Huge, Eight-Legged Nightmare Maker Pops Up in TN Camper After Florida Trip
Do you have arachnophobia? If so, maybe you don't read any further. But if you have a morbid curiosity about things that are or can be terrifying, well then, pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy.
GIANT SPIDERS
I am not afraid of spiders, but I am respectful. I've had brown recluse issues in my home, so I don't take them lightly. I'm also not one to go on a tear like the farmer's wife going after three blind mice when I see a spider. Most times, they're wolf spiders which don't look welcoming but are quite beneficial. They hunt and kill the aforementioned recluses, among others.
Now, despite all that, all bets might be off if I got back from a trip to Florida, opened my camper, and discovered what one Tennessee family discovered...an enormous tan-colored spider on the wall.
THE HUNTSMAN SPIDER
Say hello to the huntsman spider, a non-native species I've only ever seen on nature shows. As a matter of fact, the giant huntsman breed is considered the second-largest spider in the world behind the Goliath bird eater. This huntsman spider, however, is known as pantropical huntsman spider. They are not uncommon in Florida, although they are a non-native species.
Hannah Anderson found it and was initially startled. Who wouldn't be? It's not everyday, a spider as big as your hand stows away in a camper. And guess what? She's KEEPING it. In fact, Hannah has already ordered an enclosure for the spider AND it's offspring. Yes, after consulting experts, she also learned that it's a female and that it is gravid. It's a scientific term for "pregnant." Here's the image that better illustrates the spider's size.
In case you were wondering, huntsman spiders, though imposing, are harmless to humans.
HUNTSMAN SPIDERS IN THE U.S.
The huntsman in the Tennessee camper that hitchhiked from Florida is most likely a pantropical huntsman spider, the most common breed found in the Sunshine State. And, like wolf spiders, they don't spin webs, preferring to hunt their prey on the ground.
If huntsman spiders do make their way as far north as Tennessee or even farther, it IS an accident. They prefer climates that stay above freezing. If they're spending a lot of time in this country, they're in Florida, Texas, or California. And, again, they are actually quite beneficial, but I can understand why you wouldn't be comfortable always seeing a spider the size of your hand running across the floor.