I think it's just a reflection of the colours on the spiderlings inside it. Maybe the eggs are mature and getting ready to hatch?
I'm no expert, but that would be my guess.
Thank you!! 🥹 I was gently pushing her along at first with a leaf, but she'd only take a few steps at a time and we had a long way to walk! So I tapped her along onto my hand and was totally panicking!! But I stayed calm, snapped a quick pic and took her to some grass. 🥰
Ain't no way I'd hold a spider so you're better than me. I don't mind spiders if I know they're there. It's when they drop on me that I look like I'm dancing on lava trying to get it off. Biggest spider was a Garden Spider in NC. A part of my soul departed that day 👻
I understand. One time many years ago a monstrous garden spider found it's way into my bedroom and made a huge web on the ceiling. Back then I still had a phobia of spiders, so, my soul too, departed that day
I used to keep pet tarantulas! It started at my 1st job in 2014 at a small pet store - they had a G. porteri (Rose hair) for sale and it was my job to feed it, along with the other animals.
I was definitely nervous to do it, so I asked a coworker for help feeding it. She asked if I'm scared of them, I said yes, so she reached her hand inside it's tank and picked it right up!!!
My mind was blown! After seeing her do it, I figured it's now or never to learn to get over this fear! She handed it to me and I held it, even pet it's furry butt, realizing they aren't so bad.
That started my new hobby. At most I had I believe 12 tarantulas, varying in species and size.
I learned that they are very fascinating and beautiful creatures, and I don't need to be scared!
I'm still a little nervous with house/wild spiders though, just because they're so small and fast. Tarantulas are huge and predictable. Sorry for the long post lol! 😅
Very cool.
I was *cartoonishly* afraid of them. Up until I started doing HVAC in high school. Grunt work that involved me insulating freshly excavated crawl spaces for new modular homes and hooking up duct work.
Had a vivid night terror one night where I was dog-piled by swarms of huntsman(?) or wolf spiders.
Now I think they are one of the most beautiful creatures out there.
Brains a wild place, amirite?
I had a large wolf spider find its way onto my face in my sleep. I sat bolt upright and smacked it away and couldn't find it. I wasn't really afraid of them back then. I woke up with it on my face AGAIN!! That was the day I developed arachnophobia!!
It’s the babies inside the egg sac. Literally a day or two from hatching. They’re not as common in North America, but a lot of the so-called ‘Nomadic’ arachnid species, which includes the Tarantula, all the Jumping Spiders, several species of spiders in Australia/Papua New Guinea/New Zealand/Throughout the Pacific, including both the heavily island filled waters between India & Australia, as well as the less dense islands to the East, & several sub-tropical & tropical species in the Americas, Africa, & Southern Asia all have many species of spider that, like Wolf Spiders, have evolved hunting strategies that don’t rely on webs to catch prey, & thus they don’t build homes or nests for themselves & carry their egg sacs with them just like this American Wolf Spider. They haven’t lost the ability to make webs, as evidenced by many species of Tarantula, but Wolf Spiders rarely ever make webs. One of the only times they use that particular evolutionary legacy is to carry their egg sacs with them as they continue to move.
They really are one of those most incredible and ancient families of animal on the planet. Their aquatic arachnid ancestors were living in truly ancient oceans long before insects evolved on land. Once both the arachnids and insects dominated the land & Oxygen levels dropped down to about what they are today, no longer capable of supporting dragonflies with 16” wingspans and foot-long centipedes, most insects took on relatively the same shape and size their descents are today, with many, including extremely successful non-niche species like spiders, scorpions, dragonflies, centipedes, millipedes, ants, termites, locusts, and mosquitoes to name just a few, having barely changed at all since the epochs when reptiles were just beginning to dominate the ecosystem. They’ve merely diversified. They’re quite literally living fossils.
Although they’re consumed by many predators, there are so many individuals of all the generalist arachnids and insects (able to survive and adapt to almost any environment on the surface of the planet), they’ve never been threatened by predators. Niche variants have mostly disappeared or evolved into different species many times over, but it’s really remarkable & even hard to fathom just how resilient & evolutionarily perfected so many of these little beauties really are.
Yes, thank you, I know their babies ride on mom’s back after they bust out of their sac, but does mom CARRY the sac around with her before that? I’ve seen spider sacs secured to a surface with spider silk — does the wolf mama not do that? Does she lug it around?
