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Anonymous
Does /an/ know what kind of spider this big guy is? I took some photos of him on a bush in our front yard a couple of weeks ago.

His abdomen was about 3-4 cm in diameter, and he was a dove grey colour. If I remember correctly, the thick fuzzy bits on his legs were dark reddish.

I live in rural New South Wales, Australia (near Canberra)
>> Anonymous
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Contrasted in PS so you can see his markings more clearly
>> Anonymous
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It's hard to take photos up into a bright sky
>> Anonymous
damn that's a beautiful spider.

You could submit her to http://whatsthatbug.com/
>> Anonymous
I just wish I could have gotten a better photo. You can't really see the nice grey colour it was in the photo!
>> 3007 8411 8277 Alex
>>245749

It's a golden orb-weaver, of the genus Nephila. I don't believe you're Australian and do not know what this spider is...
>> Anonymous
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>>245781
Thank you! The thought had crossed my mind, but I'd seen an orb weaver many years ago that was yellow and green with a different body shape, so I didn't know what this guy was. Usually the only spiders we get around here are huntsmen, daddy long legs, whitetails and the odd redback, and sometimes these little crab-like colourful ones that live in the grass...

Anyway, Google supplied a pic of exactly the same kind of spider where you can see his colours. Isn't he pretty?
>> Anonymous
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>> Barksalot !!bUy38Am5hmk
>>245759
If you like the spider - you should see their webs. I can't stand spiders, but leave them alone and even admire them because of the way their golden webs shimmer in the sunlight. I can never get good photographs though.
>> Anonymous
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Here's the other kind I'd seen before.

Thanks!
>> Anonymous
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Oh, I can't get near them either. I was just excited to see such a big 'un, and one I'd never seen before. The web didn't seem to be golden, but apparently the egg... sac... stuff is.
>> Anonymous
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Nephilas rock!
>> Anonymous
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The bigger, the better!
>> Anonymous
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Lookit this monster!