# Heteropoda Maxima  ( Largest hunstman)



## Robertb (Feb 14, 2011)

Found some interesting footage ( not in English )  of some scientist tracking down Heteropoda Maxima ( worlds largest huntsman) which is rumored to reach leg spans of 11.5 inches.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8OL-CQfX0s

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_huntsman_spider

Anybody has any more info on this huntsman please share


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## revilo (Feb 14, 2011)

hi,

a few years ago some of them was "coming" to germany.

but breeding was not easy - eggsacs drops out before finished, for example -
and so far i know, noone was successful breeding them...

and because they are extremly rare in nature - common only in 1-3 caves, in an asian country (forgot where exactly, must read again...) hopefully noone import them again !

cheers, oli


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## The Snark (Feb 14, 2011)

What sort of information are you looking for? There are a vast number of Huntsman in S.E.Asia, a number of which get pretty darned big. The problem with getting info on the cave spider is it lives in an environment only slightly less hostile than the moon. The caves are often filled with rock scree, commonly boulders weighing several hundred pounds. You aren't going to shift those fast enough to surprise the spiders lurking in them. In addition, there are hundreds, probably thousands of caves that aren't accessible by humans and many more have yet to be discovered.

Considering the heat, humidity, athletic condition of the arachnophile and other problems, I prefer to simply gaze on the mini monsters that populate virtually all the rainforest areas like this 6 to 8 inch mommy and her kids. 






I would add, as a comic footnote, these spiders are hilarious. In movement they are similar to the salticids but much faster. We have developed a game with the occasional wanderers that come into our house which we call 'scoot the spider'. We have one door that can be opened a crack without letting in the mosquito hordes. Using any means one chooses, the idea is to cajole the spider into running out the door. Hands work pretty good. You can sometimes get the spider to momentarily sit on your hand then you make a dash for the door. Tapping the floor in front of them with a stick is my preferred method. But with the juveniles and larger, these things outright boogie, take flying leaps, crash into things and often fail to cling to walls. Sometimes we get as many as 10 or more in at once. We look forward to spider scoot season now. Much more entertaining than an evening out.

Be that as it may, it can take some serious effort to corral one of these kids on a wide open expanse of slick ceramic tile. Imagine trying to catch one in a darkened rock filled cave.

Reactions: Like 2


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## MrCrackerpants (Jan 11, 2014)

Old post but thanks "The SnarK". Great stories! :biggrin:


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## Smokehound714 (Jan 11, 2014)

I've found they can be quite easily collected by dragging a stick by them   (well, not this species, but native huntsmans in my locale haha)


  This is how i catch wolves, now.  haha


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