Creature Feature #369: Katipo

The Katipo is endemic to New Zealand. She is the only poisonous spider to occur here naturally. Her closest relatives are the Australian redback and the American black widow spiders. She spins her rather haphazard web near the sea shore, among the sand dunes. Her venom induces severe pain, hypertension, seizure and even coma. An antivenom exists and there have been no recorded deaths from Katipo bite since the 19th century. The male is considerably smaller - about 1/5th her size - with a white abdomen and brown carapace.

Creature Feature #361: Jumping Spider

The Jumping Spider Family, Salticidae, contains more than 5,000 species. These eight-legged hunters have excellent vision, with four pairs of eyes, including her large anterior eyes. This vision assists her in hunting, courtship and navigation. She is a diurnal hunter, preying on small insects. She makes her leaps by altering the pressure of fluid within them, allowing her to jump several times the length of her body. She does not build webs, using her silk as a safety rope, but occasionally will create a small silken shelter to protect her - and her eggs. Certain species of Jumping Spider have been shown to be capable of learning, recognising and remembering colours, and changing her behaviour accordingly.

Creature Feature #211: Emperor Scorpion

The Emperor Scorpion is one of the largest scorpions in the world, growing to an average of 20cm long (EEK!). He can be found in the rainforests and savannah of West Africa. Thankfully, his sting is merely painful, not fatal. He buries himself in the ground during the day, hunting for termites and other insects at night. To feed, he grasps the prey in his pincers, injecting it with poison that liquifies the internal structure within the victim's exoskeleton. Cannibalism is not uncommon, females will eat their mate or their own offspring, and males will sometimes kill each other. Popular in the pet trade, the Emperor Scorpion has been pillaged from the wild and is now considered endangered.