Huntsman Spiders

Hhuntsman Spiders are a Larger Species of Spiders

Huntsman spiders are also known as giant crab spiders due to the uncanny resemblance that they have with the crabs. This species of spiders is also sometimes referred to as the wood spiders since they have a preference for woody places such as forests, wood piles, trees etc. they are referred to as the rain spiders in Africa. Amazingly they have eight eyes and inhabit vast spaces all across the world. These spiders can be found in many tropical and sub tropical climates and areas. Some of the most common places where the spiders are found include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Southeast Asia, The Mediterranean area, Florida and Hawaii in the United States and many other countries in Africa.

Biology

They are usually quite large and can grow to be as big as the palm of an average sized human. The males are usually between 10 inches to about 12 inches leg span. They are not harmful to humans unlike other species. However, some of the larger huntsman spiders may even resemble the tarantulas. They can however be identified from the shape of their legs. The legs are twisted in such a fashion that they resemble the posture of the crabs rather than being spiders. Spiders will usually have their legs vertically joined to their bodies.

They are usually found in shades of brown or grey and the legs are usually covered with spines that can be seen quite easily. However the rest of their bodies are quite smooth. The Badge huntsman is one of the biggest of the lot and also has the worst bite. It can cause the worst injury and humans can feel pain and swelling when they bite. In many cases, it can also induce nausea, headache, vomiting and palpitations as well. They don’t have great vision, but their vision enables them to see approaching dangers and humans as well.

Countries where the spiders can be found

The huntsman spiders are found commonly all over Australia and in other tropical parts of the planet. However they have also been introduced to other parts of the world that include China, Japan, parts of US especially Florida and also in South America. Usually they travel with the ships to any part of the world, where it is not very cold to survive. In South Africa, they are nicknamed as rain spiders since they usually see shelter from the impending rains and the rainstorms. When they do so, they invariably enter human homes and come in close context with the humans as well.

Is their bite bad?

Adult huntsman spiders will never weave any webs; however they will live in areas that are heavily woody. So you may find them in tree crevices and even in old wooden store boxes and cartons. They hunt out their food and have a liking especially for the smaller insects and invertebrates. They can even devour small skinks and geckos as well. These spiders can travel at almost lightning speeds and can do a springing jump. They can effectively cling to any surface and can bit, if picked up. They can walk and run on the walls and the ceilings. They are extremely aggressive if provoked, especially the female when they are protecting their sac of eggs. Humans shouldn’t ignore the warning else they can inflict serious bites that are extremely dangerous for them. It is still not clear why the spiders (the exact circumstances) would go to the extent of biting the humans but the females will aggressively defend their sac.

The mating ritual

The male will produce a mating sound when they can detect that the females have been around. The females will leave a trail of pheromones that can be easily picked up by the males. When they detect these pheromones, the males will usually stay rooted firmly to the ground and produce the mating sound with their abdomens. This characteristic frequency of the sound will tell the females that the males are around and the females will approach them, if they are keen on mating with the males.

They are actually good for the human populations since they feed on insects such as cockroaches. In fact many Australians will even relocate the spiders to their gardens.

Cheers,
Trubad Hassan
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