Australian homeowners nickname a GIANT Huntsman arachnid Aragog after the giant spider from Harry Potter.

A MASSIVE spider is on the loose in an Australian property after freaking out a couple and leaving them too scared to leave their home.

The couple called the arachnid Aragog after the giant spiders from the Harry Potter series.

Lauren Ansell, from Mount Coolum in Queeensland, said she had the shock of her life when she came across a monster huntsman spider.

She added:
“We nicknamed the spider Aragog from Harry Potter and feel the spider has run into the forbidden forest.”
Lauren said her friends expressed their horror suggesting she move out after she shared a photo of the beast on Facebook.


Picture of the HUGE Huntsman Spider taken by Lauren Ansell

The couple say they haven’t seen the spider since.



Huntsman Spiders are massive, crab-like spiders that can have a leg span of up to 25-30cm.
They normally live in small gaps in tree bark, but frequently wander into homes and cars in search of food. They move at lightning speed, can walk on walls and even ceilings, and jump huge distances suddenly.

Unlike other types of spider, they go out to stalk and kill their prey instead of spinning webs, feasting on insects and small animals like mice and lizards.

https://youtu.be/ce9O7Xnvqnk

You don’t want to make a mummy huntsman angry – they defend their young fiercely, attacking and biting those who threaten them.

If they’re touched, they have a “cling” reflex and will hang on tightly. Shaking them off doesn’t work, but does make them angry and likely to bite.

Although usually found in the Southern Hemisphere, they have been known to stow away in cargo and arrive unexpectedly in Europe. They wouldn’t last long in the winter cold of the UK though.

Despite their scary appearance and aggression, they shouldn’t cause too much alarm – their venom isn’t deadly to humans, although it has been known to cause headaches, vomiting, and heart palpitations.


Photo of a Huge Huntsman Spider taken by Lauren Ansell

 

 



Check out the following links for more info on giant spiders...

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4100246/monster-huntsman-spider-couple-too-scared-to-leave-home-queensland/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsman_spider

http://www.spiders.com.au/huntsman-spider.html

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