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Huntsman spider molting process timelapse
An Australian woman managed to capture video of a huntsman spider molting its outer skin.
QUEENSLAND, Australia - With Halloween just around the corner, what better to fuel your nightmares ahead of the spooky holiday than by watching a video of a molting huntsman spider.
Lisa Van Kula Donovan, from Queensland, Australia, managed to capture footage on Sept. 20 of a huntsman spider in the process of shedding its skin and the video is both creepy and fascinating.
In the timelapse video, the spider is seen slowly, but surely, inching its way out of its old skin, and once it finally managed to fully emerge out of its old body, it dangles for some time, only twitching every few seconds.
The spider then appeared to be stretching its newly-molted body and hangs out as the video ended.
“It was amazing and stressful all at the same time,” Donovan said of watching the process. “I named her Sophia after my goddaughter who was as excited as me to see this.”
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Huntsman spiders have very flat bodies “adapted for living in narrow spaces under loose bark or rock crevices. This is aided by their legs which, instead of bending vertically in relation to the body, have the joints twisted so that they spread out forwards and laterally in crab-like fashion ('giant crab spiders'),” according to the Australian Museum.
An adult spider could have a leg span of about 3 to 5 inches, which is roughly the size of an iPhone 11 Pro.
And, while a huntsman spider’s bite is not fatal to humans, anyone who may suffer a bite from one of these spiders should relieve any pain by using an ice pack. However, if the pain persists, people should seek medical attention, the Australian Museum added.
Storyful contributed to this report.