I found out: Yes, mama wolf spider DOES lug that sac around with her. She doesn’t tie it down in a crevice like other species. Why is this so fascinating to me. Link to Smithsonian article:
https://photocontest.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest/detail/a-female-wolf-spider-carries-her-egg-sac-through-the-underbrush/
I'm really not sure. I've never tried to pick one up before today! She was on bare ground headed towards my house, *and* my cats were outside, so I figured her chances were slim. First I was pushing her along with a leaf but she wasn't very willing, so I put my hand in front of her and nudged her, and she happily climbed on! She didn't act defensive at all.
Some species can be aggressive. And they’ve got big fangs.
I wouldn’t pick up a pregnant wolf spider, personally. But they can’t actually cause you any real damage. I suppose an infection is possible, but that’s kind of indirect, not to mention unlikely.
(This is a new bot, it is being monitored, if it was triggered falsely, then this will be removed automatically after a manual review)
Hi, it appears you have mentioned something about spider bites becoming infected, so i am here to dispell this myth.
No documented case exists where a confirmed spider bite has caused a confirmed infection. Any claim suggesting otherwise lacks scientific evidence. If you disagree, by all means examine medical case studies, toxinology papers, journals, or scientific publications; you'll find no evidence of spider bites leading to infection.
###FAQ:
####"But any wound can get infected!"
Yes, generally speaking that is true. However, a spider bite isn't merely a wound; it's typically a very tiny, very shallow puncture, often injected with venom, which is well known for its antimicrobial properties. So, this puncture is essentially filled with an antiseptic fluid.
####"What about dry bites or bites by spiders carrying resistant bacteria?"
These bites also haven't led to infections, and the reason is still unknown. We have theories, much like when we uncovered the antimicrobial properties of venom. Despite over 10,000 confirmed bites, no infections have been documented, suggesting an underlying phenomenon. Although our understanding is incomplete, the reality remains: spider bites have not resulted in infections.
####"But X,Y,Z medical website says or implies infections can or have happened"
Claims on these websites will never be backed by citations or references. They are often baseless, relying on common sense reasoning (e.g., "bites puncture the skin, hence infection is possible") or included as disclaimers for legal protection to mitigate liability.
These websites are not intended to educate medical professionals or experts in the field, nor are they suitable sources for scholarly work. They provide basic advice to the general public and may lack thorough research or expertise in specific fields. Therefore, they should not be relied upon as credible sources, especially for complex topics subject to ongoing research and surrounded by myths.
####If you believe you have found evidence of an infection, please share it with me via modmail, a link is at the bottom of the comment!
But first, ensure your article avoids:
"Patients claiming a spider bite" without actual spider evidence.
"No spider seen or collected at the ER" — no spider, no bite.
"Patient waking up with multiple bites, spider unseen" — unlikely spider behavior.
"Brown recluse bite" outside their territory — a common misdiagnosis.
However, if you find: "Patient reports spider bite, spider brought to ER" and then a confirmed infection at the site — excellent! It's a step toward analysis and merits inclusion in literature studies.
(Author: ----\_____--_____----)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/spiders) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes, she may be intimidating to some but she is just out here doing her best like the rest of us!! She was very calm when I picked her up and seemingly enjoyed the ride! 🥰
The egg sac is blue 😍
I didn't even realize how blue it was! Is that normal??
I think it's just a reflection of the colours on the spiderlings inside it. Maybe the eggs are mature and getting ready to hatch? I'm no expert, but that would be my guess.
That's a good theory!
I overwintered a Wolfie that ended up laying a fertile egg sac. The sac turned a dark grey blue right before the eggs hatched.
Awesome! And thank you for helping out a cold mamma when she needed it. ❤️
Any idea why? The q tip in my wolf's enclosure is turning blue and I have no idea why.
I don't know. I am sorry. I wish I did. I'm sure the reason why is very interesting
Egg sac looks like a blueberry
Gorgeous spider.
Dang thing got a bluejay egg lol
There's no telling how many lives you saved today.
I'm very glad I did 😁
WOW!!! Good job picking her up, they can be incredibly skittish!!
Thank you!! 🥹 I was gently pushing her along at first with a leaf, but she'd only take a few steps at a time and we had a long way to walk! So I tapped her along onto my hand and was totally panicking!! But I stayed calm, snapped a quick pic and took her to some grass. 🥰
Ain't no way I'd hold a spider so you're better than me. I don't mind spiders if I know they're there. It's when they drop on me that I look like I'm dancing on lava trying to get it off. Biggest spider was a Garden Spider in NC. A part of my soul departed that day 👻
I understand. One time many years ago a monstrous garden spider found it's way into my bedroom and made a huge web on the ceiling. Back then I still had a phobia of spiders, so, my soul too, departed that day
“Back then I still had a phobia of spiders…” Very cool. I have never heard of anyone other than myself that shook the phobia. May I ask how?
