GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK – Big Joro spiders are creeping into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the National Park Service is calling on brave volunteers to help track down these non-native spiders.
“These large orb-weaving spiders are striking to see, but they pose a challenge: as they move into new areas, populations of native orb weavers have been shown to quickly decline due to competition,” said the NPS.
Most of the invasive spiders have been spotted in the Cades Cove area of the national park. Volunteers are needed to spot the creatures and upload a picture into the free iNaturalist app to help experts track the spiders, to understand them, and to protect native species.
Joro spiders are originally from East Asia. They first got a foothold in Georgia and have been spreading steadily north. But you can help stop them!
NATIONAL PARK NEWS
