Spider!!!

its Part 100046 of our kitchen being fixed, post flood, we have a tradie here and as my husband is in North QLD with work i am working from home  while the tradie does his thing.    

I wanted a cup of tea, so i had to sidle past tradie  in the tiny kitchen, and had to move the drawers that are being fixed in the kitchen and a huge hunstman spider with a body larger than my hand ambled out.. i jumped as i thought it was a huge feral rat.. then realised it was as peaceful obese huntsman spider..

(NOTE: The bite of Huntsman spiders is of low risk (mildly toxic) to humans. Huntsman spiders are a non-aggressive group of spiders ) for more info on Huntsman spiders click this link.


I reckon i could have put a collar and lead on it...    put out my hand and she walked on to it, she was soft and furry, with eyes that shone like iridescent facetted diamonds. she tentaively put one leg than another out to make sure i didnt mean her harm. she then sat on my hand, i took her outside. put my hand near the Jacaranda tree and she walked off.


the tradie paled at the sight of me chatting happily to the spider, i explained to him that she is harmless, and beautiful, and good natured, but the guy looked like he was going to vomit .. he had  steel caps ready.he wanted to squash her!!!  i gave him  a lecture about how these spiders how balance our ecology to prevent us being over ridden by nasty bitey insects... tradie  gave me a squinty eyed look...


Yes Australia does have a lot of highly venomous, aggressive spiders, but Isopeda Isopedella (Huntsman spider) is not one of them. 


They are large and hairy and as they are quite timid, may jump and scurry which will cause you to also jump and scurry, but stay calm, and the spider is fine.


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