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Not to be confused with the Huntsman Spider.

The hunting spider earns its aggressive name. About the size of the palm of your hand, this arachnid is one of the best hunters in its habitat. Keen senses help it detect and track down prey, and the creature's speedy attack mode is among the fastest in nature. Plus, the hunting spider isn't limited to the forest floor; it can stalk and ambush prey at tree-top level.

Spider Sense: Special organs in the hunting spider's legs act like ears, detecting the sounds made by the croaks of the spiders' favorite prey-frogs. The organs also feel the vibrations made by the beating wings and tiny steps of insects.

Active Lifestyle: This arachnid got its name from its hunting method-stalking and attacking prey instead of spinning a web. Once the spider zeroes in on a victim's location, it strikes with speeds that the human eye can't even keep up with.

Stick Up[]

Hunting Spider Back Image

The hunting spider clings to a slippery leaf as it devours an insect.

One reason that the hunting spider is such an efficient hunter is its ability to seek out prey anywhere in the forest. The spider moves quickly on the ground, and is also an expert climber. Each of the hunting spider's feet is lined with clumps of small hairs, and each hair splits off in into hundreds of tiny filaments at the end. This gives the spider thousands of fibers that make contact with anything it walks on, each of which can grip microscopic pores and ridges to help the spider cling to almost any surface.

Take a Break: The hunting spider sometimes takes it easy, and sits completely still on a rock or tree branch. Even then, it ends up ambushing any insects that land near it, and gobbles them up.

Follow the Scent: When ready to mate, the female hunting spider trails a long strand of silk behind her, which is laced with special scents called pheromones. When a male smells the pheromones, he follows the line of silk to find the female.

This Frog's Going to Croak[]

  1. While prowling through the forest, a hunting spider hears the croak of a frog in the distance. Following the sounds, it climbs up the wide leaves of a plant to find the amphibian out in the open.
  2. The hunting spider is very strong, and can climb while lugging victims that are 10 times its own size. Before the frog can even react to the hunting spider's appearance, the arachnid strikes. The frog tries to leap away, but the spider grips it with its arm-like pedipalps as it sinks its fangs into the victim, killing it quickly.

Trading Card[]

Trivia[]

  • The hunting spider is used in the example creature in Build-A-Beast on Monster Mania 97.
  • Due to the coloration, it's possible the hunting spider featured on the front is a Cupiennius getazi.
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