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Giant Golden Orb-Weaving Spider

Walking through dense jungle after nightfall is a remarkable experience, guaranteed to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. As you shine a torch into the darkness, hundreds of tiny lights appear scattered across every surface in the rainforest. Each one of them is the torchlight reflecting off the eyes of a spider.

Named after the colour of its silk, the Golden Orb-Weaving Spider is one of the largest spiders to be found in Borneo, developing remarkably intricate webs in order to capture their prey.

In 2007, two textile designers completed a shawl made from the silk of the Golden Orb-Weaving Spider. The garment took three years to construct, and utilised the silk of 1.2 million spiders.

Giant golden orb-weaving spider (Nephila pilipes), Danum Valley, Borneo