs. Wolf spiders are in this group, actively hunting for prey or waiting in ambush. They scurry across the ground, over walls and under rocks with a speed that can send a chill up your spine. Throw in a large, hairy body and you may understand my lack of affection. What won
me over were their methods of hunting and maternal care.
My, What Big Eyes You Have Wolf spiders are visual predators, using eight eyes to find food. These eyes are arranged in three rows: four small eyes on the bottom, two small eyes on top and two large eyes in the middle row. These large eyes are indicative of an active hunting style, where visual acuity is important in locating food. As they are nocturnal hunters who prefer hunting at night, wolf spiders’ eyes are very reflective. This reflection produces eyeshine, which is helpful in finding them at night. To spot them, hold a flashlight next to your eyes while scanning a field or wooded area. Watch for green flashes, which look like little, glinting diamonds. This flash is the light from your flashlight reflected back from the eyes of spiders. Parents and Parachutes Wolf spiders are unique among spiders in the way they care for their eggs. Females carry their eggs in a sac by surrounding the eggs in silk. This sac is held close to the abdomen by their spinnerets (the silk-producing organs).
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Fall 11 Volume Thirteen