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Spiders of New Zealand facts for kids

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Beach katipo
A katipō spider hiding under a piece of wood

New Zealand is home to many spiders! Scientists have officially named 1,134 different types, but they think there might be as many as 2,000 kinds living there. More than 90 out of every 100 spider types are found nowhere else in the world! The others arrived either by human activities or by wind.

The biggest spider in New Zealand, when you measure its legs, is the Nelson cave spider. Its legs can spread out up to 13 centimeters (about 5 inches) wide! Its body is about 3 centimeters (just over an inch) long.

The white-tailed spider came from Australia and was first seen in New Zealand in 1886. Many people have wrongly blamed this spider for causing serious skin problems from bites.

Another spider from Australia, called the Avondale spider (or flat huntsman spider), arrived in New Zealand in the early 1920s. It might have come hidden in wood used for railway tracks. Huntsman spiders are not considered harmful to humans. Some have even been used in movies!

Very few spiders in New Zealand have bites that can seriously hurt people. Only one of these, the katipō, is native to New Zealand. Katipō bites can cause problems like high blood pressure or even seizures. However, no one has died from a katipō bite in over 200 years. The redback spider, which is more dangerous and related to the katipō, has also started to live in some parts of New Zealand, like Taranaki and Central Otago.

Fishing Spiders: Hunters of the Water

Male Dolomedes dondalei, Mangaio Stream, Whanganui National Park. Photo by Stella McQueen
A male Dolomedes dondalei fishing spider

There are four types of spiders in New Zealand known as Dolomedes or fishing spiders. These amazing spiders have learned to hunt right on the surface of the water!

Three kinds of fishing spiders are found all over New Zealand's two main islands. The Dolomedes aquaticus can grow up to 7 centimeters (about 2.7 inches) across. It likes open riverbanks without many trees and lives under rocks close to the water. Another spider, Dolomedes dondalei, is about the same size but prefers riverbanks with lots of trees.

The third and most common type is Dolomedes minor. This spider is not just found near rivers. It's also known as the nursery web spider because it builds white, tent-like webs on bushes to protect its babies. Even so, it can still hunt on the water like its fishing spider relatives! The biggest New Zealand fishing spider is Dolomedes schauinslandi. It lives on South East and Mangere islands in the Chatham Islands.

Cool Spiders of New Zealand

Here are some of the interesting spider species you can find in New Zealand:

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