Well-cared-for females may live to 2+ years of age males usually expire at age 8-12 months.
The chelicerae (jaws or “fangs”) are noticeably-large. The brown, black-spotted legs span a distance of 7 – 12 cm (3 – 5 in). The 2.2 – 2.8 cm (0.8 – 1.1 in) body is flattened, brown in color, and bears a yellow (female) or cream (male) band around the edge. Their time is spent above-ground, on tree trunks, rock faces, and building walls. Huntsman Spiders are often found in homes, garages and greenhouses, as well as forests, brushy scrub, orchards, and parks. In the USA, it is established in several southeastern states and California. The Huntsman Spider is native to southern India and Sri Lanka, but has spread to tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide as a stowaway (sometimes in banana shipments, as one common name implies). While their venom is not considered especially toxic to humans, bites are painful and the possibility of allergic reactions must be considered. Huntsman Spiders are, however, quite aggressive, and best left to experienced adult keepers. Published by Wild South Florida, PO Box 7241, Delray Beach, FL 33482.This large spider is active and interesting enough to keep even the most jaded arachnid owner enthused. It's known scientifically as Heteropoda davidbowie. It is a member of Sparassidae, a family of more than a thousand spiders, although some put it in Heteropodidae.įun fact: there is a species of huntsman named after the late singer, David Bowie.
Huntsman are also called crab spiders, giant crab spiders, housekeeping spiders for reasons mentioned above and banana spiders, because they're commonly found on the fruit. The scientific name means hunter with unequal legs. Their flattened bodies allow them to creep into cracks and crevices that might bar other large spiders. The presence of an egg sac can render huntsman females to be immobile. Females carry their eggs in a sac under their bodies. Females have a larger body than the guys, but the guys have longer legs. Huntsman spiders have a body length of about an inch, but their legs can have a spread of three to five inches. They are nocturnal, finding some dark hiding place to spend the day before coming out at night in search of a meal. Females carrying an egg sac are known to be aggressive. To humans, however, they're pretty close to harmless, although they will give a locally painful bite if they believe themselves to be threatened. Scientists are studying huntsman venom and how it affects its victims for leads to develop new insecticides. It kills by injecting venom into its victims, usually insects or other bugs. It doesn't spin a web to trap a meal but rather relies on speed and powerful jaws to catch its prey. In Asia, the huntsman are prized, because of their habit of dining on cockroaches and other indoor pests. They're also found in parts of Georgia and South Carolina. South Florida, South Texas and Southern California are balmy enough for the huntsman to be an outdoorsman year round.
#Huntsman spider crack#
It does not tolerate cold weather, and in places where freezing temperatures occur, it is unable to survive in the wild but will seek shelter in homes, sheds, barns and other places where it can find a crack or crevice, any place that may offer a little warmth.
One theory is that it arrived here via a shipment of bananas from Central America. The huntsman is not native to Florida, but is believed to hale from Asia. The huntsman found in Florida, H venatoria, has a body length of about an inch and a leg span that can hit five inches. Members of Heteropoda are among the largest spiders in the world. The flattened body, long legs with their distinctive black spots, the black border around the head, the stripe that appears to be extending from head down the abdomen all say huntsman, and probably a male at that. The brown recluse isn't related and other than having elongated legs, doesn't really look anything like the huntsman.
In fact, we heard a few observers call the spider pictured here a brown recluse. Please pardon the pun, but it does have a purpose: the huntsman is often mistaken for the rather dangerous brown recluse spider. The huntsman, Heteropoda venatoria, isn't the most socialable of spiders, but it's no recluse either.
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