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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...

CINCINNATI - A 13-foot boa constrictor wrapped itself around its owner’s neck and killed the man in his home, authorities said. An acquaintance found Ted Dres, 48, inside the snake’s cage Saturday and called police, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office said. “People who keep these type of animals as pets should know exactly what they’re doing and what they’re capable of,” Mahlman said. He said he has seen photographs of reptile owners posing with snakes coiled around their necks. “They don’t realize they could be a few seconds away from death,” he said.