best way to catch a wild huntsman spider

Wild Wonambi

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 16, 2018
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8
Does anyone know the best way to catch a wild huntsman spider and the conditions they favour.
 

NYAN

Arachnoking
Joined
Dec 23, 2017
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2,511
In Australia I’m pretty sure they hang around people’s homes, or at least that’s what I’ve heard and seen. Huntsman are very fast also, so my advice is be quick
 

Dave Jay

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
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294
Does anyone know the best way to catch a wild huntsman spider and the conditions they favour.
In my house they live behind the pictures on the wall, their natural habitat! Seriously though, you'll find them under the bark on trees, usually gum trees. The only real way to catch them is to put a jar or similar over them and slide cardboard underneath when they run up the side. The 'bug catcher' toy is the best really as its lightweight and has the neck to hold on to. Two things to watch out for are that you don't catch their legs under the rim, and if you miss a couple of times they'll probably jump into your face! As for keeping them I'm no expert, but you want an upright enclosure with bark stacked against the back to provide them hiding places with varying humidity. I'm not sure if they drink free water , but misting a wall of the enclosure won't hurt. The tiny green ones are the young of the common brown ones, but the orange ones are a small species called badge huntsmans, named for the markings on their bellies and are probably a better choice for captivity.
 

Dovey

Arachnobaron
Joined
Apr 9, 2016
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541
Here in Arizona, I find putting on one's garden gloves without first shaking them out is a foolproof way to find Olios giganteus. :meh:
 

Dave Jay

Arachnoknight
Joined
Feb 5, 2018
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294
There were a couple out the other night, we just leave them be mostly, but if I catch them hanging around my stuff - out they go! hm 3.JPG hm 4.JPG hm 2.JPG
If you look at the bottom picture you can see by the shadow that it was standing off the wall ready to spring if the flash went off again . It was very close.
 

Dennis Nedry

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
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672
Where I live really big ones just appear on kitchen walls and in cars every now and then. If you live next to a eucalyptus tree or a paperbark tree you get hunstmans every night almost, in some places of North Queensland it's not uncommon to find 5-7" Golden huntsmans (Beregama aurea that is, not Olios gigantea)
 
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Veles

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jul 20, 2017
Messages
404
Huntsman spiders arent common in Europe.
Only species i see is Micrommata virescens and they are of stunning beauty.
You can keep them in tall container with some soil, bark and some grass or leaves.
 
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