What is it?
CLOSED: Giant Spider
This is a fishing/dock/nursery web spider (family Pisauridae) in the genus Dolomedes; likely Dolomedes tenebrosus - see http://tinyurl.com/cxfeaf
Like their relatives, wolf spiders, these are active hunters that do not spin a capture web. large specimens are capable of inflicting a painful bite if mishandled, but otherwise are harmless to humans.
Well, I found a dark fishing dock spider picture that looks just like this so maybe that's what it is. It was no where near water though. I had a new set of soaker hoses that had been stored in a rubbermaid shed. Over the winter, mice nested in the center. Several weeks ago I discovered this and removed it from the shed and its been residing outside on the ground near long grass. Today we broke open the hoses to use and inside was the spider. She (?) didn't want to leave the hose, but eventually became spooked and ran, really fast under some vegetation. I can't say that I want to meet her again although I'm sorry I couldn't get better pictures before she escaped. There are windows into the basement on that side of the house and I'm afraid she'll enter. What has a spider that size been eating?
These spiders basically eat anything that they can catch. On land, their prey primarily is other arthropods (including other spiders). On water, they also may take small vertebrates such as tadpoles, and small fish.
Well thanks for the help. That sure was a surprising encounter today.
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