My speech

Introduction:

I’m going tell you about New Zealand’s only poisonous spider called the Katipo. I’m talking to you about this spider because I was interested in how many poisonous creatures live in New Zealand. 

Description

The Katipo is an endemic species found only in New Zealand. The female Katipo is 6 mm long with an abdomen of similar size to a garden pea. While the female is growing she changes colour. The black abdomen is shiny with a red stripe down the top surface. 

The male is much smaller it is only 4 mm long. Most of the time the male’s abdomen is white. The markings of the Katipo spider are unique compared to other spiders; even to their closest relative, the Australian Red-back spider. The Redback has a red hour glass shape on the under side of the abdomen with a bright red line on top. 

                           

Diet

The Katipos diet is mostly made up of tiny live insects.

Habitats  

Katipos generally live near the sea, usually where the beach is very sandy. Katipos are also found where coastal sand dunes turn into land.The bundled webs of the Katipo are built close to the ground with only a few sticky threads. The webs are mostly found at the bottom of dune grass and 

they can also be found on driftwood or rubbish.

Katipos prefer to live in pingao grass, this plant allows their web to be made close to the ground. Pingao leaves patches of sand between each plant so that the wind can blow insects into their webs. 

Because of interference from people to sand dunes and the removal of drift wood the Katipo’s habitat has been disturbed. To help hold the dunes together coastal plants like marram grass were introduced into New Zealand. Because the marram grass grows close together it stops the Katipo from making their hammock shaped webs. When the Katipos can’t make their webs they can’t catch enough food to eat.     

Behaviour

A lot of people are afraid of the Katipo spider because of it’s poisonous bite.

Katipo bites have not killed anyone for about 200 years. The bites usually just cause big red marks with pain and swelling. Bites are now extremely uncommon but it could be because of the fewer numbers of Katipo. 

Summary

The Katipo needs to be well looked after as it is a part of ancient New Zealand ecology. We can help the Katipo spider by looking after our sand dunes.

Thank you.