Further to my previous post which included Raft Spiders I revisited the New Forest stream where we found several of these interesting arachnids. We found 7 Raft Spiders today including a juvenile spider and a female with an egg sac.

Raft Spiders will carry their egg sac around for some time before creating a nursery web for their spiderlings. (Last time we found a nursery web.)

These large spiders will sit at the edge of the water, or on floating vegetation, with their front legs resting on the water’s surface in order to feel for the vibrations of potential prey, they chase out onto the water to catch their prey, ranging from tadpoles or small fish. They will also swim underwater.

Below. Adult female with egg sac.

Below. nursery web with tiny spiderlings.

Below. Juvenile Raft Spider is now independent of the nursery web.

Common Lizards are found in many UK habitats, including heathland, moorland, woodland and grassland, they like basking in the sun. The common lizard is also known as the Viviparous lizard. They are unusual among reptiles as they incubate their eggs inside their body and ‘gives birth’ to live young rather than laying eggs.

We spotted this Lizard in the New Forest enjoying the sun on a fallen branch which spanned a small stream.