Talk:Huntsman spider

Clock Spider

There's an internet meme, although a bit old, for the "clock spider," which is a large huntsman spider hiding behind a clock. Does anyone think this article could use a "Huntsman Spider in Popular Culture" (or something to that effect)? --MadameArsenic 14:27, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

There is a real photograph that shows the legs of a large spider creeping out from behind a hanging wall clock. The size of the clock is not readily apparent, which makes its utility as a standard for size comparison a little weak. But passing a photograph around via the Internet does not constitute a comment of considerable importance nor does it constitute a major cultural movement. It's just a passing oddity. P0M 22:51, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

---Ah, well, a few years ago it was pretty popular. Maybe you didn't notice... --MadameArsenic 19:08, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

I don't think popularity has as much to do with it as it being a "passing oddity". I agree -- there's a link to the clock spider under "external links", and that's all there needs to be. It doesn't merit a whole section by itself. Lomaprieta 11:46, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

Range

The range of the huntsman spiders is far wider than Australia and New Zealand. They also occur in the U.S., and, I'm pretty sure, across Eurasia. I'm pretty sure I've seen them in Japan, in the Kyoto area too. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that they occur in Africa as well. It's odd, but I just got started on them tonight because I was trying to identify something that ran up and tried to bite in the Riverside, CA area.

Patrick0Moran 07:10, 3 Aug 2003 (UTC)

I expect you're right - I've only seen them in Australia but that doesn't mean they are not elsewhere. All I can say is they are NOT found in the UK! A Google search was inconclusive - almost all refs I found were Australian. GRAHAMUK 07:14, 3 Aug 2003 (UTC)

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I found one source that says their distribution is all across the topics: http://habitatnews.nus.edu.sg/guidebooks/spiders/text/Heteropoda_venatoria.htm

Then for Laos: http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~dp7a-tnkw/referenc.txt

Thailand: http://www.axbridgecavinggroup.org/page32.html

Can huntsman spiders run on glass? I've seen something that looks like a large wolf spider in the SW part of the US and in Japan. It is about 3/4 in long, looks in general conformation like one of the wolf spiders, but it can run like crazy on vertical surfaces, even glass. And it is the only spider I've ever seen that will run up to a pencil tip and bite. Unfortunately, I didn't have anything to collect the spider with that day...

Patrick0Moran 22:32, 3 Aug 2003 (UTC)

Also, Israel: http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog81-87/BIB7.html

Also, Japan -- but their charset is strange, haven't been able to get it to change into Japanese for me yet. http://mirukashihime.cool.ne.jp/asidaka2.htm

Also, Tunisia -- http://www.britishspiders.org.uk/bultn/v11.html

Also, Virginia, USA -- http://www.loven.plus.com/nicksspiders/readers.htm

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Anyone have a picture of one of these things? I would love to see a good pic of a 15cm spider. :)--Lucky13pjn 01:04, Jun 9, 2004 (UTC)

There are some spiders with leg spans of around those dimensions, but not huntsman spiders. I have fixed the figures to something more reasonable. Also will need to "globalize" this article as it currently pertains mostly to Australia and New Zealand. P0M

§ Wow! I have to take that back. Just by chance I received the following communication from one of the tarantula enthusiasts/specialists:

Heteropoda maxima males can get a legspan of 25-30 cm:

JÄGER, P. (2001): A new species of Heteropoda (Araneae, Sparassidae,

Heteropodinae) from Laos, the largest huntsman spider? Zoosystema 23(3): 461-465.

Of course people usually mention the body length of spiders, but even so, the body to go along with a legspan of nearly one foot must be four inches or more. Huntsman spiders, generally speaking, are not built like some of the web weavers that are designed to keep their bodies well away from their thrashing prey. I would like to see a picture of one of these creatures too. P0M

P.S. See http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_425061.html

Merge cane spider

There is a notice suggesting that this article be merged with the cane spider article. "Cane spider" is just a local English term for the Huntman spider found there. There is hardly any other information in that article that is not found in this one. P0M 06:27, 16 July 2006 (UTC)

Huntsman spider northeast US?

The article does state a few species in non tropical areas, and I have photos
of male and female - identical to description of huntsman spider. The female
is quite large, hence my intrigue to take photos. I am certain it is a variant of huntsman spider (found in maine)

 photos here

Sorry, but Huntsman spiders do not make spiral webs. I have one much like her on my back porch. They like to come in close to buildings, and they seem to be able to locate places where there are electric lights that are left on at night. I brushed her web last night and she dropped like a shot, evidently concluding that anything that could shake her web so badly was something to get far away from. They are reaching their full adult size around this time of the year, so people tend to notice them. Treat her well, she'll rid your environment of lots of horse flies and other such bugs. P0M 21:14, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Check Google for Araneus species. My guess: A. diadematus. The body can be 3/5 of an inch long. P0M 01:26, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

Lifespan

How long is the average lifespan of a Huntsman? I just thought that this might warrant a mention in the article. Gamer Junkie 06:10, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

Huntsman in New Zealand?

There was a recent biosecurity scare about Huntsman spiders in New Zealand but other than that, as a New Zealander I am pretty sure there aren't any Huntsman spiders living here.

Click link to see proof: [1]

--203.97.127.185 20:15, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

The intro

There is a sentence in the introduction that states "very few spider species are palearctic."

This sounds like a general statement. How does it link directly to Huntsman? What does palearctic mean, anyway? One ought not to have to leave the introduction to an article in order to do a vocab check. Can we have it in non-specialist terms, or is palearctic the only way of saying it? I'm not suggesting that all technical terms that are appropriate should be left out (like the scientific name of the species for example). --Amandajm 13:44, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

Relational behaviour in hunstman spiders

I observed a male and female huntsman who lived in my letterbox for weeks before I managed to catch them in a plastic lunchbox and relocate them to a large tree. They spent most of their time cuddled up together in a very cosy way. I have never witnessed male and female spiders of any sort that appeared to have "a relationship" although I have see Huntsman taking care of an egg sack.

We had one poor brute that lived in the rafters in the loo, having lost three legs in the hinge of the front door. Sometimes he would go for a wander and I would encounter him near the light switch which made me a little tetchy. He would sit and look at me until I got the broom and then run. The broom was the enemy. The night I found him sitting on the toilet paper roll I decided he had to go. I put my raincoat on over my pjs, caught him in the dreaded plastic lunchbox, slopped two hundred yards down the street to one of the nice paperbark trees and tipped him out. When I got back to the front gate, I shone the torch down the sidewalk, and there was the spider, scurrying along home on all five legs as fast as he could.

I have heard other people say that it is almost impossible to get rid of a huntsman that calls your house their home. Are there any scientific studies of this sort of behaviour in huntsman spiders? To what extent can they be tamed if kept as pets? Are there reliable observations of male/female relational behaviour?

--Amandajm 14:18, 12 February 2007 (UTC)