Getting bigger

Have you ever wondered why as the year passes, the biggest spiders are around towards the end of Summer and into Autumn? Spiders and insects have rigid external skeletons (exoskeletons) which protect and support their bodies. This contrasts with animals with internal skeletons like ourselves. An exoskeleton has the disadvantage of restricting the growth of the animal, and if it is to get bigger it has to moult: shed the old skin and reveal the new soft body underneath. The body is pumped up before the exoskeleton hardens. In the course of a year as the young spider grows it will go through several moults before the full-sized adult emerges.

This photograph shows an orb spider shedding its old skin and I can thank brokenbanjo for spotting this.

Since I started my new role in the organisation in April there have been few opportunities for getting out in the field. I wasn't going to say no to the chance of going out today, even though we were assessing the damage that had been done to a wetland through attempts to drain it. As it happened, the damage was less than feared and we had a lovely day squelching about in fen and swamp in sunshine. We saw a roe deer with a fawn, found the skeleton of an adder, and I saw my first small copper butterfly of the year.

Wifie has headed to BW tonight, taking Sarah back to York. Tomorrow she returns with two of our nephews, and the t'ree fellas will be reunited for weekend adventures.