Deserta Grande wolf spider facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Deserta Grande wolf spider |
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| Female Hogna ingens | |
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The Hogna ingens, also known as the Deserta Grande wolf spider, is a very rare spider. It lives only on Deserta Grande Island, which is part of the Madeira islands. Specifically, it can be found in a remote valley called Vale de Castanheira.
There are fewer than 5,000 adult spiders left, making it one of the rarest wolf spiders in the world. It's also one of the biggest wolf spiders on Earth! Female spiders can have legs that spread out about 12 cm (almost 5 inches) wide. Males are a bit smaller. Its name, ingens, means "huge" or "monstrous" in Latin, which fits its size!
This spider is grey and black with cool white spots on its legs. It likes to hide under rocks and in cracks on its volcanic island home. The Deserta Grande wolf spider is a hunter! It eats smaller spiders, millipedes, other insects, and even tiny lizards. It can bite humans, and its bite can be painful and venomous (meaning it has venom).
Saving the Deserta Grande Wolf Spider
The Deserta Grande wolf spider's home is in danger! A type of grass called Phalaris aquatica is taking over its habitat. Also, goats and rabbits that were brought to the island are eating the native plants the spider needs.
Scientists are working hard to protect this amazing spider. In 2016, a special program was started at Bristol Zoo to help them. They brought 25 spiders from the island to the zoo to help them breed. In 2017, over 1,000 baby spiders were born at the zoo! The hope is that some of these young spiders can be released back onto Deserta Grande Island to help the wild population grow.
