Spider Mating Web and Foxes

Having spotted the male suitor to my resident spider, I spent half of last night watching them. The female was busy adjusting the web, a sure sign that the was ready to breed.

I tried to use the video lights but as I though, the light was reflecting off of the window glass and as its a first floor window, I could not film from outside. Therefore, I contented myself with just observing. But all I actually got to see was her making the adjustments to the web. By three in the morning she seemed happy with the web and returned to her normal resting place. The male had not lifted a leg to help, there are some readers that will say that typical.

I was ready and willing to stay watching the spiders, but as I was watching I spotted a fox with three nearly full grown cubs, trotting by my back gate. Taking a chance I headed out with the camera and Infra red lights, I tried to film the fox family. I was able to track them reasonably well, but I was never able to get close enough to film as the lights are just not powerful enough to film at the sixty or seventy feet distance. The closest the vixen would allow me to get.

Finally after nearly two hours, I had drained the batteries, the lights drain the batteries so quickly, and the foxes were heading for cover more, I decided to give up. If I had more batteries I would have stuck with them, but I did not.

When I returned the spiders were still where I had left them, and it looked as if I may still get to see the mating occur. As I was now drunk with tiredness, I went to bed. Having garnered a few hours sleep, I went to check on the spiders and discovered just the female. Also she had dismantled the matting web she had made and was building a new web for catching food. The male was no where to be seen. While the female in some species can eat the male, this does not always happen and this time it looked as though this time the male had escaped being a meal.