MR. WOLF SPIDER… or PUPPY FACE?

We have all heard about Wolf Spiders, but have you ever actually stopped to look at their face up close? To most, the Wolf Spider’s appearance may seem a little disenchanting. But to the trained eye that searches for beauty even within the seemingly disenchanting appearance of the wolf spider, a closer look at the face reveals a puppy-like appearance.
Don’t believe it? Try it for yourself.

Here’s how:
1. Zoom in on the picture of this wolf spider.
2. Block out the legs and the feelers and just focus on the face.
3. You will notice that if you just look at the eyes and the mouth, this arachnid actually looks like a puppy.
4. Now zoom back out and all you will be able to see is a puppy with extra legs instead of a scary arachnid with hairs that look like spikes.

This activity is not so much about the spider himself in all of his glory as it is about our lack of seeing. Our quick ability to dismiss anything that we have stereotyped as ugly or scary.
Wolf Spiders are Arachnids that work hard at being great parents. They are ambush hunters instead of web weavers that go in search for food. This is why you might happen to run across a wolf spider on a trail wandering around. They have excellent vision, but unlike humans they cannot move their eyeballs so instead they turn their entire body to see what they want to see. These amazing creatures can communicate using a purring sound that lasts less than a second and can be heard up to 20 feet away.

​ Superheroes are everywhere if we allow ourselves to see them, to notice them, to study them, and to move closer into the realm of the tiny miracles that surround us. 

By: Naturalist Sama Wareh