What is this spider??

[Tannis]

Hi Guys......Been a looong time since I have posted but I had to post this photo of a spider that is residing outside my front door! I don't like spiders at all but since my son is into reptiles, insects and animals in general I have picked up a little of his curiosity..... So here it is (thank god for zoom lens!)
Does anyone know what kind it is as I have never seen anything like it.

Thanks!

[Feebo]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh ! ! ! ! ! ! ! *faints*

[Lankyrob]

Hard to tell with it all scrunched up like that but i would think it is of the orbweaver/wheelweaver genus of spiders. From memory (been a while since i kept my info up to date with spiders) they are all non venomous.

Do you get some real pretty looking webs in your yard??

[Will0W783]

Yep, I agree with Rob- that looks like an orbweaver spider. And a plump female to boot.

[Pythonian]

I don't know but I'm fairly certain it wants to eat me.

[presspirate]

It's scary looking.

[Feebo]

*Comes to* Oh maaaan I`ve peed myself too, nice one. What`d you have to show me that for?! lol :D

[Tannis]

I thought an Orbweaver too but from the pictures I have seen they weren't this plump.....Looking at all the different spiders is freaking me out now, a friend of mine found a picture of a Garden Orbweaver with white spots, mine is A LOT fatter and greyer looking...but I am satisfied that that is what it is.....LOL Sorry Feebo didn't mean for you to pass out for that long! I run out the door very quickly incase it comes after me, luckily I go through the garage most of the time and don't need to go near it.
Oh and the web is pretty nice (as nice as a spider web can be!).......

[Will0W783]

Such a pretty spider. I love spiders. When I was a kid, we had a garden spider (BIG, 6" black and yellow thing with long legs) build a nest in a large yucca plant in the front yard. I named her Trixie and used to go catch bugs with tweezers to drop in her web and "feed" her. She got to where she'd let me hold her a bit and then she'd crawl back onto her web. She laid eggs and passed away at the end of the summer, but it was such a neat experience.

[Lankyrob]

Spiders were always my thing growing up too as i could "keep" them without the parents finding out!! I had a cupboard in my bedroom that had a selection of snails, spiders, slow worms, frogs (rahter unsuccessful!!) beetles in it. used to collect bugs and grass etc to feed them all. One summer went about 6 weeks before it was discovered and "removed" by my dad.

In our new set up of vivs there is going to be a space about 1foot wide by 18inch tall which would just fit a nice spider cube...........

[BrandyMom2aFew]

Ugh... I can handle snakes, and mammals. Spiders turn me into a 50's movie cliche.

[shaunyboy]

i am terrified of spiders :shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked::shocked:

about 5 minutes ago one just ran out rom under my bed.

needless to say i jumped up onto my bed like a big girl...!!

i know they can't harm me but they honestly scare me more than anything else.

i was cringing at the thought of you holding that spider willow.

cheers shaun