Huntsman Spiders
WouterHuntsman spiders are often called giant crab spiders. They are known to live in many different habitats and can even take up residence in houses.
Generally, huntsman spiders are nocturnal creatures. These spiders hide under rocks, loose tree bark, or in crevices.
These spiders have eight eyes, a long leg span, and a unique locomotion. The front legs are a little longer than the back legs. This allows them to move quickly in all directions.
Huntsman spiders are not particularly aggressive towards humans. But they do bite if threatened. In fact, the females are particularly prone to bite if they feel that their young are in danger.
Huntsman spiders can also be a natural insecticide. When they eat cockroaches, they help control the number of insects. Moreover, they are an important food source for other animals. Some are even on the menu of birds and geckos.
While most arachnids have a lifespan of about two years, some huntsman species can live for 15 years. Many of them live in social groups.
There are two kinds of huntsman spiders: social and pantropical. Social huntsmans live in large, groupings under tree bark. During mating season, males will guard virgin females for a period of time.
Female huntsman lay about 200 eggs in an egg sac. The egg sac is a flat oval shaped silken patch placed underneath the body. Once hatched, the spiderlings will stay with the mother for a few weeks. After molting, the baby huntsman will develop its own distinctive color.
