Could you help me to identify this spider please?

[le mashk]

Hi, I am from France, and to honest I don't know a lot about spiders, even if I am interested by wildlife in general, and keen to learn more about it.

Could you help me to indentify this spider?

I met it while traveling in Cambodia - South East Asie, last month.

It was on a rock, in a jungle cave where the temperature was quite cool (compared to the outside).

I think it was as big as an adult hand... Maybe a little bit smaller.

Could you help me to indentify it?

Thanks a lot!



Sorry the picture is a little bit blurry...

 

[Cydaea]

I think it's from the Huntsman family, possibly in the Eusparassus genus. I'm guessing here, not an expert on 'true' spiders but like you I'm learning

Someone will probably correct me on this...

 

[jigalojey]

I would actually go with fishing spider.

 

[Cydaea]

It does kind of look like a fishing spider too, but according to wikipedia the largest one has a 2.4" leg span, which isn't as big as a hand. Plus, I'm not sure they're found in Asia...

 

[The Snark]

Looks unique to me. Fingers crossed.

 

[McGuiverstein]

Incredible specimen! Love the colors. I'm still learning myself, but this looks like some species of huntsman to me.

 

[Ciphor]

I cannot say for certain, but I would guess a huntsman spider as well, most likely a Heteropoda spp. for this region. Based on the massive size I don't really think there is any other options.

That whole region is home to some huge cave dwelling huntsman spiders. Just north of Cambodia is Laos, home to the largest legspan recorded: Heteropoda maxima.

 

[The Snark]

Actually, it looks quite a bit like Maxima. It should be kept in mind new species are regularly being discovered in that region. Jager could probably easily ID this one. But catching him is harder than catching a maxima.
Dr. Peter Jäger
Senckenberg Research Institute
Arachnology Department
http://www.senckenberg.de

 

[aSpiderificGirl]

Hmmmm....

Looks like a Huntsman to me, as well.

 

[Rebecca74]

Hi, I am from France, and to honest I don't know a lot about spiders, even if I am interested by wildlife in general, and keen to learn more about it.

Could you help me to indentify this spider?

I met it while traveling in Cambodia - South East Asie, last month.

It was on a rock, in a jungle cave where the temperature was quite cool (compared to the outside).

I think it was as big as an adult hand... Maybe a little bit smaller.

Could you help me to indentify it?

Thanks a lot!

View attachment 112403





Sorry the picture is a little bit blurry...

I'm far from being an expert. But growing up in Australia I've encountered countless huntsman spiders and the leg positions suggests to me this is a distant member of the huntsman family. The way the legs lay flat and bend slightly forwards (like a crab) rather than up and then down (like a daddy long legs) makes me think it's some type of huntsman.

However, the legs are also lacking one very defining characteristic of the huntsman family. In huntsmans the two front sets of legs are significantly longer than the two back sets of legs. This spider' legs appear to all be of equal length (or maybe it's just the angle of the photo).

Regardless of what it is it's absolutely beautiful. Look at those gorgeous colours and markings!

 

[The Snark]

I'm far from being an expert. But growing up in Australia I've encountered countless huntsman spiders and the leg positions suggests to me this is a distant member of the huntsman family. The way the legs lay flat and bend slightly forwards (like a crab) rather than up and then down (like a daddy long legs) makes me think it's some type of huntsman.

However, the legs are also lacking one very defining characteristic of the huntsman family. In huntsmans the two front sets of legs are significantly longer than the two back sets of legs. This spider' legs appear to all be of equal length (or maybe it's just the angle of the photo).

Regardless of what it is it's absolutely beautiful. Look at those gorgeous colours and markings!

Can't always go by leg length as this H. Venatoria demonstrates.

 

[Ciphor]

Leg length is pretty subjective. Some genres it helps with, like running crab spiders, but with comparing leg pair l with leg pair lV its a lot trickier. I'm pretty confident (about 98%) that this is Heteropoda. The size is very telling for this specific region in Asia.

 

[The Snark]

Being entirely unscientific, I'd venture that this little beauty is definitely Sparassid, going by appearance, mein (huntsman naturally prefer to park with head down on a vertical surface with legs in just that position) and locale. The haunts of Maxima are a little less hospitable than the surface of the moon. Rock and boulder scree in vast underground labyrinths with more room to run and or hide than a hyped T in a thick cholla garden. It wouldn't be at all surprising if they discover a couple dozen more Sparassid species down in those caves in the coming years.
Look at this typical talus formation and imagine trying to find a reclusive extremely fast spider in it in complete darkness.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Crossf3.jpg

 

[le mashk]

Thank you SO much for your help everybody, I really appreciate it!

I am glad to see that "my" spider have attracted attention! :wink:

I have been surprised to read that it's have been a unusual specie even for you guys. But I guess there are sooo many species all over the world that you never stop discovering new ones! :biggrin:

I will now try to gather some information about huntsman spiders, and try to learn more about them.

Do you think this kind of spider could have been venomous? I mean, for a novice like me, is there any way to know that without knowing the exact specie?

 

[The Snark]

With a couple of extremely rare exceptions, all spiders are venomous. And so, the sparassids are quite capable biters, after all they hunt some pretty fast and lively prey. Yes, they would just love to bite you at every possible opportunity, with the provision that you terrify them then hold them tightly against your skin. Otherwise, they would, one and all, be quite happy to never encounter or bite a human under any circumstance. Should you somehow manage to get bitten, by all reports it is going to hurt about the same as a bee sting and may even make you feel off for 24 to 48 hours. There are no reported deaths from sparassids, nor any severe or long term known medical complications.

 

[wokjow]

Looks like a brightly coloured Selenops.