Huntsman spiders are well-known across Australia and are notorious for spooking those who fear spiders, thanks to their large size, quick movements, and preference for cozying up in human homes. They primarily feast on insects and other small invertebrates, yet there are plenty of tales about people getting bitten by these critters.
These spiders are a prominent part of Australian culture, inspiring everything from company names in the automotive industry to groups of warriors in fantasy novels. For visitors not accustomed to encountering palm-sized spiders dangling above their sleeping quarters, the experience can be quite alarming.
Despite their daunting appearance and reputation, huntsman spiders are among the most benign of their kind. They pose little threat to humans, and you might even consider letting them wander around your home as natural pest controllers.
What Are Huntsman Spiders?
Huntsman spiders, members of the Sparassidae family, are aptly named for their quick hunting style. Often called giant crab spiders due to their large size and shape, these arachnids are commonly found in forests, mine shafts, and woodpiles.
In southern Africa, some species have earned nicknames like “rain spiders” or “lizard-eating spiders.” Despite their appearance, they’re not to be confused with baboon spiders, which belong to a different family altogether.
In Australia, huntsman spiders are well-known and sometimes feared for their imposing looks and rapid movements. They’ve gained a reputation for sneaking into homes and cars, giving many people a fright. However, these spiders are actually more helpful than harmful, as they primarily feed on household pests like cockroaches.
Over a thousand species of huntsman spiders thrive worldwide, particularly in warm, temperate to tropical climates. They can be found across Australia, Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean region, and the Americas.
Some huntsman species have developed unique defensive moves: the wheel spider from the Namib Desert can literally roll away from danger, while another species performs an impressive handspring to escape threats.
Unlike many of their web-spinning cousins, huntsman spiders are nocturnal hunters that actively chase down their prey. They’re not without predators themselves, though – geckos, other spiders, and potter wasps all consider huntsman spiders a tasty meal.
Key facts about huntsman spiders:
- Physical features: They have flat bodies that allow them to squeeze into tight spaces, along with long, hairy legs that can span several inches. Most are brown or grey, helping them blend into their surroundings.
- Habitat: These adaptable spiders make their homes in various places, from houses and gardens to forests and caves. They’re common in many parts of the world, especially in Australia and the Americas.
- Hunting style: Known for their speed and agility, huntsman spiders chase down insects, small vertebrates, and even other spiders instead of relying on webs.
- Venom: While their bites are venomous, they’re not lethal to humans. A bite might cause pain and swelling, but severe reactions are uncommon.
- Life cycle: Female huntsman spiders lay eggs in silk sacs, which they guard fiercely. The young spiders go through several molts before reaching adulthood.
- Natural enemies: Birds and larger spiders are their main predators, but huntsman spiders’ quick reflexes often help them escape. Some wasps and flies target them during their vulnerable larval stage.
- Cultural impact: While some cultures appreciate huntsman spiders for their role in controlling insect populations, their sudden appearances in homes can often startle people.
What Do Huntsman Spiders Look Like?
Huntsman spiders are often mistaken for tarantulas due to their size, but you can tell them apart by their unique leg structure. Typically, they sport a brown or gray hue and a hairy body, which blends seamlessly into natural backdrops like tree bark or leaf litter.
Their body size is about as big as a fingerprint, while their leg span can reach from the size of your palm to more than 5 inches across in some species.
These spiders have a characteristic flat body shape that helps them sneak into tight spaces to hide or hunt. This shape is complemented by their long, spindly legs that are covered in fine hairs and sometimes feature bands or patterns.
The legs, distinctively twisted so that the knees lean back and can stretch forward like a crab’s, are what make the huntsman so recognizable.
Their eyes are another distinctive feature, with eight of them lined up in two rows that face mostly forward, helping them spot prey. Below these eyes, their chelicerae—mouthparts with fangs—are prominent, ready to inject venom into their prey.
While their upper surfaces are more subdued in color to keep them hidden, many huntsman spiders display more striking black-and-white patterns on their undersides, with reddish patches near their mouths. Despite their daunting appearance, these spiders are not as fierce as they look and play a beneficial role in controlling pests.
Globally, these spiders vary greatly in size and color, with some of the largest species found in Laos, known for reaching a leg span of up to nearly 12 inches!
Though not present in Australia, the giant huntsman spider, the largest by leg span, calls the caves of Laos its home. Whether they’re squeezing into narrow gaps or sprawling across your wall, huntsman spiders are fascinating creatures perfectly adapted to their environments.
Habitat, Behavior, and Global Presence
Huntsman spiders stand out from other spider families mainly due to their size and distinct appearance, including their crab-like, laterigrade legs and less bulky bodies compared to tarantulas, despite both being hairy.
