Nephila in VA!

[Wade]

This is probably only interesting to those of us in VA, but I recently learned that Nephila claviapes is known to live in our state, Virginia Beach, specifically. I had no idea!

Wade

[Paul Day]

Yeah, you can also get some Alligators up there, if you are really lucky. I think thats strage too.

Pauly

[Alex S.]

Thats great Wade! Are you currently keeping any specimens?

Alex S.

[Wade]

Alex-

No, I've never seen them myself. I knew they got as far north as North Carolina, but was not aware they got into VA at all. I learned this from a local entomologist. Time to start planning my next vacation!

Wade

[Valael]

Alligators aren't anything special! We had one up here in Illinois this summer! Heh, just a baby that hitched a ride in a Semi full of plants. I think they killed it off =/ It's a shame, I would have kept it

[jwb121377]

Wade I had never heard that before. How cool is that!

[jwb121377]

Here's a link to some pics and basic info on them: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~tmdrisco/Spider1.html

[Wade]

Thanks for the link...interesting site!

I told my sister about Nephila, and she told me that she had seen them on just about every roadside sign on the way down to Nags Head (popular beach area in North Carolina)! Of course, she didn't know I wanted any...

I don't belive alligators are known to occur naturally in VA, but we're pretty close...I think like 50 miles or so from the northernmost range in NC. Escaped pets, however, is annother thing. Crocodillians are illegal in this state, but that doesn't mean anything.

Wade