spiders
Posted by Shauney Haveman on May 22, 2008
Q: We were in Eastern Montana last year and were digging for fossils and came across this huge pale yellow spider approx. 2 to 3 inches in diameter (including it's legs). We did kill it and turned it over and it had a black "pagoda" type design on it's belly. I'm trying to find out what kind of spider this was and if it was dangerous or poisonous or not! Thank you!
State: Montana
Habitat: field/meadow
A: I can't give you a definite answer on the species you found, but it is definitely NOT dangerous. If I had a photo I might be able to identify the genus of this animal but probably not its exact kind. The U.S. only has two dangerous spiders (Brown Recluse and Black Widow) so this animal posed no threat. I realize that spiders can be kind of scarey but they are an important part of a healthy environment so I hope next time you'll look but not kill the next spider you see.
Thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( May 31, 2008)