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Ok so it takes a LOT to creep me out and I love bugs, but this 5 inch spider did the trick. It was the size of my hand. I feel HORRIBLE but I killed it. 🙁 I then read it was fairly harmless to humans but DUDE it was HUGE! This all happened after a bush rat ran up on me outside while grilling our dinner on the patio and scared me... I shrieked like a little baby! haha! AHHHHHHHH paradise and the wildlife.
For size reference those panels are 5inches wide. Yea.
Totally unrelated: a couple great turtle pics from a hawksbill who was very curious about my cameras flash.
And an awesome Barnacle Blenny! About 1/4 inches long, I don't even know how I spotted it.
Are you sure it is a crab spider and not a brown recluse?
I hate those little buggers as well, especially waking up in middle of the night and finding one on the bedroom wall or ceiling.
Then a whole hunt and kill scenario must proceed and who can get back to sleep afterwards!
That is a cane spider, also known as a huntsman spider (Heteropoda venatoria). They are admittedly creepy-looking but harmless to humans and beneficial to us in many ways.
That is a cane spider, also known as a huntsman spider (Heteropoda venatoria). They are admittedly creepy-looking but harmless to humans and beneficial to us in many ways.
Not a huntsman. The palpi on those are very different and legs usually have large hairs, and a more narrow abdomen... same overall shape thou. This was Giant Crab Spider (Olios giganteus).
Alana, recluse's dont get anywhere near that size. I don't like to spray/exterminate but if I saw ONE of those I would be having my house sprayed in a heartbeat. Those are VERY dangerous siders. I actually got bit on the shoulder/back by a spider I guess while sleeping a couple weeks back and woke up burning and itching and was totally freaking out thinking it could have been a brown recluse. There's no gaping hole and it stopped burning within an hour. Thank god. I really am not afraid of any critter but brown recluse's are no friggin joke.
Mike: remember that Arachnophobia movie? They used a smaller species of crab spiders on that movie set - fun fact 🙂
I do feel really bad for killing my giant spider. I'm generally a huge fan of spiders cause they eat all the annoying bugs. I'll leave them be and google before I kill next time. 🙁 poor fella.
A friend who is a reptile biologist had this to say:
"Giant Crab Spider, Olios spp. Great at eating bugs, and at scaring you out of your skin when she comes round the corner.
They are impressive."
I sent her your pics from your link.
On another link I found the following info on Huntsman Spiders:
They do look very similar. www.termite.com
The brown recluse have a violin marking on the dorsal (top) surface of the cephalothorax (head region) which is used as the most important diagnostic feature.
As long as they stay outside I am perfectly happy. Hate those heart pounding spider catching 3AM episodes. I have found my vacuum to come in very handy. Just to be extra safe, I plug the hose and empty the next day when death by dust and dog fur can be assured.
