A hidden Hong Kong treasure, huge, colourful and it will give you a nasty bite and they seem to be everywhere...
I really love this spider
The Golden Orb is a big spider, I have seen one that was about 1 1/2 times the size of my hand and once I recovered from the shock I got very close to take one my favourite images.. that was October 2012... I still have a phobia of spiders and my somewhat warped mind decided that the best way to overcome this dread of these creatures was to go looking for them and get up close and personal and have a chat.
So armed with a healthy dose of bravado and my camera I decided that the Peak would be the best place to look as this is where my original encounter took place, I have seen quite a few up there but mainly babies, I wanted to meet the really big ones.
The images below are of 4 different spiders, the ones I found today where hanging around literally 12 inches from the path I was walking down near the Pinewood Battery close to Harlech Road at the Peak.
In fact during the walk down I actually encountered over 20 of these lovely spiders and I bet that the vast majority of people in Hong Kong have no idea they are so close to a man eating spider!!
This is the first black one I have seen
They produce a gigantic web
They give me the creeps in black and white
Don't you just love special effects
The web is not really symmetrical, they repair them often
I got very close but the spider was on the other side of the web
Lovely markings
This was a juvenile spider
My original meeting with this species in October 2012 and this was a monster
I spent 30 minutes watching them....
I reckon I have overcome my phobia now I know they can't cocoon, disembowel and eat me... I think they are magnificent. They do not move much and I have to say the web they weave is huge and very, very strong, there was a very strong wind and they held firm.
I have read reports that the same species elsewhere in the world catches and eats small birds and I can believe it.
So, if you walking in green area's in Hong Kong bear in mind you are being watched and sized up as a potential meal!
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