The Giant Huntsman Spider (heteropoda maxima)

Giant huntsman spider is considered the world's largest spider.

Appeareance

The coloration is yellowish-brown with several irregularly distributed dark spots on the rear half. The legs have wide dark bands before the first bend. Like all huntsman spiders, the legs of the giant huntsman spider are long compared to the body, and twist forward in a crab-like fashion. Apart from its size, it can be distinguished from other species of Heteropoda by genital characteristics: On males, the cymbium is much longer than usual, at least three times longer than the tegulum. The female is distinguished by a characteristically shaped epigyneal field with two anterior directed bands, and the course of their internal ducts.

The giant huntsman spider is the largest member of the Sparassidae, boasting a 30 centimeter (12 inch) leg-span, and 4.6 centimeter body-length.

What Do They Eat? Can They Eat Me?! What About My Pets?

Huntsman Spiders get their name by waiting for prey to come close, and like lions, chase their prey for short distances. Contrary to their gangly and cumbersome appearance, Hunstman Spiders are very fast and are able to chase down their prey with ease. Hunstman Spiders are extremely aggressive, will arch up to make displays to frighten off perceived threats, and will tenaciously cling to attackers or perceived attackers if they think it will protect them. Given any other circumstance, Hunstman Spiders are designed to slip through holes and cracks and will escape if they feel outmatched.

That's all great...but what about me?!

Huntsman Spiders are not harmful to humans, and although big and scary, are certainly not strong enough to carry off or take a bite out of a human. They will bite in self-defense, in which case they are not venomous, and the only result will be a big red spider bite. As mentioned before, they do cling if picked up, and will most likely bite, making a close-up Huntsman encounter a frightening and potentially painful one, but ultimately not life-threatening.

Alright, enough scaring you...to properly answer the question, Hunstman Spiders mainly eat insects, other spiders and sometimes small lizards and snakes. Big enough Hunstmen might kill and digest very small rodents. Your pets are probably safe, unless you own very small rodents or reptiles. They do not swim, so your fish are safe, too.

They can be found in warm places where spiders thrive, particularly most of South and Central America, Africa, Australia, Asia up through southern Russia, most of Europe and most of the south and midwestern portion of the United States.

There are 1009 separate Huntsman species making up the Sparassidae Family around the world, each varying somewhat in size and shape, but maintaining the primary characteristic of having their legs extend forward, looking much like crabs' legs. For this reason, some people call Huntsmen Crab Spiders, but the Crab Spider is a completely different spider.

Huntsman Spiders favor various brown shades to fit into woodland and desert settings, have more spindly legs and are far bigger than the typical crab spider.