Cody

 I have had a short break from posting because I had a few days camping down in the New Forest. You can be sure I got some great shots of some of the forest wildlife but before we get to that I have several more days worth of arachnids.

For today the star of the show is Cody (named for a Star Wars character; Commander of the 212th Battalion of Clone Troopers) and it is a fitting name given the species of spider Aphonopelma chalcodes. It is also known as an Arizonan Blonde which seems quite an appropriate name given the hairs on its abdomen and legs.

Its amazing how well it can hold onto the smooth sides of its tank, it needed a little gentle encouragement to move down to get a different pose. Definitely worth a closer look. Even if you are frightened of spiders you can get a look without any risk.