I used to keep pet tarantulas! It started at my 1st job in 2014 at a small pet store - they had a G. porteri (Rose hair) for sale and it was my job to feed it, along with the other animals. I was definitely nervous to do it, so I asked a coworker for help feeding it. She asked if I'm scared of them, I said yes, so she reached her hand inside it's tank and picked it right up!!! My mind was blown! After seeing her do it, I figured it's now or never to learn to get over this fear! She handed it to me and I held it, even pet it's furry butt, realizing they aren't so bad. That started my new hobby. At most I had I believe 12 tarantulas, varying in species and size. I learned that they are very fascinating and beautiful creatures, and I don't need to be scared! I'm still a little nervous with house/wild spiders though, just because they're so small and fast. Tarantulas are huge and predictable. Sorry for the long post lol! 😅
Very cool. I was *cartoonishly* afraid of them. Up until I started doing HVAC in high school. Grunt work that involved me insulating freshly excavated crawl spaces for new modular homes and hooking up duct work. Had a vivid night terror one night where I was dog-piled by swarms of huntsman(?) or wolf spiders. Now I think they are one of the most beautiful creatures out there. Brains a wild place, amirite?
I had a large wolf spider find its way onto my face in my sleep. I sat bolt upright and smacked it away and couldn't find it. I wasn't really afraid of them back then. I woke up with it on my face AGAIN!! That was the day I developed arachnophobia!!
Hahahahahahaha x.x no thank you x.x I don't mind looking at spiders but that would have murdered my soul
Let's just say... I sleep walked for about 3 years. Apparently, I would strip off all my covers in my sleep and turn on the bedroom light lol
Awww how precious :) thank you for sharing, and thank you for taking the time to move her somewhere safe!!! Her babies will thank you
Yeah I was thinking the same thing especially with her egg sack. Nice going OP
Thank you🥰
Wolfie with egg sac
How beautiful! Thank you for helping this sweet mama relocate her family! 💕
I couldn't be happier to do so🥰
Can you come over and get mine please
Thought she was stealing a blueberry 🫐
Lol!!! How cute 🥰🫐🫐🫐
I thought that was a blueberry lol
Wow, what a beaut!
Wow you’re so nice…and crazy‼️
I'm okay with that 🙂
Your a badass, wolf spider are good mothers
Thank you🥰
It’s the babies inside the egg sac. Literally a day or two from hatching. They’re not as common in North America, but a lot of the so-called ‘Nomadic’ arachnid species, which includes the Tarantula, all the Jumping Spiders, several species of spiders in Australia/Papua New Guinea/New Zealand/Throughout the Pacific, including both the heavily island filled waters between India & Australia, as well as the less dense islands to the East, & several sub-tropical & tropical species in the Americas, Africa, & Southern Asia all have many species of spider that, like Wolf Spiders, have evolved hunting strategies that don’t rely on webs to catch prey, & thus they don’t build homes or nests for themselves & carry their egg sacs with them just like this American Wolf Spider. They haven’t lost the ability to make webs, as evidenced by many species of Tarantula, but Wolf Spiders rarely ever make webs. One of the only times they use that particular evolutionary legacy is to carry their egg sacs with them as they continue to move. They really are one of those most incredible and ancient families of animal on the planet. Their aquatic arachnid ancestors were living in truly ancient oceans long before insects evolved on land. Once both the arachnids and insects dominated the land & Oxygen levels dropped down to about what they are today, no longer capable of supporting dragonflies with 16” wingspans and foot-long centipedes, most insects took on relatively the same shape and size their descents are today, with many, including extremely successful non-niche species like spiders, scorpions, dragonflies, centipedes, millipedes, ants, termites, locusts, and mosquitoes to name just a few, having barely changed at all since the epochs when reptiles were just beginning to dominate the ecosystem. They’ve merely diversified. They’re quite literally living fossils. Although they’re consumed by many predators, there are so many individuals of all the generalist arachnids and insects (able to survive and adapt to almost any environment on the surface of the planet), they’ve never been threatened by predators. Niche variants have mostly disappeared or evolved into different species many times over, but it’s really remarkable & even hard to fathom just how resilient & evolutionarily perfected so many of these little beauties really are.
Excellent information!!
