ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Rare Photo Shows A Writhing Colony Of Huntsman Spiders In Australia

Rare Photo Shows A Writhing Colony Of Huntsman Spiders In Australia

Whoa, this isn't for the faint of heart...

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

***WARNING: THIS ARTICLE IS DEFINITELY NOT FOR ARACHNOPHOBES***

Hey guys, welcome to the new episode of 'Holy F*** Praise The Almighty That I Don't Live In Australia'.

This week, we've got a glimpse into the very jaws of hell, or - as the Aussies call it - a huntsman spider colony.

Seriously, give over.
Bush Heritage Australia

Yep, see that? That's a whole writhing box full of NOPE. There aren't enough dingo dollars or golden stars that you could offer to encourage me to put one single finger into that disgusting morass.

However, you have to admit, you can't look away. At the end of the day, we have to accept nature the way it is.

If we can't handle it at it's most archetypally terrifying and repulsive, do we really deserve puppies, kittens, aurora borealis, and all the rest?

So, what is the story behind it?

This disturbing discovery was made by the folks at non-profit organisation Bush Heritage Australia.

Conservationists up at their Monjebup North reserve in Western Australia were checking in on boxes that they'd put there to become a habitat for possums - you know, the cute little critters - when they discovered this.

As the old saying goes, sometimes you get possums, sometimes you get pure evil.
Bush Heritage Australia

Cute and cuddly, it ain't.

Angela Sanders, from Bush Heritage Australia, said: "Pygmy possums quickly took up resident in the nest boxes we erected in a restored habitat.

"What we didn't expect were the large colonies of social spiders that also moved in.

"It all started about the same time we were finding pygmy possums in the boxes.

"But on lifting the lids of some, we found many huntsman spiders of all sizes whizzing around inside."

So, here's some huntsman spider facts.

The first thing to learn is that they're huge. Males can grow to a 30cm leg span, but typically they're about 15cm.

You're not getting a pint glass over that.

You're gonna need a box at least.
PA

While they're largely disinterested in us, they've been known to inflict bites on humans when acting in defence. They get their name by being quick and... well, good at hunting.

They live in the woods, and enjoy a warm, tropical climate. That's fine for those of us in Britain, but not so much for arachnophobic Aussies.

Sanders continued: "They're a species of huntsman that live together, normally under the bark of trees.

"In the restored area, tree bark is in short supply at present and they've found the wooden boxes suitable."

Bush Heritage Australia is an organisation that buys up land in order to save it for conservation. They try to maintain that land to encourage the native species of Australia to thrive.

Featured Image Credit: Bush Heritage Australia

Topics: Weird, Animals