My Rain Spider Family
Channel: Peet J van Eeden
Date: 2020-05-15

Description and behavior observed:
The common rain spider belongs to the group of huntsman spiders and is native to Southern Africa. They derive their name of often entering homes before the rain. The female spider, after mating, will construct a round egg sac consisting of leaves, twigs, and silk. The female spider aggressively guards the egg sac with 50-300 eggs until the spiderlings chew their way open to the new world. Rain spiders do not use a web to catch their prey but hunt them down. They, therefore, belong to the huntsman's spiders,. They are a gardener’s friend by feeding on small insects and vertebrae in a garden. This video followed a female rain spider, protecting her egg sac over weeks until the spiderlings finally emerge.