Today I Saw a Native Animal
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stevewilko
that's right it was me....
When the species was first described males and females were treated as two different species due to their vastly different size and appearance. It wasn't until years later that researchers found a mating pair that they were in fact the same species.
Why 'mouse' spider? Several possible explanations have been suggested
Female Red-headed Mouse Spiders are large, stout spiders with short legs. They tend to be uniformly dark brown to black all over, however their jaws are sometimes red-tinged. Female Red-headed Mouse Spiders are much larger than the males.
Male Red-headed Mouse Spiders have a bright red head and jaws and a gunmetal blue to black abdomen. They have thinner and longer slender legs without mating spurs. They are much smaller than the females.
When the species was first described males and females were treated as two different species due to their vastly different size and appearance. It wasn't until years later that reasearchers found a mating pair that they were in fact the same species.
Scientific name: Missulena occatoria
Similar species:
Trapdoor Spiders, Funnel-web Spiders
Why 'mouse' spider? Several possible explanations have been suggested
- someone found a spider in a deep burrow that had possibly been an old beetle or mouse hole.
- they are alleged to eat mice
- the large females resemble mice
Identification
Red-headed Mouse Spiders have a smooth, glossy carapace and their head area is high, steep and broad with very large, bulbous jaws. Their eyes are widespread across the front of their head. The spinnerets, at the back of the abdomen, are short and blunt, the last segment domed and button-like.Female Red-headed Mouse Spiders are large, stout spiders with short legs. They tend to be uniformly dark brown to black all over, however their jaws are sometimes red-tinged. Female Red-headed Mouse Spiders are much larger than the males.
Male Red-headed Mouse Spiders have a bright red head and jaws and a gunmetal blue to black abdomen. They have thinner and longer slender legs without mating spurs. They are much smaller than the females.
When the species was first described males and females were treated as two different species due to their vastly different size and appearance. It wasn't until years later that reasearchers found a mating pair that they were in fact the same species.
Scientific name: Missulena occatoria
Similar species:
Trapdoor Spiders, Funnel-web Spiders
stevewilko
that's right it was me....
In camp about 12 months ago, before getting in to bed I did a full arm sweep under my doona and a large thickset spider was brought out which did a run out to the side of the mattress and stopped there.
It was a big fat nasty looking thing and I knocked it to the floor. I distinctly remember the ticky ticky ticky sound of its claws across the flooring.
I might apologise, but it got an absolute thongin' . I just know I would have been in a world of pain because in close contact with me under the doona I would have been bitten for sure.
It was a big fat nasty looking thing and I knocked it to the floor. I distinctly remember the ticky ticky ticky sound of its claws across the flooring.
I might apologise, but it got an absolute thongin' . I just know I would have been in a world of pain because in close contact with me under the doona I would have been bitten for sure.
Dave's Office
Have Detector Will Travel
Quick build a boat , 
the tide might be coming in.
the tide might be coming in.
Sorry, not today but last week around Talbot. Rolled a log over and thought I found a black nugget.
Rooled the log back over it after I swept the area with a coil.
Rooled the log back over it after I swept the area with a coil.
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Shame it got crushed. You could have captured it and kept it under a blacklight.Sorry, not today but last week around Talbot. Rolled a log over and thought I found a black nugget.
Rooled the log back over it after I swept the area with a coil.
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I didn't crush it. Just rolled the log back over it. No need to kill the poor bugga.
Dave's Office
Have Detector Will Travel
Dave's Office
Have Detector Will Travel
Came across these Black Swans with 5 hatchlings on my walk this morning, clearly there was more to come as one Swan was still sitting on the nest, on my way back I found them about 600mtrs away from the nest and there was 7 babies, I'm going to enjoy watching them grow
Dave's Office
Have Detector Will Travel
I hope this is not an omen now Geelong are playing the Sydney Swans in the AFL Grand Final, but I came across this family of Swans on my walk this morning.
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Moneybox
Philip & Sandra Box
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This is a ringed brown snake, slightly venomous but this one was really aggressive and amazingly fast.
This is a ringed brown snake, slightly venomous but this one was really aggressive and amazingly fast.
We have a number of superb blue fairy wrens nesting under our carport at Daisy Hill. They have been a welcome sight flitting around our garden over a number of years.
As we work around the place and the garden stirring up insects they have become less wary over the years and approach us quite closely now. I snapped this one just a few feet away as I was working near my shed.
As we work around the place and the garden stirring up insects they have become less wary over the years and approach us quite closely now. I snapped this one just a few feet away as I was working near my shed.
"What sort of snake is he?"
Looks like he's the very quick and extremely bad-tempered sort!
Not exactly a Native animal, but I sure was thankful I was in my car when I came across this bad boy. He was a huge ball of muscle roaming free in State forest near Avoca.
Looks alright to me. Did he threaten you?
Better late than never, yes, remains of a mia mia. No tarps out there, local bushes, branches etc would have kept them comfy for the night before moving on with their hunting and collecting.
I wasn’t hanging around to find out, not knowing when his last feed might have been...
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