Do you suffer from arachnophobia? Perhaps you shouldn’t read this article any further. Why? Because we’re going to talk about the spider invasion of Australia, a striking phenomenon … and impressive.
Chasing spiders
These are hunting spiders that belong to the family Sparassidae. They are very common in Australia and other places with hot climates. In this species the giant hunting spider (Heteropoda maxima). It lives in Asia and measures up to 30 centimeters per leg and 8 per body. At this size, it holds the record for the largest spider in the world by diameter. Not to mention that it is a very venomous spider. Most hunting spiders, however, are about eight inches in length per leg and one inch in body. So they are a lot less spectacular.
During the summer in Australia, the hunter populations increase. And it’s not uncommon for spiders to seek refuge in people’s homes. In fact, many Sydney residents had reported hunter attacks this week, according to local media.
The cause appears to be a low pressure front that brought rain and moisture. It arrived after several days of high temperatures (it’s summer in the southern hemisphere). Hunting spiders often seek shelter in human homes. They do this when the heat and humidity are too intense. Homes offer many safe nooks and crannies for spiders to hide in. And where the females can lay their eggs, ”explained arachnologist Robert Raven, Director of Terrestrial Biodiversity at the Museum of Queensland. The data is collected by Sciencealert.
Multiplicándose
This type of climate also encourages the eggs to hatch. “Low pressures are one of the triggers for this process,” said Raven. An egg sac can hold hundreds of young, which explains the Sydney spider invasion.
The warm, moist air is ideal for spider babies. Because of their fine skin, they dehydrate quickly when conditions are too dry. Although these dense groups don’t stay long, spiders are “very cannibals”. They begin to eat each other after a day or two, explains University of Australia arachnologist Lizzie Lowe. Undoubtedly a fleeting plague of shocking images.
