In what is clearly an ongoing series I might have to call “The Spiders in our Garden” here is another one of…. ummmm…. the spiders in our garden…. 😉
This one was noticed hanging in the lavender by Number 1 while we were bringing the shopping in and is called a Whip Spider.
A spider or a gravity resistant stick?
Yes, I know it looks like a stick. It hasn’t thought its hiding spot out too well has it?
If it is really wanted us to believe the whole stick thing it wouldn’t be floating in the air. A much better disguise would be if it clung to whatever plant it had attached its web to wouldn’t it?
Busted!
I got Number 1 to tickle it with a piece of grass so it would turn from stick to spider otherwise you would be perfectly justified in thinking I made this entire post up.
These spiders are only a few centimeters long so when they move it is amazing to see all these legs suddenly spring out. Their long curved back end looks quite strange on a spider too.
At home we just call these guys ‘the spider that looks like a stick’ so I though I had better look up their proper name for you. I was surprised that they were called Whip Spiders as I have seen Whip Spiders and their scary fighting legs on documentaries and they look WAY more formidable than this guy. I’m not complaining, mind you, spiders who just want me to think they are a stick, then run away when they are caught out are far more welcome in our garden!
Buried words and Bushwa. 
You know, the fact that you’re talking about them all the time isn’t making me like them an more. I just think they’re more devious than before now and don’t trust anything I see -now just in case. Your aversion therapy sucks !!!!!
-giggles- For once I agree with His Nibs. Especially as I have to get out there and weed very soon. 😉
I can see you weeding with tongs, wearing extra heavy duty gloves now 😉
rofl – don’t laugh! I ALWAYS wear heavy leather gardening gloves. And if I see any of your little friends I may just give the tongs a go too. :p
🙂 I never garden without gloves and if my gloves have been left outside I stomp on them before I put them on as a kind of pre-emptive strike.
I admit that if I am not armed with a camera I stomp first, ask questions later.
lmao. I bash mine against the fence post. I bring my boots inside but give them a bash as well. 9/10 nothing comes out but I have had the odd small black spider fall out. It wasn’t a white tail but we have seen them here so I take no chances.
White tails will never be seen on this blog unless it is a photo of a splat mark. I hate those ones, agressive little buggers. They jump right off the wall at you!! Eeek!
lol – in that case please post lots and lots of splat photos! Hmm…that sounded rather rude 😦
Sorry about that, I hadn’t realized that I would be causing you to be terrified of every innocent little twig you come across….. Maybe I should post some photos of happy puppies? 😉
That is the strangest looking spider I have ever seen. You all sure have some strange creatures! One can’t really be sure of anything in Australia, can they? Oh and I’ve informed my sisters of the drop bear threat 😉
It is a weird one, isn’t it? The curved bottom is the thing that amazes me the most. It goes from a rounded, seemingly rigid stick, to more of a flat sided curve. Not sure the photo shows that too well as he was making a run for it at the time but it is such an unexpected change of shape.
I’m glad you have shared the horror of the drop bears, potential tourists should be aware of the threat of wandering under trees 😉
I’m liking the ‘spidy’ posts, and that you & the kids (& the Man?) are celebrating the spiders in your garden, as for me they are fascinating 🙂
I’m really pleased that you are enjoying them. Even though having one on you is horrible, viewing them from a safe distance is so interesting.
The Man is dragged over by the kids to look at strange critters and, although he is interested, he is generally the one who has to remove marauding Huntsmen from the house so his interest only extends so far.
We really love all of the critters in the garden, no matter how horrible seeming they are. Number 2 son has a large cicada in a cage at the moment. It was found on the grass on Sunday and clearly its skin shedding had gone wrong as it is still completely white and its legs and wings haven’t pumped up. Nevertheless it is safely tucked up in a cage where the ants and birds can’t get it until nature takes its course.
That is one cool spider, the kind I like. Floating sticks are much more bearable than nasty looking 8 legged beasties..
But when that innocent-seeming stick suddenly sprouts legs and runs off while you are gardening it is definitely offputting!! 😀
I agree though, it is better than a hairy monster coming at you….
That’s just creepy looking.
You don’t really want the sticks to get up and run away while you are gardening, do you? 🙂
Now I’m scared of chopsticks too…
🙂 I’m just really glad they are so small. If one of the sticks I was about to shove in the fire got up and ran away the family may well freeze to death next winter 😉