Wildlife Spotting

20 spottings in a category earns you one badge . We have almost 8 categories. etc etc.

I have these types of spiders and many others living in my yard and they have never bothered the dog. It is rare for dogs and cats to be bitten by spiders and they rarely have reactions more than a small irritation. They have more protection from accidental bites because of their fur. I wouldn't worry about it.

Hi Lisa, nice find! It is interesting how the water has collected on the web. This looks like the web of a Funnel Weaver Spider (not the same as the Funnel Weavers from Australia) from Family Agelenidae. They build sheet-like webs with a small funnel-like tube at one end (from Bugguide). Spiders are beneficial and help control insect populations including pests like mosquitoes. Most spiders have some amount of venom to subdue prey (insects and other small arthropods mostly) but the majority are not dangerous to humans under normal circumstances. Spiders prefer to stay away from humans as we are large and a potential threat but we do share the same living places at times. Funnel Weavers are quite shy and will retreat back into their holes when larger animals come around. If the weather was bad (raining) the spiders will also stay hidden. They are fairly common and not dangerous. They are happily living in your yard and not bothering anyone so there should be no need to remove them. I can see only benefit from having them around! Enjoy the beauty of the world around you. :) Here is some general info on the family of spiders: http://bugguide.net/node/view/1974