Huntsman Spider

The huntsman spider is a large, long-legged spider found across warm tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, especially numerous and diverse in Australia, Asia and parts of Africa. It has a flattened body and a distinctive crab-like leg posture that lets it move sideways as well as forward, allowing it to squeeze into narrow crevices under bark, rocks and, often to the alarm of homeowners, inside houses. Rather than spinning webs to catch prey, huntsman spiders are active nocturnal hunters, chasing down insects and other small invertebrates with remarkable speed across open surfaces. Despite their intimidating size, with a leg span that can exceed twenty centimetres in the largest species, huntsman spiders are generally not dangerous to humans, delivering only a mild bite if provoked, and some species show unusually attentive maternal care, with females guarding egg sacs and, in a few species, even remaining with their young after hatching. They are considered beneficial in gardens and homes for controlling insect pests.