These spiders, identifiable by their two rows of four eyes and a pair of claws used for hunting, mostly feed on insects and occasionally on small reptiles like skinks and geckos.
One interesting behavior observed particularly in the male Heteropoda venatoria, a well-traveled huntsman species, involves producing vibrations through their abdomen to communicate with potential mates via pheromones left by females.
Globally, huntsman spiders are found in warm and tropical climates from Australia to the Americas, thriving in diverse environments such as homes, gardens, forests, and even vehicles.
In Australia, they are a common sight, adapting seamlessly to both urban and natural settings. Similarly, in Southeast Asia and Africa, these spiders inhabit a mix of urban and rural areas, making homes in natural and man-made structures alike.
In the Americas, particularly in warmer southern states like Florida and Texas, huntsman spiders are often encountered. They also populate various islands and tropical regions, showing a remarkable ability to adapt to different habitats, from rainforests to coastal areas.
Typically, huntsman spiders don’t build webs; instead, they are active hunters, often seen scurrying across walls and ceilings in pursuit of prey.
Despite their intimidating size and speed, they are not generally considered dangerous to humans, but they will defend themselves and their young vigorously if threatened, making them a notable presence in any environment they inhabit.
The Life Cycle of Huntsman Spiders
Ever wondered about the life cycle of a huntsman spider? These fascinating creatures kick things off when the weather gets warm and humid. Huntsman spiders are known for their mating habits—interestingly, the males usually escape unscathed post-romance, unlike in some other spider species.
After mating, a female huntsman prepares for her future brood by spinning a flat, oval silk sac, depositing about 200 eggs inside. She might tuck it away under bark or a rock and then fiercely guards it for a few weeks. Don’t provoke her during this time; she’s not afraid to put on a defensive show!
As the eggs incubate, the spiderlings inside develop and hatch after about three weeks. These little ones start life pale but gain their typical grey or brown shades after several molts as they grow. Initially, they stick close to mom, who might linger with her young for several weeks, offering protection.
Speaking of growth, like all spiders, huntsmans grow by molting, shedding old skins that can sometimes be found hanging around—if you see these, you know huntsmans aren’t far off!
While most huntsman spiders are loners, only coming together to mate, there’s a species known as the social huntsman that lives communally under tree bark in groups of up to 150. Remember the spiders from the movie Arachnophobia? Yep, those were social huntsmans.
These spiders generally live for about two years, thriving in various environments influenced by temperature, humidity, and available prey. The life cycle of a huntsman spider, from egg to maturity, can span from a few months to a couple of years, depending on the species and environmental conditions.
It’s a journey of growth, survival, and occasional communal living that might just change the way you look at these often-misunderstood creatures!
Bite Management and First Aid Tips
Huntsman spiders are generally harmless to humans and rarely bite unless provoked. If you do get bitten, applying a cold pack usually helps with minor pain and swelling.
However, be cautious of species like the Badge Huntsman found in Australia, which can cause more severe symptoms such as prolonged pain, inflammation, or even vomiting. In these cases, it’s best to see a doctor.
These spiders typically aren’t aggressive towards humans, except when females are guarding their eggs. More often than not, they’ll run away rather than confront you. But if threatened, especially when cornered, a huntsman might stand up on its hind legs and wave its front legs as a warning. If you see this behavior, it’s wise to back off and give the spider some space.
Huntsman spiders are quick and can jump, which is another reason to keep your distance, particularly if the spider looks ready to leap. They’re also very protective of their young, with females producing up to 200 babies per egg sac. It’s best to avoid what might be a pregnant spider guarding her eggs.
Despite their intimidating appearance, huntsman spiders are actually beneficial because they eat common household pests like cockroaches. While their venom can paralyze small insects, it’s not very dangerous to humans. Most bites only cause mild symptoms like localized swelling and temporary pain, rarely needing medical attention.
Serious reactions are uncommon, but people with allergies or sensitivities might experience more noticeable symptoms.
If you do get bitten, cleaning the wound and applying a cold compress should be enough to ease the discomfort. To minimize the risk of bites, avoid disturbing these spiders. If you find a huntsman spider indoors, it’s safer to carefully capture and release it outside rather than trying to handle or kill it.
What Do Huntsman Spiders Eat?
Huntsman spiders are skilled hunters with a diverse diet. Let’s explore what these agile arachnids typically eat:
- Insects: Huntsman spiders primarily feed on a wide variety of insects, including flies, moths, crickets, grasshoppers, and beetles. They use their speed and agility to ambush and overpower their prey.
- Other Spiders: Surprisingly, huntsman spiders also eat other spiders, including smaller members of their own species and web-spinning spiders.
