Spider webs blanket Australian landscape

[dvernb]

Massive spider webs stretching across trees and paddocks have formed near towns in Australia recently hit by floods.

Residents in Victoria's Gippsland region say the gossamer-like veils appeared after days of heavy rain.

In one area, a spider web covered more than a kilometre along a road.

Experts say the veils are created by a survival tactic known as "ballooning", where spiders throw out silk to climb to higher ground.

Dr Ken Walker, a senior insects curator from Museums Victoria, said it was likely that millions of spiders had thrown strands up to the surrounding trees.

"Ground-dwelling spiders need to get off the ground very quickly. The silk snakes up and catches onto vegetation and they can escape," he told The Age newspaper.

More (with pictures):

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-57492960

 

[Makara]

the thing i love about Australia would be the plane back home .... everything wants to kill you there from snakes, to spiders, to Crocodiles to sharks ... America is the same plus you have the added worry of someone trying to shoot you ... the most dangerous snake in Europe is the adder all it's bite does is give you swelling it tries to keep away from humans and only bites when it feels threatened ... we have no poisonous spiders but we do have sharks including Great whites in the Med and possibly off the West coast of Scotland as well their has been sightings  

[Kath]

We are very lucky in the UK to have no seriously venomous animals, just annoying ones.

[Kath]

One of my good friends who lived in Tennessee (USA) moved to OZ some years ago.  He he seems to be settled there and happy with the Australian woman he married.  He's put on a little weight,. Well fed and happy now, that's all you can hope for with friends 🙂

[Makara]

On 6/28/2021 at 11:47 PM, Kath said:

One of my good friends who lived in Tennessee (USA) moved to OZ some years ago.  He he seems to be settled there and happy with the Australian woman he married.  He's put on a little weight,. Well fed and happy now, that's all you can hope for with friends 🙂

i have a few friends that moved to Aussieland one a former work colleague and friend who ended up marrying a local lass and they have a adorable wee boy ... and he bitches when it gets as low as 16c lol and another school mate left for Oz with his wife and kids 15 years ago and doesn't regret his decision 

 

and my uncle & aunt and their family moved to New Zealand 20 years ago and love it 

[Kath]

Yea, the weather is better in general, but the dangers are enormous, I'll stay in the UK thanks.