Jb’a Fofi

A gigantic species of spider endemic to the Congo River. They are a burrowing species related to Baboon Spiders, usually carving out shallow tunnels under tree roots.

Description

Jba Fofi have a 5 foot leg span

Hatchlings are bright yellow with a purple abdomen. Their color darkens and browns as they mature, until they become a pale yellow-white in coloration, with purple markings

Ecology

They cover their tunnels with leaves and detritus that they weave together into a door with their webbing.

They weave a network of webbing in a eight-foot diameter around the tunnel, as well as creating trip lines on nearby trees, which leads into the tunnel where the J’ba Fofi holds onto the threads waiting for a creature to pass by and sensing the vibrations through the webbing.

Once a creature triggers the webbing the spider will burst from its burrow and pounce on the prey. In the chance that it misses the spider may chase the prey for up to 50 feet. They prey on nearly any animal under 20 lbs, including small antelope, civets, primates, birds and reptiles.

Conservation

Jba Fofi populations are in decline, conservationists at the Greene Foundation are working to discover why these populations are declining and breeding them at various Greene Foundation parks,