Common Rain Spider - KwaZulu-Natal

Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, with about 1,000 square kilometers, is one of Africa’s smallest nature reserves, but it has the distinction of being the oldest nature preserve in Africa; it was established in 1895. Efforts to protect the white rhino from extinction has made the reserve home to the largest white rhino population in the world.

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Palystes superciliosus - Female common rain spiders have a body length between 15 to 35 millimeters and a total leg span of 10 centimeters; males are slightly smaller. Color variation ranges from cream to dark brown with a light covering of velvety hair, setae. The legs are crossed with black and white bands. The spider’s name is derived from its habit of seeking shelter during rainy days. It is generally docile, but females aggressively guard their eggs. Nests are woven together from silk and leaf material in the early summer; the spiderlings emerge in about 3 weeks.

Arizona Blond Tarantula - Arizona

The Grand Canyon is, at its maximum, 446 kilometers long, 29 kilometers wide, and 1,857 meters deep. The waters of the Colorado River began carving into the layers of the rising Colorado Plateau about 6 or 7 million years ago to reveal Proterozoic and Paleozoic rock formations dating as far back as 2 billion years ago.

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Aphonopelma chalcodes - There are approximately 30 known species of tarantula in the United States. Most species, such as the Arizona blond tarantula, are found in the warmer southern and southwestern regions of the country. The Arizona blond tarantula derives its name from the dense layer of blond hair covering the carapace, the upper exoskeleton. The size of the Arizona blond varies between 7 to 25 centimeters. Tarantulas are carnivorous and use their venomous bites to paralyze their victims.

Fattail Scorpion - Kuwait

Androctonus genus - Fattail scorpions are found throughout the arid regions of the Middle East and Africa. They are moderate sized scorpions, averaging about 10 centimeters in length; females are larger than males. Despite their small size, fattail scorpions are the most dangerous of scorpions. Their venom contains potent neurotoxins, compounds able to destroy nerve tissue. Several human fatalities are contributed to stings from the fattail scorpion each year.

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The Sheikdom of Kuwait enjoyed a prosperous era until the start of World War I. Kuwait had to decide whom it would support, the Ottoman Turks or the British. Kuwait chose the Ottomans and endured the destruction of their economy through an economic blockade imposed by Britain. The Great Depression of the 1920’s continued the decline and another blockade imposed by the Saudi king during the 30’s added to the plight. The emerging oil industry of the 1940’s brought an economic recovery to Kuwait.

Ornamental Tarantula - Sri Lanka

Poecilotheria fasciata - The Sri Lanka ornamental is a large arboreal tarantula growing to about 16 centimeters in length. It is endemic to Central Sri Lanka, preferring to reside in tree hollows. The ornamental spider starts life as a burrowing spider and as it gets larger, takes to the trees. The abdomen is dark with cream colored markings and the legs are banded in black and white. The underside of the first two pair of legs have a distinctive yellow color used to warn off any potential threats.

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Balangoda is a city in Sri Lanka’s Sabaragamuwa Province. The area features archeological sites where early hominins have been unearthed. The findings, dated from more than 38,000 years ago, are classified as Homo sapiens balangodensis. This is the earliest known evidence of anatomical humans in South Asia. Access to Sri Lanka was made possible through a land bridge from India. Known as Rama Setu, this land bridge spanned a 50 kilometer gap between India and Sri Lanka.

Giant House Spider - Andorra

The Pyrenees are a moderate-sized mountain range running for 491 kilometers from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea and forms the natural border between France and Spain. Andorra, a European micro-state, is situated in the southern section of the Pyrenees Mountains, sandwiched between France and Spain.

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Eritigena atrica - The giant house spider’s appearance is menacing, but it does not pose a threat to humans; it prefers to flee when threatened. Spiders are venomous, but the giant house spider will not bite unless it plans on making a meal of the target. The house spider is found throughout Western Europe and often builds funnel nests in secluded basements or attics. The female’s body is larger than the male’s, with an average body length of 18 millimeters, but the legs of the male tend to be larger, reaching lengths of 25 to 75 millimeters.

European Garden Spider - Netherlands

The Dutch refer to their country as “Nederland,” the Dutch word for  “low lands,” an accurate geographical description of the country. Less than 50% of the country exceeds an elevation of 1 meter. Throughout its history, the Netherlands have been engaged in a constant struggling in keeping the sea from flooding their country.

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Araneus diadematus - The European garden spider is an orb-weave spider found in North America and Europe. Orb-weave spiders are the most common of the web weaving spiders and are known for building their spiral-wheeled shaped webs. Individual coloring for the garden spider can vary, but they do have four distinct markings across the upper abdomen forming a white cross. Some orb-weave spiders will consume their web in the morning or evening and sometimes before thunderstorms; new webs are quickly rebuilt as needed.

Nursery Web Spider - Ceuta

Ceuta served as a staging area for the Umayyad Caliphate’s entry onto the European continent in 711. The city, lying on the opposite shore of Gibraltar, was a strategic point in controlling the shipping routes passing in and out of the Mediterranean Sea. Ceuta was captured by Portugal in 1415, and ceded to Spain in 1668.

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Pisaura mirabilis - Spider cannibalism is common and especially during the breeding season when males risk being eating by the female. The male nursery web spider employs two tactics to insure survival. He will offer a gift in the form of an insect wrapped in silk not only to attract, but also to distract his partner in not making him the next meal. During mating, the male may also feign death, thanatois, another ploy in not becoming a victim. Thanatois is used by many animals for defensive and offensive purposes or during the reproduction cycle.

Common Web Spider - Tuvalu

Neoscona theisi - In most species of spiders, females tend to be larger than males. Females of the common web spider are eight millimeters long with males being slightly smaller. Although a small spider, it has strong legs covered with yellowish and dark brown hair. It builds a typical orb web supported by branches of nearby shrubbery. Spider webs are built with proteinaceous spider silk for the purpose of catching prey. The spider is not aggressive and its toxicity effects are not well known.

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Tuvalu is made up of three small reef islands and six atolls. Coral does not provide for good soil conditions and therefore restricts agricultural productivity. This has placed a heavy burden on the surrounding ocean to provide sufficient food and has resulted in a depletion in the local fish stock from over-fishing. Almost 80% of Tuvalu’s coral reefs are either dead or dying because of ocean warming and acidification. Rising water levels are also a critical issue for the citizens of Tuvalu.