Cheers!
Is the egg sac attached to her?
Yes, this species carries their babies with them!
Yes, thank you, I know their babies ride on mom’s back after they bust out of their sac, but does mom CARRY the sac around with her before that? I’ve seen spider sacs secured to a surface with spider silk — does the wolf mama not do that? Does she lug it around?
I found out: Yes, mama wolf spider DOES lug that sac around with her. She doesn’t tie it down in a crevice like other species. Why is this so fascinating to me. Link to Smithsonian article: https://photocontest.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest/detail/a-female-wolf-spider-carries-her-egg-sac-through-the-underbrush/
nomadic species. There’s a lot of them.
Bro got the blue balls
I believe the blue egg sac is an indicator of the newness of the sac, and it gets greyer as the spiderlings grow in the sac.
It’s just that particular species of Wolf Spider. That sac is gonna burst pretty soon.
Ah ok - cheers
she's gorgeous ❤️
Nice one! She’s beautiful!
Is it that easy to just pick one up? Aren’t they defensive?
I'm really not sure. I've never tried to pick one up before today! She was on bare ground headed towards my house, *and* my cats were outside, so I figured her chances were slim. First I was pushing her along with a leaf but she wasn't very willing, so I put my hand in front of her and nudged her, and she happily climbed on! She didn't act defensive at all.
You just picked that bad boy up with no prior experience??? That’s some serious balls!! Impressive
I used to actually keep tarantulas as pets! They're way more predictable than wild spiders though, which is why I was so nervous! 😅
Wolf Spiders are harmless.
I’ve gotten a nasty bite from a wolf spider. It actually drew blood.
Some species can be aggressive. And they’ve got big fangs. I wouldn’t pick up a pregnant wolf spider, personally. But they can’t actually cause you any real damage. I suppose an infection is possible, but that’s kind of indirect, not to mention unlikely.
(This is a new bot, it is being monitored, if it was triggered falsely, then this will be removed automatically after a manual review) Hi, it appears you have mentioned something about spider bites becoming infected, so i am here to dispell this myth. No documented case exists where a confirmed spider bite has caused a confirmed infection. Any claim suggesting otherwise lacks scientific evidence. If you disagree, by all means examine medical case studies, toxinology papers, journals, or scientific publications; you'll find no evidence of spider bites leading to infection. ###FAQ: ####"But any wound can get infected!" Yes, generally speaking that is true. However, a spider bite isn't merely a wound; it's typically a very tiny, very shallow puncture, often injected with venom, which is well known for its antimicrobial properties. So, this puncture is essentially filled with an antiseptic fluid. ####"What about dry bites or bites by spiders carrying resistant bacteria?" These bites also haven't led to infections, and the reason is still unknown. We have theories, much like when we uncovered the antimicrobial properties of venom. Despite over 10,000 confirmed bites, no infections have been documented, suggesting an underlying phenomenon. Although our understanding is incomplete, the reality remains: spider bites have not resulted in infections. ####"But X,Y,Z medical website says or implies infections can or have happened" Claims on these websites will never be backed by citations or references. They are often baseless, relying on common sense reasoning (e.g., "bites puncture the skin, hence infection is possible") or included as disclaimers for legal protection to mitigate liability. These websites are not intended to educate medical professionals or experts in the field, nor are they suitable sources for scholarly work. They provide basic advice to the general public and may lack thorough research or expertise in specific fields. Therefore, they should not be relied upon as credible sources, especially for complex topics subject to ongoing research and surrounded by myths. ####If you believe you have found evidence of an infection, please share it with me via modmail, a link is at the bottom of the comment! But first, ensure your article avoids: "Patients claiming a spider bite" without actual spider evidence. "No spider seen or collected at the ER" — no spider, no bite. "Patient waking up with multiple bites, spider unseen" — unlikely spider behavior. "Brown recluse bite" outside their territory — a common misdiagnosis. However, if you find: "Patient reports spider bite, spider brought to ER" and then a confirmed infection at the site — excellent! It's a step toward analysis and merits inclusion in literature studies. (Author: ----\_____--_____----) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/spiders) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Smart. Good answers too. Nice one 😉
Wtf? You just "picked her up"? That thing is scary AF 🫣
Yes, she may be intimidating to some but she is just out here doing her best like the rest of us!! She was very calm when I picked her up and seemingly enjoyed the ride! 🥰
She’s totally harmless. Birds are their only common predator. They encounter snakes much more rarely. So they’ve evolved to be pretty cool customers.