Author Koh Lin ◦
This was one lucky red-headed male, saved from a watery grave…
I was just doing my usual morning rounds, checking the water level of the swimming pool, when I spied something dark and black, slowly sinking below the surface of the water in the pool. On closer inspection, I could see it was a large and dark looking spider (the legs twitching slightly) and it was still alive.
Whilst in the water, I saw it had a red head, and realised it was a Red-headed Mouse Spider (I had documented them in Alice Springs before). Only the males of the species have the “red head”.
I picked up off the ground a eucalyptus leaf to use to fish the spider out of the pool. I knew this spider was venomous, so I took care not to let it get to close to my fingers. This was one lucky spider.
Whilst the Red-headed Mouse Spider are known to survive under water for a period, they are not really swimmers and will eventually perish, if they cannot get out. This spider may have fallen in whilst looking for a female Mouse Spider to mate with.
After a few photos with my mobile, I then released it in safe area away from the pool and garden.
Check out some of our other encounters with this species:
- Red-headed Mouse Spider (Alice Springs Fauna)
- Missulena occatoria (Red-headed Mouse Spider) — Fauna > Spiders
