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Australian Wildlife

  Brown Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda jugulans)





Brown Huntsman Spider | Heteropoda jugulans photo
Brown Huntsman close-up - the eyes are in two rows of four

Photograph copyright: ozwildlife - all rights reserved. Used with permission.

Brown Huntsman Spider | Heteropoda jugulans photo
This small Huntsman was about 4cm leg span. It was photographed on house brick.

Photograph copyright: ozwildlife - all rights reserved. Used with permission.

Brown Huntsman Spider | Heteropoda jugulans photo
Brown Huntsman Spider feeding on grasshopper. It's a jungle out there ¦ These guys are big - this one had a leg span about 10cm. They are quite common indoors - they are quite harmless (to people - not grasshoppers).

Photograph copyright: ozwildlife - all rights reserved. Used with permission.

Brown Huntsman Spider | Heteropoda jugulans photo
Close-up of Brown Huntsman Spider head showing eyes and fangs.

Photograph copyright: ozwildlife - all rights reserved. Used with permission.

Brown Huntsman Spider | Heteropoda jugulans photo
Brown Huntsman Spider feeding on grasshopper. Note the right fang curling round the grasshoppers neck.

Photograph copyright: ozwildlife - all rights reserved. Used with permission.

Brown Huntsman Spider | Heteropoda jugulans photo
Battle between two Hunstman spiders. The larger spider gradually overpowers and kills the smaller one.

Photograph copyright: ozwildlife - all rights reserved. Used with permission.







SPIDER FACTS

Description
The Brown Huntsman is a large spider patterned in brown and black. It has crab-like legs, and is fast moving.

Size
up to 15 cm across the legs (about a handspan)

Habitat
Houses, forested areas, gardens, rainforest. Found under loose bark on trees, in crevices on rock walls and in logs, under rocks and slabs of bark on the ground.

Food
insects

Breeding
lays up to 200 eggs in oval egg sac of white papery silk

Range
Eastern Australia.

Notes
Bites usually result only in mild local pain and swelling.



Classification
Class:Arachnida
Order:Araneomorphae
Family:Sparassidae
Genus:Heteropoda
Species:jugulans
Common Name:Brown Huntsman Spider