Spiders can be creepy, don't you think?
I am one of those people who watch Tik Tok videos most days. I have seen a couple that were taken by people in Australia of these massive, monstrous-looking spiders which in many ways look photoshopped. My mind is that of a creative, when something strikes us as interesting, down the worm-hole we go.
So, I see this video posted by @thesun with the caption “If you’re afraid of spiders, look away” – now, I am afraid of spiders, but this video made it so hard to look away.
https://www.tiktok.com/@thesun?lang=en
If you know a lot about spiders then you would take one look at this one and go, really?
Because they can get a lot bigger, which is what I found out when going down the wormhole.
The Goliath birdeater is currently the biggest spider in the world, according to an article by National Geographic, by mass. It weighs up to 175 g (6.2 ounces) and its body length goes up to 13 cm (5.1 inches), but it does come second to the giant huntsman spider by leg span.
Funny enough, although these spiders are the largest in the world, when I started to read about it, it didn’t sound as scary as it looks. They can apparently even do something called a dry bite, in which they don’t even inject you with venom, although they do carry venom.
Here is a picture of this guy, so you can get an idea of why I look and go “ahhhhhhh!” but meanwhile, if you read this article – https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/goliath-birdeater-tarantula-worlds-biggest-spider – you’ll see that his reputation has got him all wrong.
But still. If I see a birdeater coming my way, or in my path of walking. I am OUT.
The huntsman was found in Laos, and most huntsman species are native to Asia. They are also prevalent in Africa, Australia and South America, according to Science Alert.
I feel so bad for Australia though, the species that come out of there. Wow.
The Giant Huntsman spiders are also not as dangerous as their looks. They are not deadly to humans and according to the Australian Reptile Park, although huntsman spiders are venomous and their bites can be painful to humans, they do not cause anything more serious than mild nausea or headaches. But what gets me is, LOOK AT THOSE LEGS!
What I did find quite interesting about this hunter was that compared to other spider species that eat their mates, huntsman spiders are very, lets say, romantic. According to the Australian Museum, their mating ritual can last for several hours and involves lengthy caresses and other demonstrations of interest. Doesn’t their Saturday nights sound like fun? But then we all know what follows a good Saturday night if not protected, children… 200 of them! The female lays up to 200 eggs and encases them in a large, oval, spun-silk sac.
I guess, my point is whether we like it or not, one of these is making 200 of these each time they have a great Saturday night! Goodluck Aussie!
Then I got curious and wanted to know which spider was the most dangerous, the most aggressive in the world.
Brazilian wandering spiders, which means “murderess” in Greek. Is only but ONE of the most venomous spiders on Earth. Its bite, which delivers neurotoxic venom, can be deadly to humans, especially children, although antivenom makes death unlikely.
Guinness World Records has previously named the Brazilian wandering spider the world’s most venomous spider multiple times although the current record-holder is the Sydney funnel-web spider.
