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Mum Finds Massive Huntsman Spider Guarding Hundreds Of Babies Inside Son’s Toy Truck

Mum Finds Massive Huntsman Spider Guarding Hundreds Of Babies Inside Son’s Toy Truck

People couldn't believe the size of the spider's egg sac.

Jessica Lynch

Jessica Lynch

Pne Aussie mum has further fanned the flames of our arachnophobia after discovering a huntsman spider taking up residence in her son's toy truck.

As if that mental image wasn't enough to give you the heebie-jeebies, the eight-legged arachnid seemed to be guarding a massive white sack of its babies.

Brooke Thorpe, from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, posted the haunting image to Facebook, writing: "Found this little mumma today with her sac!"

She added in the comments: "I was actually outside with my two pythons letting them get some sun when my nephew bought me this toy and I found this."

Facebook

In a truly Aussie move, Thorpe told MailOnline that her four-year-old son was pretty stoked with the find.

"We have her in a safe spot and once she's finished, my son can have his toy back," she said.

According to an expert who spoke to the publication, up to 200 baby spiders could be inside the unsettling white sac.

"The mother spider is holding onto the egg to feel if there is any activity inside. The egg is still white, so she just laid them and the hundreds of babies are still developing," he said.

He added that the toy provided the perfect environment for mama spidey to keep her egg safe.

"Spiders tend to lay in protected zones like behind sofas when there is a lot of windy weather. But the inside of the plastic truck has a pocket of limited airflow to protect the mum and her egg," he said.

The post received a slew of comments, with many expressing shock over the size of the sac.

One user wrote: "I'm confused as to how a sac that size comes out of her."

Another added: "Geez the sack is bigger than her."

Others found the image sweet, with one user commenting: "Awwwwwwww so precious, does she ever leave them to get food for herself?"

A different user added: "Aww she is cuddling her babies."

Despite their hairy appearance, huntsman spiders aren't actually considered to be dangerous spiders.

They possess venom and a bite can cause people to get sick, but they are reluctant to attack humans and will instead try to run away.

JonRichfield (Creative Commons)

They also help us out with indoor bugs as they provide a useful role as natural pest controllers.

The discovery comes following news that the huntsman population has recently exploded across Australia with hordes of the spiders emerging as the arachnid's population booms towards the end of summer.

But Macquarie University arachnologist Dr Lizzy Lowe has assured everyone there's no reason to be afraid of our eight-legged friends.

"Huntsmen don't have very good eyesight. They see light and dark and movement and that's about all," Dr Lowe told Weatherzone.

"They will never intentionally run towards you because they're small and not highly venomous. They can bite you, but they won't do any harm.

"Huntsmen are super fast but they get confused, so if a huntsman is running towards you, it's confused.

"They're not aggressive spiders at all and they generally stay high up because that's where they're finding the food they want to eat."

According to the doc, if you happen to spot a clump of baby huntsman spiders in your home, it's probably best to let them be.

Featured Image Credit: Facebook

Topics: Animals, Australia