Not a 'T but still a spider, What is it called?!

[Ryan Simons]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, or even the wrong forum altogether!! But i didnt know where else to ask!

Anyway. I have here a spider that i found in my garden in kent(uk), in a funnel web made between 2 fence pannels. Its quite a common UK spider but i noticed its funnel web was about as wide as the channel tunnel! lol so i had to put some food by it to get a look at how big it was.

Sure enough the spider came out, scared the living life out of me! but the food got behind it and scared it out of its own home... So i caught it in a bucket.

What i was wondering is, What is the name for the species? i cannot seem to find anything Anywhere about these spiders! I have tryed 'Mouse Spider' as i remeber reading in a paper once about someone getting bitten by one, and thats what they named it. But most of the google images look different.

Heres the pics.. This thing was huge for a UK spider, must have had a leg span of 2~2 1/4" ! never seen one of these this big before and by god was it aggressive!!!













Does anyone know what they are?

Thanx
Ryan

[James Box]

looks a touch like Segestria florentina to me, mate!
rather large, isn't it?
if i am right, they're meant to be fairly venomous, though not life threatening, so be careful, but they are gorgeous!!

[Jennifer Todd]

Lovely looking spider

[Phil Rea]

Looks like S. florentina to me too

[Craig Mackay]

Nice find! I agree with Phil and James. Don't get bitten by it, it's meant to hurt like hell, lol!

[Ryan Simons]

Well i typed that name into google and going by the pics that have come up id agree. Is there a 'slang' name for it? Segestria florentina is a bit of a mouthfull lol.

I did get bitten by one when i was about 13 (13 years ago) it got hold of my thumb and i flapped my hand around like it was on fire but no way would it let go!! next morning the tip of my thumb had gone green with puss!!

Luckly tho my thumb survived and i decided never to torment these spiders again! lol

thnx for the help peeps

[Ray Hale]

British spiders dont usually have common names but it has been called the snakeskin spider in a number of books.

Ray

[Emily Nicholls]

I think a 'slang' name is the tube web spider? Not sure though! Nice find anyway, I've never seen one I don't think.

[James Box]

thats the common name of the family...i think snake back spider usually refers to Segestria senoculata

[Richard Gallon]

This introduced spider is reasonably widespread in southern UK now - click for distribution map:

http://www.britishspiders.org.uk/index.php?page=ukmap&taxon_key=NBNSYS0000008637

Has anybody seen it elsewhere in the UK?
Cheers,
Richard

[James Box]

though introduced, hasn't it been here a long time now?

i am excited, thought it wasn't found so close to where i live, technically

[Ryan Simons]

Well i heard it comes from Africa, its been here around 100 years and used to come off the trade ships in the kent coast & chatham dockyard -this makes sense because im only 3 miles from chatham. These are probally the 2nd most common spider here in kent, i have about 15~20 of them in my back garden right now.

A friend of mine was asleep on his coutch the other day, he woke up because he felt something on his forehead, when he moved, he got bit, and as a 'just woke up shock-reaction', he full pelt slapped himself in the forehead lol. It was one of these tube web spiders, it got out of the way just in time before he hit himself, hes now got a bruse from hitting himself and 2 dots from getting bitten! lol

[James Box]

i suppose after 100 years, it should be nearly considered native lol

i'll have to go hunting for them next time i'm in Kent!

[Ryan Simons]

i suppose after 100 years, it should be nearly considered native lol

i'll have to go hunting for them next time i'm in Kent!

Lol just watch your fingers if you do! there aggressive little buggers!

[Mike_Strick]

Interesting. We caught one of those in a pub garden the other week. I incorrectly identified it as a variety of woodlouse spider. I was berating everyone for being concerned about domestic spider bites. Sounds like it's just as well I didn't push my luck when handling it.