- Small Vertebrates: Larger huntsman spiders occasionally catch and eat small vertebrates like geckos and tiny lizards, demonstrating their adaptability as predators.
- Other Arthropods: Their menu extends to various arachnids (such as scorpions and harvestmen) and myriapods (like centipedes and millipedes).
- Opportunistic Feeders: Huntsman spiders aren’t picky eaters. They’ll consume whatever suitable prey they can find in their environment, which varies depending on their habitat and location.
Huntsman spiders are primarily nocturnal hunters, relying on their keen eyesight and hunting skills to track and capture prey in the dark. They often employ ambush tactics, hiding in crevices, under tree bark, or even in plain sight on walls and ceilings. When prey comes within range, they strike swiftly to catch it.
Once they’ve captured their prey, huntsman spiders use their venomous fangs to paralyze it and begin breaking down its internal tissues. They then consume their meal by sucking up the liquefied insides, extracting essential nutrients.
Despite their impressive hunting abilities and sometimes intimidating appearance, huntsman spiders pose little threat to humans. In fact, they play a beneficial role in controlling insect populations, which can be particularly helpful around homes. However, their large size can be startling, especially when they unexpectedly appear indoors.
Wolf Spider VS Huntsman
Let’s talk about the confusion between huntsman spiders and wolf spiders—they’re pretty similar, but definitely not the same! Both of these critters are speedy and skip the whole web-building process, and they look alike in terms of size, shape, and color.
Now, the huntsman spider has a body that’s wider than it’s long, mostly sporting a simple, unadorned color. Its legs bend a bit backwards, which helps it stretch its legs forward more smoothly.
On the flip side, the wolf spider sports a longer body decked out with more flair. You might spot a “cat’s eye” design or some stripes from the center of its back. Unlike the huntsman, its legs are jointed vertically, giving it a less crab-like look. You could say the wolf spider’s got a bit more style, thanks to its flashy patterns!
Why Huntsman Spiders Are More Helpful Than Harmful
If you live in southern WA, you might be noticing more huntsman spiders around your home or even in your car. Don’t worry, though! These sizable critters, which can have a leg span of up to 15 centimeters, are more of a help than a hazard.
According to Dr. Mark Harvey, head of terrestrial zoology at the WA Museum, while many spiders are less active during this season, huntsman spiders are on the move, hunting for food and mates.
Despite their daunting appearance, huntsman spiders are harmless to humans. They don’t make webs or nests; instead, they roam freely to catch their prey, mainly moths, which are often attracted to household lights. This time of year, you’ll see them more because they’re busy seeking out these insects.
Dr. Harvey explains that our homes act like “giant lobster traps” for these spiders. They sneak in through small gaps but often can’t find their way out, and there isn’t enough food for them inside. So, if you find one, it’s best to gently guide it back outdoors where it can thrive and continue keeping pests at bay.
For a safe and effective catch-and-release, avoid using a broom, as these spiders can move quickly up the handle. Instead, coax the spider onto a flat surface, cover it with a jar, and slide a piece of paper underneath to secure it.
Safely take it outside, release it, and watch it scurry away. This method ensures safety for both you and the spider, minimizing stress for all involved.
Living with Huntsman Spiders
In Australia, the excitement never stops—even at home. Picture this: Jake Gray, an Aussie, has been cohabitating with a rather unusual houseguest—a gigantic huntsman spider. Over the past year, Jake has shared updates on Facebook about living with this enormous arachnid, whom he affectionately calls Charlotte.
Unlike most of us who would probably pack up at the sight of such a creature, Jake seems to have embraced Charlotte as a quirky roommate. He even hopes she grows bigger!
Huntsman spiders, while formidable in size, aren’t as dangerous as they look. Jake’s family has learned to appreciate Charlotte for her role in controlling pests like cockroaches, using only the most gentle methods to guide her around.
Charlotte has become something of a pet, with Jake recounting how she’s taken down an Asian house gecko—a spectacle that marked a highlight of her stay. Online, folks joke that Charlotte really owns the place now, but despite their menacing appearance, these spiders are more likely to flee than fight. Their venom is mild to humans, posing little risk.
In an amusing twist, the biggest danger these spiders pose is the potential for human overreaction—like the unfortunate soul who ended up driving into a lake out of sheer panic!
So, if you ever find a huntsman spider in your living space, take a breath and consider a gentle catch-and-release approach. According to spider expert Linda S. Rayor, keeping calm is your best bet. She notes that in over a decade of research, she’s only been bitten a handful of times, usually under circumstances where the spider felt threatened.
Australia, never dull, continues to be a place where even the spiders can become part of the family lore.
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