Huntsman spiders are a common group of spiders found in Australia, New Zealand, and many other tropical and semi-tropical areas of the world. Huntsmen do not build webs but forage for food - mostly insects and other invertebrates. They do bite if provoked, but the victim will suffer only minor swelling and localised pain, recovering in a day or so. Huntsmen can be identified by their legs, which rather than being jointed vertically relative to the body, are twisted such that the legs extend forward in a crab-like fashion. Photo credit: Fir0002 |