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 ...
That looks like Texas.
Everything is bigger in Texas...................
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
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Nah - Oz, town in the bush.
Stop that! 😮
I think those things are actual a stingless type of scorpion and not a spider. Both arachnids !
They are harmless!....................
Every spider threads gets this: https://youtu.be/14pIrRclWTY
A Costa Rica chicken-eating spider!
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...
These areas are strictly no-go for city folk. And their little lint-on-a-leash yappy dog pets.
😉
Get yerself a damn shotgun for home defense against these things..........
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...
Very good.
wy69
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