Huntsman Spider

Isopeda sp.

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Family:

Size: Male body 14-18 mm, Female 21-23 mm

Distribution: All over Australia

Habitat:

References:

About the Huntsman Spider

A great many Isopeda species are found all over Australia.

Danger: I picked up a large huntsman in my hands once, when I was a teenager and I wanted to look tough. I would not recommend trying this (nor would I do it now) as they can bite. Though the bite is not deadly it can still hurt. Another time, an ex-girlfriend told me that her new boyfriend picked up one and it bit him on the hand :D Though it didn't do that much harm, just some pain. Based on these experiences it may be possible that they only bite bad people, and not good people.

Note that dead spiders usually fade in colour, so nearly all the spiders will look blacker or darker in colour in real life than they do in the photos of dead spiders from the museum.

Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. High Resolution 2712 x 2244.

Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. High Resolution 3883 x 2437.

Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney.

Photo taken at Australian Museum, Sydney. High Resolution 4024 x 2708.

Recommended Reading

See Also

Australian Mammals
Australian Birds
Australian Reptiles
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Wild Plant Foods

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