What kind of spider is living in my shower?

There’s a spider in my shower. I think he’s living either underneath or in my conditioner bottle. I don’t use the conditioner very often, so that’s OK with me. I see him maybe 4 times a week, when he crawls up on top of the bottle and takes a shower with me.

OK, I know I’m strange. But he’s not bugging me, so I figure I’ll let him hang out.

I’ve never seen this type of spider before. He’s maybe 1/2" long, perhaps shorter. His body is clearly separated into two segments, and it’s completely red. A dark red, almost burgundy color. His legs are black, and there’s 8 of 'em. He hasn’t built a web that I can see. He just hangs out on top of the conditioner bottle, and occasionally waggles his front legs at me.

I tried to find some spider identification Web sites, but no luck. So what is he? Is he gonna bite me one of these days & kill me? Or is he just gonna hang out and eat any other buggies that get in my bathroom?

The only possible correct answer to this GQ is, to paraphrase Marcellus Wallace from Pulp Fiction, is “a soon-to-be-living-the-rest-of-his-short-ass-life-in-agonizing-pain” one. :smiley: God, I hate spiders.

I found a couple of online field guides that include spiders here, here, and here. Happy hunting!

Lucky? :wink:

~~It’s probably radioactive… Let it bite you so you can
get some cool powers…
It could be a Burgundy Black-legged Peeping Tom Waver…

Well, to identify the spider better you might need to get a
close-up on the eyes…does it have two big eyes in front?
I forgot to check where ye be also…

That’s sounds like a Jumping Spider.

Just watch out though:

:eek:
Actually, I don’t mind the small hunting spiders. I leave them alone as well. Say hi to your new friend for me.

Nope, not a jumping spider. Closest match so far is a [url-“http://www.thesnake.org/spiders.html”]Female Greek Trap-Door Spider but I’m going by the description and a pic of the male model. Only problem is that it lives in Western Australia, and I’m fairly certain my shower, along with the rest of my house, is in North America.

Damn.

Hmmm, maybe instead of getting ready to attack, he’s just in the mood for some loving.

From the third link in pldennison’s post:

Crap. Preview preview preview!

<bangs head on desk>

Well, I am larger than him. And quite the looker, too. Maybe he IS coming on to me.

Are you going by the picture or the description? The different species look quite a bit different. If you can check out his eyes, that would be a good clue.

Here is a jumping spider that looks like it has the coloration that you described. Does the picture on the (http://spiders.arizona.edu/salticidae/paradamoetas/paradamoetas.html) look like your guy?

Crabs.

Big 'ins.

:slight_smile:

This page has great jumping spider pictures that match up with my experience of jumping spiders.

Remember color may vary, the easiest way to tell a jumping spider in my non-arachnidologist experience is that cute little face.

By the way, I’m completely scared of spiders, but for some reason I can handle (and I like) jumping spiders and tarantulas. But, everything that builds a web that I can see freaks me out.

Oooh, here’s another good picture. The big eyes are for hunting. Aren’t they cute?

There are four words in the english language that should never be said in one sentence:
Spider
Living
In
Shower
AAAAGH. I’ve got the creepy-crawlies- and now, thanks to the OP, I can’t even go take a shower to get rid of 'em.

:eek:

We have a problem with one type of spider, and his kin, who like to hide in the folds of the shower curtain. (Reminds me of the movie, “Arachnaphobia”!) It’s a non-descript, plain black spider spanning at least 1 or 2 inches in length. Wait, one had a vanity tag “2BUG YA” :smiley: (ha-ha!)

Tip: Check your shower curtains (both sides) for these eight-legged perpetrators! …and all the corners of the shower - both high and low.

The not-so-eensey weensey spider…

  • Jinx

~~Now, now Lightnin…
If you wish to live and thrive, let the spider walk alive.