Golden Orb Weaver

I have been seeing a lot of these spiders around lately, and wanted to know what they were called. It's name is the Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila Ornata) and it is found predominantly in Eastern Australia.

There is a big one I pass every day, and tried hard to get a good photo, but the results were basically a lot of clear greenery with a smudgy blur in the foreground. So I got the photo from here instead. Now I don't particularly like spiders, and these particular ones creep me out, but the more I have found out about them, the more likable they have become... well, likable might be a bit too strong a word.. at least tolerable.

The big Golden Orbs that you see are actually all female. When you look closely at the photo above you will see a little spider nearby. I assumed these little fellas were the babies, but they are actually the males. So, we get a pretty clear picture of who wears the pants (or black and orange leggings) in this family. The female builds the web, and there will often be a few of these little males hanging around the edge of her web trying to get a look in with her. I'm not sure if spiders can have insecurities, but if I were a male Golden Orb, I don't think I would feel too great about my place in the world.

The 'gold' in the name actually refers to the colour of the silk in the web, when seen in sunlight, which if you care to look, is rather beautiful. The silk is very strong, and can even sometimes trap small birds and bats! When I was doing my early morning jogs I ran face first into one of these webs, and I think it actually made a 'sproing' sound, it was that strong. Luckily, the Golden Orb Weavers' venom is not very dangerous to humans, and they are reluctant to bite. Phew.