Field Notes: Hear Josh Jump Filming a Very Special Spider (Patreon)

The latest video we’ve been working on - just might give you a jolt.  

“It’s this really intense, visceral reaction,” says Josh Cassidy, Deep Look’s Lead Producer and Cinematographer, describing how it feels to watch a turret spider burst out of the ground. 

The turret spider in a stare-down with Josh’ s camera. Those light spots you see above its claws are its eyes reflecting our camera light.  Turret spiders have pretty poor vision and instead rely on their ability to sense vibrations in order to know if prey has come close enough to ambush. (Josh Cassidy/KQED)

Our next episode is about Antrodiaetus riversi - also known as the turret spider. The Deep Look team worked with East Bay Regional Park District naturalist Trent Pearce, who knows just where to find the tiny turrets poking up from the forest floor. It’s an intense mission only to be undertaken by someone with nerves of steel and a steady hand  - which Josh found out the hard way.

Trent Pearce, a naturalist for East Bay Regional Park DIstrict takes a break from searching for turret spiders in Briones Regional Park (Josh Cassidy/KQED)

While Pearce went looking for more turrets to film, Josh - who films bugs all day - decided to meet the spiders one-on-one.  “They’re so small - about the size of your pinkie fingernail - and they’re not particularly venomous, but there’s some part of everybody’s brain where you’re just like, ‘This is terrifying. It’s time to go, ’” said Josh. 

“I didn’t scream - I want everybody to know that. But I did run about ten feet down the trail before I realized what I was doing,” explained Josh of the moment caught on tape. 

Josh Cassidy, Deep Look Lead Producer and Cinematographer films a turret spider using a macro lens in Briones Regional Park. (Masha Pershay/KQED)

Found only in California, these spiders are part of an ancient lineage of arachnids called mygalomorphs. Turret spiders build little burrows with specially crafted tower-like structures that emerge from the ground. 

A turret spider ambushes an unsuspecting beetle (Josh Cassidy/KQED)

They hide out in their burrows in anticipation of their next meal.  When an unsuspecting passerby gets too close, the spider climbs up into its turret from its connected burrow and waits for the right moment to pounce. It attacks with its large venomous fangs which swing down like lethal pickaxes, rather than pinching in from the sides like most spiders.

“They’re sort of like vampires,” explains Josh. “They spend their days down underground and rise up at night to feed under the moonlight.” 

Another similarity to vampires?  - their lifespan. “These spiders can live for a long time, like 15 years,” explained Josh. “So during filming, we were very respectful and careful not to damage their fragile turrets.” 

Josh getting his lighting and focus set up to film the turret spider in action. (Masha Pershay/KQED)

The team faced logistical challenges when trying to film the spiders in action. Turret spiders are nocturnal so they don’t want to come out if there is light. 

Josh explained, “we used something called a ring light, which goes around the outside of the lens so I could point both the camera and light down into the turret at the same time. I would get my focus and then turn off the light and wait. After about ten minutes I could slowly turn up the light without scaring them.” 

“We also tricked them into coming out by very, very gently tickling the spider’s turret with a leaf - That little vibration would make them think there was an insect crawling by, so they’d jump out and strike,” explained Josh. 

SAVE THE DATE! Don’t miss the premiere of Deep Look’s turret spider episode on January 15. 

Also - if you haven't joined our Patreon community just yet - we'd be thankful for your support. Your contributions will help Deep Look travel to new places, and get you even more eye-popping episodes in 2019!.