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Giant huntsman spider: The world's largest spider by leg span
https://www.livescience.com ^ | August 12, 2021 | By Jessie Szalay

Posted on 08/17/2021 11:27:20 AM PDT by Red Badger

Giant huntsman spiders are one of the world's biggest spiders.

An Australian huntsman spider. Image credit: Shutterstock

Huntsman spiders are large, fast spiders that live in warm climates throughout the world. They are named for the way that they catch their prey.

Unlike many spider species, huntsman spiders "don't build webs to catch prey," said Christy Bills, an entomologist and the invertebrate collections manager at the Natural History Museum of Utah. Instead, these spiders hunt down their prey.

There are thousands of subspecies in this family (Sparassidae). The average huntsman spider species is about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) long with a leg span of up to 5 inches (12.7 cm). The giant huntsman spider (Heteropoda maxima), however, has a leg span of up to 12 inches (30 cm), making it the largest spider by diameter; it is often described as being "the size of a dinner plate." (The largest spider by weight is probably the goliath birdeater tarantula (Theraphosa blondi), according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science.)

Peter Jäger, head of the arachnology department at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, discovered the giant huntsman in a cave in Laos in 2001, according to his research published in the journal Zoosystema. Only a few people in the world have seen this behemoth arachnid.

(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...


TOPICS: Gardening; History; Outdoors; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: arachnid; arachnids; heebiejeebies; spider; spiders
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To: Red Badger
They big there:

Meanwhile_In_Australia

41 posted on 08/17/2021 12:47:35 PM PDT by SkyDancer
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To: SkyDancer

That looks like Texas.

Everything is bigger in Texas...................


42 posted on 08/17/2021 12:50:12 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger

According tow hat I could find, there are three spiders in the US that are on top of the lists for venom reaction.

“Huntsman spiders are not considered to be dangerous spiders. As with most spiders, they do possess venom, and a bite may cause some ill effects. However, they are quite reluctant to bite, and will usually try to run away rather than be aggressive.”

According to spider.com, a Huntsman Spider bite is low risk (non toxic) to humans, they are non-aggressive spiders, but, a large individual can give a painful bite.

https://www.spiders.com.au/huntsman-spider.html

Black Widow bites are more serious, but they re not normally deadly by themselves.

https://www.livescience.com/51014-black-widow-spiders-misconceptions.html

BW’s are not aggressive. But they won’t be provoked either.

My grandfather was bit and he got very sick, but survived. Most do. The venom is not quite strong enough to kill but with other factors can be contributory.

The violin spider is a lot like the black widow in it will bit when provoked and not try to escape. It’s bite will cause the skin area around the bite to break down and fall off. Not deadly.

wy69


43 posted on 08/17/2021 12:52:30 PM PDT by whitney69
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To: EQAndyBuzz; nickcarraway
Yes...there was an old thread. {{{{Shivers}}}}

https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3432498/posts

44 posted on 08/17/2021 12:58:53 PM PDT by Daffynition (*Mega Dittoes and Mega Prayers* & :))
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To: Red Badger

Nah - Oz, town in the bush.


45 posted on 08/17/2021 1:00:47 PM PDT by SkyDancer
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To: Red Badger

Stop that! 😮


46 posted on 08/17/2021 1:01:06 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: whitney69
Then there was this creepy-crawly ....


47 posted on 08/17/2021 1:01:31 PM PDT by Daffynition (*Mega Dittoes and Mega Prayers* & :))
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To: Daffynition

I think those things are actual a stingless type of scorpion and not a spider. Both arachnids !


48 posted on 08/17/2021 1:04:40 PM PDT by Reily
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To: Georgia Girl 2

They are harmless!....................


49 posted on 08/17/2021 1:05:31 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger

Every spider threads gets this: https://youtu.be/14pIrRclWTY


50 posted on 08/17/2021 1:20:36 PM PDT by polymuser (BLA socialist is a communist without the power to take everything from their citizens...yet.)
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To: UnwashedPeasant

A Costa Rica chicken-eating spider!


51 posted on 08/17/2021 1:44:04 PM PDT by PLMerite ("They say that we were Cold Warriors. Yes, and a bloody good show, too." - Robert Conquest )
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To: Red Badger

Mostly correct, those found in the US are usually no worse than a bee sting, unless you are allergic, then all bets are off.

The most common one found in Texas is the Mexican Cinnamon, I’ve caught 2 or 3. Sometimes also called Texas Cinnamon, not sure which is proper. Gets to about 3 inch leg span, usually runs from you, very shy. One of those I caught I gave to a friend at A&M who was an entymologist. Or studying to be one, anyway.

Makes a great pet actually, dead quiet, never barks, doesn’t claw the couch legs, or tear up toilet paper, never pees all over the carpet, never chases kids, cars or cats and quite inexpensive to feed, a decent sized bug every week or so...

The African Red Leg Tarantula can be, but is not always, deadly.

And they make great sci-fi movies too...


52 posted on 08/17/2021 1:48:22 PM PDT by Paleo Pete (The slave does not dream of freedom, the slave dreams of being master.)
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Comment #53 Removed by Moderator

To: Georgia Girl 2
This should make you feel better, the totally harmless, curious, cute, and funny jumping spider:









54 posted on 08/17/2021 3:19:07 PM PDT by Bikkuri ('You are perhaps thinking of the version filmed in London in the actual year of 1984 and starring Ri)
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To: ping jockey

These areas are strictly no-go for city folk. And their little lint-on-a-leash yappy dog pets.


55 posted on 08/17/2021 3:27:14 PM PDT by Noumenon (The Second Amendment exists primarily to deal with those who just won't take no for an answer. KTF)
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To: Red Badger

😉


56 posted on 08/17/2021 3:56:59 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: Red Badger
the huntsman spider can move up to a yard (almost 1 meter) a second,

Get yerself a damn shotgun for home defense against these things..........

57 posted on 08/17/2021 4:00:36 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (Without potatoes, life has no meaning......)
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To: Candor7
In oz we keep the tarantula as pets


58 posted on 08/17/2021 4:09:18 PM PDT by Fred Nerks (fair dinkum!)
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To: heavy metal
Actually if we were to eat the spiders we come across instead of being fearful of them, there would be a lot less spiders in the world. We could even make "caviar" out of spider eggs and sell it for $20 an ounce at the supermarket. That would decrease the spider population at an even quicker pace.

Humans likely are born with the instinct to be fearful of spiders due to our ancestors being bitten by them. It's time to take our revenge and just eat them. Spider pizza. Spider omelettes. Spider sandwiches...


59 posted on 08/17/2021 4:15:05 PM PDT by SamAdams76 (Give me a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer)
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To: Daffynition

Very good.

wy69


60 posted on 08/17/2021 9:34:43 PM PDT by whitney69
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