This Massive Spider Is As Big As A Pug

There are those animal rescue organizations that care for dogs, cats, hamsters and other furry mammals. And then there’s Barnyard Betty’s Rescue, which really went above and beyond last year.

The rescue group based in Queensland, Australia, took in Charlotte, a massive — and we mean massive — huntsman spider.

“All creatures great and small are welcome here at Barnyard Betty’s Rescue, a safe haven no matter how you look!!” reads a post on the organization’s official Facebook page.

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After rescuing Charlotte from someone who wanted to kill her, the agency released the giant spider onto the rescue’s farm.

“She was a beautiful, calm spider, not aggressive in any way and like most spiders she just wanted to go about her business eating bugs and living in peace,” a representative from Barnyard Betty’s Rescue wrote on the group’s Facebook page.

“She didn’t or doesn’t need to be killed! Poor spiders are so misunderstood!”

The group is getting tons of questions and comments on the Facebook photo of Charlotte.

To reassure any doubters, the group posted: “Yes she is very real and very large and not photo shopped!!”

The rescue agency has been taking advantage of all of the publicity Charlotte has drummed up to raise money for food and water for its animals during a drought.

So far, the online fundraising campaign has brought in nearly $14,000.

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Huntsman spiders are typically grey or brown with flat bodies and long legs. They’re often compared to crabs because of their crab-like walking style, according to the Australian Museum.

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These creepy crawlers are often found living under the loose bark of Australian trees, in logs, under rocks and in crevices.

Occasionally, they run inside houses and businesses, but they really prefer to scare you by hanging out in your car behind the sun visor.

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Though huntsman spiders can get big, growing up to six inches across, Charlotte seems to be a bit of an anomaly.

“You might want to make sure you’re not missing a few chickens, sheep, calves…Wow! This is one big spider,” one Facebook commenter wrote.

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Another spider made headlines recently, but this one for a sad reason: Earlier this year, the world’s oldest known spider died at the age of 43.

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This female trapdoor tarantula living in Western Australia’s Central Wheatbelt Region lived 15 years longer than the previous record-holder for the world’s longest-living spider, a tarantula in Mexico that died at age 28.

Researchers first discovered this spider during a population study in 1974 and have been watching it ever since. Its name? Number 16.

tarantula photo
Getty Images | Dan Kitwood

Unfortunately, the tarantula succumbed to a wasp sting.

Trapdoor spiders are common in Australia and have a typical lifespan of between five and 20 years, making Number 16 quite the outlier among her kind.

Animals, Wild Animals
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About the Author
Sarah Kuta
Sarah Kuta is an award-winning writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She writes regularly about travel, saving money, health, food and more.

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