Daddy Long Legs

A couple of weeks ago, I was wandering around outside after class for a Nature Observation. I sat down on a rock, and I didn't really know what I was looking for. I looked down at the ground and saw a spider, which frightened me a bit at first. Then, I realized it was a "daddy long legs." Technically, it is a Leiobunum, but I have called it a daddy long legs since I was a kid.

This arachnid had a small, pebble-sized body with eight skinny legs. Its body was a reddish-brown color with a thick black stripe going from its hind end to three-quarters of the way up its back. Its visual appearance was creepy, but I have seen plenty of creatures like it before.

As a kid, I was bolder than I am today. I used to pick up daddy long legs by their legs and let them crawl on my hands. I wouldn't even consider doing that today. It seemed to be terrified of me when I approached it. It ran a couple of yards to a nearby tree and climbed until it was out of my reach. It's probably difficult to stay intact when your legs are so thin and your body is so small, so I get why it would be scared of me.

The most impressive aspect of this particular daddy long legs is its ability to camouflage itself to its surroundings. If I weren't looking closely, I wouldn't have been able to see it crawling along the ground, and while I was chasing after it, I lost it several times against the bark of the tree.