The Great Barrier Reef spans for over 345,000km². Within that area there are seven core habitats that are all connected to the reef itself. These habitats are mangroves, forests, coastlines, seagrass meadows, lagoon floors, islands, open water and of course coral reefs.
That is why this week we bring you a sighting from one of those connecting habitats. A beautiful golden orb spider spotted on Whitsunday Island.
Some of you might disagree with the statement beautiful! For anyone with Arachnophobia, this could well be your worst nightmare but these island residents are fairly common sightings on the Hill Inlet bushwalk. This pretty lady can grow to a length of over 30cm (toe to toe) with a chunky body over 5cm in size. Despite its size, these docile creatures pose almost no threat to humans.
So what makes these creepy crawlies so amazing? The strength of the orbs web is in fact one of the most remarkable feats of engineering in the animal kingdom. These treads are one of the strongest natural fibres found anywhere. Having the ability to absorb the impact of flying insects and even small birds!
