Spider in the Zen
Posted on 24th January 2008 by Graham
Happy Valley in the heat of a dry spell was a landscape unlike any I have ever witnessed.
The dense swampy grasslands were firm underfoot and the wind-blasted rock ridges and plateaux were hot and exposed to the Summer sun. This unusual weather for the diverse sub-alpine topography of the Upper Waimangaroa Valley caused spectacular responses in the ecology of the area.
As we explored, we encountered a riot of colour as the hardy Denniston vegetation made the most of the strong sun to put forth flowers. We also encountered several specimens of a large and unusual Tunnel-web Spider in the Zen Garden behind the Occupation Camp. This animal displayed fierce territorial behaviour when we attempted to photograph it. Peter Jackson based the giant spider Shellob on a similar native species in his movie Return of the King. Despite this, Tunnel-webs are not dangerous to humans.
Happy Valley was identified by the Department of Conservation in 1998 as an area of high invertebrate biodiversity. The area has never undergone stringent study by taxonomists so mostly this biodiversity is still unclassified by science. This spider is one of several local lifeforms in Happy Valley that may warrant further scrutiny.
If you encounter any unusual animals or plants in Happy Valley, please attempt to photograph them and record the area in which you found them. Any incoming data can be forwarded to savehappyvalley@yahoo.com
