A hand-sized huntsman spider gripped a small rodent with its fangs, and a couple caught the arachnid attacking its prey on camera.
The image, originally captured by Rodger and Justine Latton at a ski lodge in Tasmania’s Mount Field National Park, features a large spider consuming a slightly smaller dead possum. Although the photo is being labeled the “stuff of nightmares” by commenters on the Lattons’ now-viral Facebook post, it’s important to keep scale in mind.
Posted by Justine Latton on Friday, June 14, 2019
University of Queensland biology professor Bryan Fry estimated the spider to be about 9 inches across, he told The Washington Post.
“It’s a good-sized spider,” Fry remarked, but “it’s not some sort of Godzilla spider.”
The possum, on the other hand, is only about the size of a large walnut, according to WaPo.
This makes the Lattons’ spider significantly smaller than this other famous viral huntsman from 2015.
According to the Australian Museum, the huntsman spider’s diet “consists of insects and other invertebrates,” making the Latton’s spider an overachiever. (RELATED: Crocodile Snatches Up Fisherman’s Catch In Australia)
The huntsman isn’t considered a dangerous spider, Fry told WaPo.
“They’re not one I mind having around my house. I’d rather have a few huntsman and less cockroaches,” he said.
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