Giant huntsman spider in woman's Australian home frightens Facebook users
A huntsman spider, also known as a 'giant crab spider,' was photographed in the home of an Australian woman and shared on Facebook. In spite of their appearance, huntsman spiders are not considered dangerous and are often reluctant to bite.
It’s the stuff of nightmares.
An Australian woman posted photos of a giant huntsman spider lurking in her home on Facebook earlier this week.
“Is there anyone that could remove this from my house?? Now!???,” pleaded Laree Clarke in the post.
Commenters shared Clarke’s concern about the unwanted visitor.
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“Just burn the house down....and runnnnn,” wrote one.
“I would have fainted!!! Soooo arachnophobic !!!” added another.
One commenter noted that the hairy spider “looks bigger than dinner plate size.”
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Huntsman spiders are also known as “giant crab spiders” on account of their long legs. “Huntsman spiders of many species sometimes enter houses,” explains the Australian Museum on its website. “They are also notorious for entering cars, and being found hiding behind sun visors or running across the dashboard.”
Live Science notes that the average huntsman species is about 1-inch long with a leg span up to 5 inches. The giant huntsman spider, however, has a leg span up to 12 inches, making it the world’s largest spider by diameter. Huntsman spiders can be found across most of the globe, spanning multiple climates.
Despite their fearsome appearance, the Australian Museum notes that huntsman spiders are not considered dangerous. “As with most spiders, they do possess venom, and a bite may cause some ill effects,” it explained, on its website. “However, they are quite reluctant to bite, and will usually try to run away rather than be aggressive. In houses they perform a useful role as natural pest controllers.”
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Clarke subsequently edited her post to confirm that the creepy arachnid had been safely removed.
Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers