It is safe to say that a tarantula is one of the last things you would hope to find underneath your tent while pitched up at a caravan park. And yet, for a woman in Far North Queensland, Australia, that is exactly what she found.
JJ Brits of Cairns, Far North Queensland, was called over by his neighbor after she found the 3-inch arachnid underneath her tent tarpaulin.
"I was very pleasantly surprised to find this tarantula as it is quite scarce or rather quite elusive," Brits, who shared pictures of the spider, told Newsweek.
Neither Brits nor his neighbor were particularly phased by the immense invertebrate hiding under her tent. "She's a local and nature lover so did not bat an eyelid, where others would have freaked out," Brits said.
The spider was still alive when they found it, although Brits said it was "unaggressive and easy to capture."
It had also lost one of its legs, which Brits believes may have happened during the removal of the ground tarpaulin.
Brits shared photos of the spider to the Australian Spider Identification page on Facebook. Although it is unclear exactly which species it belonged to, users unanimously agreed that it was an Australian tarantula. "I'm thinking maybe a Phlogius/Selencosmia for this one," said Australian invertebrate enthusiast and group member Declan Hegge. "I could be wrong though."
"What a specimen," said another user.
Australia is home to four different groups (genera) of spiders: Selenocosmia, Selenotholus, Selenotypus and Coremiocnemis. These all belong to the family of the theraphosids, a group of spiders that comprises the tarantulas.
Tarantulas mainly eat insects, lizards, frogs and other spiders. They have also been known to eat hatchling birds. Adult female tarantulas live in web-lined burrows in the ground, while juveniles and males tend to form silk retreats underneath rocks and logs.
Tarantulas can grow to have a leg span of over 7 inches, with fangs as long as those of many snake species, according to the Australian Museum. Their bite can be very painful, and can result in nausea and vomiting for several hours after. However, despite their daunting size, these spiders are usually not aggressive.
After rescuing the young male spider from under the tarpaulin, Brits said he had hoped to release it back into the wild as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it was too late. "It died the next day possibly due to injuries incurred from the removal of the ground tarpaulin," Brits said.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Pandora Dewan is a Senior Science Reporter at Newsweek based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on science, health ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
