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Close Encounter with the Most Mysterious Spider Species
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Hey Vermont, are you ready to identify an unusual spider? Take the insect species test in this video and see if you can identify this creepy crawler! In this episode, we feature some of the creepiest and most mysterious spider species, including one strange and terrifying long-legged creature with a bright orange body. Watch closely as we zoom in on these arachnids, testing your knowledge and nerves. Zoom into the wild, Vermont style!

Episode Highlights: Discover exciting moments from episode 1, featuring unique wildlife and breathtaking scenes.

#WhatsTheZoom #NatureLovers #Wildlife #VermontAdventure

Spider identification clues to watch for

The most useful clues in this close-up are the animal’s body shape, the number and proportions of its legs, its coloring, and whether it is sitting in a web. Spiders normally have two main body sections, while harvestmen—often called daddy longlegs—appear to have one compact body. That distinction can be more reliable than color alone.

Pause the video when the legs and orange body are clearest. Look for visible spinnerets, markings on the abdomen, the arrangement of the eyes, and the way the animal moves. Location and habitat also matter: a species found under bark may differ from one living in a web beside a building.

A short video may not show every feature needed for a confident species-level identification. Treat the footage as an observation challenge, compare several field-guide sources, and avoid handling an unfamiliar arachnid. Press play, study the details, and share the specific clue that supports your identification.

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Vermont Viewers

Explore Vermont nature in close-up

Vermont’s Green Mountains, Champlain Valley, Northeast Kingdom, hardwood and conifer forests, rivers, ponds, bogs, and farm edges create a compact but varied northern landscape. Elevation and slope exposure strongly influence flowering and forest activity.

From Burlington, Montpelier, Brattleboro, and towns throughout the Green Mountains, viewers can use this guide to compare local habitats, seasons, and field marks with original WhatsTheZoom videos. A useful identification starts with where and when an observation was made—not simply what color it appeared on camera.

Habitats and wildlife clues to watch

  • Explore hardwood and mixed forests for fungi, flowers, mosses, and seeds.
  • Watch ponds and wetlands for dragonflies and aquatic insects.
  • Study meadow and farm-edge pollinators without crossing private property.
  • Compare Lake Champlain lowlands with cooler Green Mountain habitats.

When to look closely in Vermont

Spring arrives first in valleys and later on high slopes. Summer concentrates insects, flowers, and nesting; autumn brings fungi, seeds, migration, and foliage. Winter observation emphasizes tracks, bark, conifers, ice, and open-water areas where access is safe.

Start with these close-up nature videos

Watch a clip, pause on the clearest field marks, and compare the subject with the habitat guidance above:

For a stronger identification, record the date, broad location, habitat, approximate size, behavior, and several viewing angles. Avoid handling unknown fungi, plants, insects, or wildlife, and follow current local access and safety guidance.

Location transparency: WhatsTheZoom creates and owns the videos shown across this network, but not every featured clip was recorded in Vermont. This regional page explains what viewers in Vermont can look for and how geographic context changes an identification; it does not relabel footage from another location.

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Our Mission

WhatsTheZoom helps Vermont viewers look more closely at wildlife, plants, fungi, water, and landscapes. Our original videos encourage careful observation, responsible exploration, and evidence-based identification without claiming that every clip was filmed locally.