Are Huntsman Spiders Dangerous? Australian Spider Bite First Aid Guide
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The huntsman spider has a way of getting a loud reaction in any Australian house. The size, the speed, and the way the spider sits flat against a wall all combine to make the huntsman look like a problem. But the fear a huntsman raises is louder than the bite the spider can deliver. The response to a huntsman bite is shorter and calmer than the spider lets on.
Meet the Huntsman Spider: Australia's Most Misunderstood Arachnid
The huntsman spider belongs to the family Sparassidae, a group of more than 100 species across Australia. Most species reach a leg span of around 15 cm, with the body itself rarely longer than 2 cm, with females tending to be larger than males. Their bodies are mostly brown or grey, hairy, and sometimes banded along the legs. Many species have flattened bodies built for sliding under loose bark or into crevices on rock walls.
Their eight eyes sit in two rows of four, and their legs spread forwards and sideways in a crab-like fashion. They eat insects and other invertebrates, plus the occasional small skink or gecko, and they hunt rather than spinning webs. Huntsman spiders shelter under loose bark on trees, in rock crevices, beneath stones, and inside houses, sheds and cars where the temperature suits them.
Why Huntsman Spiders Look Scarier Than They Are
A huntsman spider on a wall looks more dangerous than it is. Their speed is part of the reason; the spider sprints, jumps, and clings when picked up, making it harder to flick away. Their long, sideways-facing legs let huntsman spiders climb walls and ceiling, and squeeze into tight spaces.
Huntsman spiders are shy and are generally not aggressive towards people. They prefer to flee, hide, or sit still rather than approach, and most encounters end with the spider heading for the nearest crevice. Despite their size, huntsman spiders are considered harmless to humans, sitting far below the redback spider and funnel-web. The exceptions are when a huntsman is corner or when a female huntsman is guarding her egg sacs.
What Happens When a Huntsman Spider Bites You
A huntsman spider bite only causes a mild local reaction in most people. The bite site shows two small puncture wounds with redness and swelling around them. Pain is the main symptom, often compared to a bee or wasp sting, and most cases settle within an hour.
Some bites also cause nausea, headache, sweating or mild palpitations. These come and go without treatment in most cases. Across reviewed bite reports in Australia, no fatalities have been linked to a huntsman spider, and the spider’s venom is mild to humans.
Severe reactions are uncommon, and are more likely caused by an allergy or underlying health conditions. Anyone bitten by a huntsman who develops spreading swelling, breathing trouble, throat tightness or chest pain has moved past a routine bite, and the person bitten needs emergency care.
First Aid for a Huntsman Spider Bite
A huntsman spider bite calls for simple, predictable first aid.
Get clear of the spider. Move away from the spider before doing anything else.
Watch for signs of a severe reaction. Trouble breathing, swelling of the face, throat or tongue, dizziness, fast heart rate, repeated vomiting, or hives across the body indicate anaphylaxis. Call 000 immediately.
Wash the bite site. Use cool running water and soap on the bitten area.
Apply a cold pack. Wrap the cold pack in a thin cloth and hold it against the bite site for up to 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Repeat as needed for swelling and pain.
Use pain relief. Paracetamol or ibuprofen will ease the pain and swelling for most people.
Monitor for the next few hours. Pain that gets worse, swelling that spreads beyond the bite site, fever, pus, or persistent nausea is another reason to seek medical attention.
Sharing Your Home and Car With Huntsman Spiders
Most huntsman spiders inside a home shelter in dim places. Leave them alone and they’ll eat cockroaches and other insects, including moths, crickets and small flies. A single huntsman in a kitchen corner is a low-effort form of pest control.
For anyone who would prefer not to share the indoors with a huntsman, the safest removal method is the container-and-cardboard trick. Place a clear container over the spider, slide stiff cardboard between the wall and the rim, and carry it outside before releasing the spider.
One thing to leave alone is an egg sac. A female huntsman guarding her egg sac is more defensive than a wandering male, and disturbing the sac can put a guarding mother and a hand in very close range. Give it space until the spiderlings hatch and disperse.
Sealing gaps under doors, fitting flyscreens, reducing outdoor lighting that draws insects to the house, and keeping woodpiles and garden debris away from external walls all reduce the number of huntsman spiders that find their way inside.
Your Response Starts With First Aid Training
The huntsman spider isn’t as scary as it looks. Most encounters end without a bite at all. But when a bite does happen, having taken a nationally recognised first aid course gives you steady hands and quick judgement to handle a spider bite. Your calm response to a bite, a burn, or any other emergency comes from enrolling in first aid training.
FAQs
Are There Different Species of Huntsman?
Yes, Australia is home to more than 100 huntsman species. The badge huntsman (Neosparassus) is the one to watch, with bite reports including severe localised pain, swelling, sweating, nausea and vomiting that can last several hours.
Are Huntsman Spiders the Same as Tarantulas?
Australian huntsman spiders belong to the family Sparassidae, while true tarantulas belong to a different family, Theraphosidae. The quickest way to tell them apart is leg orientation: tarantula legs bend vertically beneath the body, while huntsman legs spread out sideways and forwards in a crab-like fashion.
What Is the Social Huntsman?
The social huntsman, Delena cancerides, lives in colonies of up to 150 spiders under tree bark, which is unusual for a spider. The colony shares their shelter and tolerates other members peacefully, while behaving aggressively towards unrelated huntsman spiders that try to enter.
