Huntsman Spider

Life Cycle

• The female Huntsman produces a flat, oval egg sac of white papery silk, and lays up to 200 eggs. She then places the sac under bark or a rock, then stands guard over it (without eating) for about three weeks.
• At the appropriate time, the mother spider opens the egg sac to help the spiderlings out. She may stay with the spiderlings for several weeks.
• The lifespan of most Huntsman species is about two years or more.

Habits

• Huntsman spiders occur Australia-wide and are usually found on tree trunks, under bark, beneath stones or on the walls of houses. Some species are extremely compressed and live between the hairline cracks of sandstone and granite outcrops.
• The Huntsman eats a variety of insects, arthropods, small lizards and frogs. The prey is not captured in a web, but actively stalked and run-down with stealth and speed.
• Poisonous to humans, but not fatal.