Huntsman Spiders – Can You Get Huntsman Spiders in the UK?
WouterHuntsman spiders are not native to Britain. They are usually found in Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean Basin. However, they have been spotted in the UK from time to time.
The huntsman spider has been known to cause a lot of trouble, but it is not a deadly species. It is not known to attack humans, but a bite can cause pain and heart palpitations.
This was the case for an 18 centimetre-long spider that made a journey of about 10,000 km from China to the UK. Once it arrived in Britain, it ended up in a warehouse in Southwold, Suffolk.
Staff at the removals company called the RSPCA to investigate the large arachnid. The huntsman spider was still alive and active, but smaller than usual.
After being removed from the container, the arachnid was brought to a specialist rescue facility. Its legs reminded staff of the legs of bird eating spiders in the Amazon.
When the arachnid’s venom was tested, it turned out that it was not dangerous to humans. But it was still an unusual find.
Normally, the huntsman spider lives in small holes in the bark of trees. They use their venom to immobilize prey.
The arachnid was discovered in a shipping container and had been there for three months. The staff were frightened when they opened the container and saw the arachnid.
The spider had been living in the shipping container for a while without any food. However, when the sun came out, it started running.
