The Huntsman spider, common in Australia, aren't as deadly as they look, but will bite if provoked. In this video, "Daddy" does his best to safely remove the arachnid from his home. His daughter has some choice words for him afterwards.
-via Bits & Pieces
They're not really as common as your article makes it sound.
It's not like we see them all the time, especially one THAT big. In fact the one in this video would be the biggest I've seen: ever. Yikes.
They're usually about the size of an adult's palm (leg span) which still kinda scary size, but much easier to get rid of
it must be fake. there are no spiders that big in real life.
don't tell me otherwise, i don't want to know about it
I once had a huntsman lay eggs in mny bedroom when I was away for a few days, only to return to hundreds and hundreds of baby huntsmans making formations on my ceiling. I found the mother (as big as the one in this video - the biggest I've ever seen) a few days later in my bed (when I was in it).
They also have a nasty habit of laying in hiding on cars and then darting out onto the windshield when you're driving (this has happened to me about 5 times). If you try putting the windscreen wipers on they only dart around them and begin running all over the car, only pausing to periodically peer in at you through the various windows.
They are as the video says lightning fast. This method of catching them often results in the loss of a few spider legs.
They're pretty common in my part of Melbourne. I know one bloke who was bitten on the chest by a huntsman when he was eight years old. When he was asleep. The biting woke him up.
PS. the accent is very thick; what did the little girl say to her dad?
The video is real, the spider is real, the accent is from Oz and yes they get that big and bigger again in Sydney (Blue Mountains). I have never seen one in Queensland (up north) but then they have 'Garden Orb' and 'Bird Eating' spiders which may explain why I have never seen a Huntsman there. This year in Melbourne there are few Huntsman's around for some reason (LOL, I just caught myself looking around for one to make sure one isn't sneaking up...they LOVE sneaking up).
However, the Huntsman is your friend. Although they have a 'sharp' bite they are not poisonous, don't like biting humans and eat the killer smaller spiders in your house like the red back and white tail (US=brown recluse). I don't know if they eat funnel webs (that is Sydney's problem) but maybe that is why they are bigger in Sydney http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/6951425/Deadly-funnel-web-spiders-invade-Sydney.html
Sorry for the essay but I like to thing of the thing as a lucky talisman for the house.
@18 Johnny Cat: That is indeed what she said. They don't even have a thick accent.
Totally harmless (although it can "fang" your finger), and a delight to have around the house. Certainly keeps the kiddies entertained.
We love our Huntsman spiders.
They are small (10mm body, 25mm leg circ. at their largest) and seriously deadly.
Brisbane became infested with Singaporean Geckoes in 1991, and they cause no harm apart from their shrill screeching, and prediliction for sleeping in door-jambs.
Open door = squished gecko.
Do you know what their favourite food is? The Redback Spider!
We had literally hundreds around our house in 1991, and with young tackers, was cause for concern.
By 1994, you could not find a single, solitary Redback.
A species that I am happy to see go extinct.....
The Singaporean Geckoes came in 2001.
At that time, (2001) we had hundreds of Redback spiders, all gone by 2004.
Sorry about that!
I would have run too.
When these bastards run ... they tend to run straight at you! They don't turn and run, they make you turn and run if you're afraid of them..