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Q: How many species of poisonous spiders live in Missouri? Where do they live and what do they look like?
Brian Gray, age 12, Cameron

A: Only two out of the more than 300 species of spiders found in Missouri are poisonous. They are the brown recluse and black widow. While their bites are painful and potentially dangerous, fewer than five people per year die in the Unites States from black widow bites. It is even more unusual for people to die from a brown recluse bite.

Black widow spiders have glossy black bodies with distinctive red spots on their underside. Only the female bites. Black widows most often make their odd-shaped webs under flat rocks or logs or in outbuildings. Brown recluses sometimes are called violin spiders because of the violin shape found on their backs. They are mainly gray in color with yellowish-brown legs. Both males and females are poisonous. They live under rocks in the southern Ozarks, but people tend to find them more often in closets or little-used drawers.

While your chance of being bitten by one of these spiders is slim, it's always a good idea to keep an eye out for them. Watch for them if you're playing in outbuildings, garages or cleaning out a closet. When camping, it's a good idea to shake out your sleeping bag and clothes before climbing into them.

Q: Do opossums really hang from their tails? If so, how?

Jason Kramer, age 12, Arnold

A: An opossum can hang for a short time solely from its tail. But it needs to use at least half the length of its tail and grasp a thick branch. Opossums are well suited for climbing and maneuvering around tree limbs, but they rely more on their hand-shaped feet than their tails for support.

An opossum more often uses its tail to carry leaves and twigs for making nests. It collects the leaves in its mouth, passes them down to its front legs, under its stomach to its back legs, then gathers the leaves up in a curl of its tail. It can transfer as many as eight mouthfuls to its tail before waddling off to the nest site.

Q: What determines the size of a deer's antlers, and at what age do they grow?

Ron Lashley Jr., age 15, Farmington

A: Antlers grow and fall off every year, almost exclusively on males-commonly called bucks. They begin to grow in April and May, and reach full size by fall. To grow a large set of antlers, a buck needs a substantial amount of protein and minerals. That means that just like people, deer need to eat a good diet. They naturally seek out plants to eat that have the most protein and minerals, whcih not only help grow antlers, but also strong, healthy bodies.

A young buck born in spring will grow "buttons" by fall. Sometimes they may have short spikes. After they are a year old, the antlers they produce every year tend to be bigger and have more points. Bucks between the ages of three and seven often have big "bragging-sized" racks.

Run into any wild animals lately?
Meet a bug, deer or lizard? If so, tell me about it! Send us your stories or descriptions about Missouri animals you've seen. We'd like to include them in a future issue of Outside In. Write:

Professor Oakley Q. Nutkins
Outside In, Missouri Conservationist
P.O. Box 180
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180