By: Ciara Washington Introduction: Hey everyone! I'm here to let you know about the Desert Recluse. They sure look creepy, don't they? Make sure you watch out for this very dangerous spider. They are a tan-brown color, and about two inches wide. Their bite can cause some harm to your skin, and in rare cases be fatal. Make sure you keep an eye out for it outside underneath stuff, as well as inside the house! WHO AM I? I am the Desert Recluse, loxosceles deserta, commonly mistaken for the Brown Recluse. Watch out for me because my bite can do some serious harm! I like to live both outside, and inside homes.  WHERE DO I LIVE? I can be found in California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada. If you want to search for me outside of America, I can be found in Mexico too. I can be found hiding under rocks and bark, also near pack rat dens. Be careful where you place your shoes too, I can sometimes be found hiding in there as well. Almost anything, dark, warm, and dry seems like a good place to make a home for me! WHAT DO I EAT? I like to hunt for my meals at night. Like other spiders, I prey on just about any insect that gets in my way, or caught in my web . If need be, I can go with out food or water for a six month period.  HOW DO I LOOK? I can be about 1.5-2 inches wide. I am a brown/yellow color, and unlike other spiders in my family, I do not have a violin shaped marking on my abdomen, in fact, I have no markings at all! One thing that sets me apart from other spiders is that I have six eyes instead of eight. HOW DO I REPRODUCE? Our females can lay up to fifty eggs, usually from May-July, and emerge after about a month. It takes awhile for our young to grow, usually one year to become an adult. We can live up to two years. FUN FACT ABOUT ME? I am a very venomous spider. One bite from me will definitely call for a trip to the hospital. My bite causes open sores on the skin that can be very hard to heal, along with fever, nausea, headaches, and more! Kindergarten: Draw a picture of what you think I look like, and tell your teacher/parent three interesting things about me!
First and Second Grade: Draw a picture of me, and write three sentences about the interesting things you learned. Third Grade: Find/draw a cool picture of me! Write a creative short story, and include three facts.
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ME BELOW: Venombyte- This has information about venomous animals, written in a way that both adults and kids can understand. The Journal of Arachnology - A journal dedicated to arachnids. It explains the history of spiders, as well as a lot of scientific information. Animal Corner- This website has a lot of useful information about many different types of species. Contains a lot of cool pictures and videos! |