---
title: "What the sources say about the Giant Huntsman Spider | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "39 claims from the Giant Huntsman Spider profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Giant Huntsman Spider (*Heteropoda maxima*)

> 39 claims from the Giant Huntsman Spider profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Giant Huntsman Spider](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/giant-huntsman-spider/)

## Huntsman Spiders. Australian Museum.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/huntsman-spiders/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| tags: predator | Food consists of insects and other invertebrates. (note: task #1110: the Australian Museum page covers the family Sparassidae, including the genus Heteropoda; no species-level source describes this spider's prey, and the tag rests on the family's carnivory) |

## Jäger (2001). A new species of Heteropoda (Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) from Laos, the largest huntsman spider? Zoosystema 23(3): 461-465.

https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/en/periodiques/zoosystema/23/3/une-nouvelle-espece-d-heteropoda-araneae-sparassidae-heteropodinae-du-laos-la-plus-grande-des-araignees-chasseuses

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| it could be the largest huntsman spider, with a body length of over 46 mm and a leg span of 250 to 300 mm | could be the largest sparassid with over 46 millimeters body length and 250 to 300 millimeters legspan |

## Jäger (2001). A new species of Heteropoda (Araneae, Sparassidae, Heteropodinae) from Laos, the largest huntsman spider? (full article). Zoosystema 23(3): 461-465.

https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/z2001n3a5.pdf

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The province of Cammon, Laos, where at least one specimen came from a cave | DISTRIBUTION. — Laos, province of Cammon (note: stats.habitat) |
| Its species name comes from the Latin for "the largest". | From Latin maximus : the largest. |
| Jäger came across it while sorting huntsman spiders at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris. | During a visit in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN) in Paris, material from the so-called Zoothèque was investigated. Sparassidae were sorted out by the author |
| A small group of large huntsman spiders from Laos stood out. | a small collection of large heteropodines from Laos was striking |
| He asked whether they could be the largest members of their family, the Sparassidae. | the question appeared, whether they could be the largest representatives of the family Sparassidae in the world |
| from the villages of Tham, Kouan Pha Vang and Na Kay Khia | Laos, province of Cammon (villages Tham, Kouan Pha Vang, Na Kay Khia) |
| At least one label says they were caught in a grotto. | At least one label indicates, that the specimens were caught in a grot. |
| Its long legs, pale colour and special hairs on the male's second pair of legs suggest it may live in caves | The elongated legs (and especially the male cymbium), the special hairs on the second metatarsus of the male, and the pale color suggest that this species may be cavernicolous |
| Jäger found all three traits in other cave-dwelling huntsman spiders. | All three characters were found by the author also in other cave-dwelling sparassids. |
| Its eyes, however, are not reduced. | The eyes, however, are not reduced. |
| a distinct reduction of the eyes is known so far in only one species of another genus | A distinct reduction of the eyes has been found within the Sparassidae so far only in one species of another genus |
| Only two specimens were measured in full, because the specimens were in a fragile condition. | Because of the fragile condition of the specimens only two specimens were measured totally. |
| Not Evaluated | Heteropoda maxima n. sp. (note: stats.conservationStatus. GBIF's copy of the Red List returns NOT_EVALUATED (code NE) for Heteropoda maxima Jäger, 2001, usage key 5171310, checked 2026-10-10. The prefetch found no Red List assessment DOI.) |
| Prey not recorded; the species was described from museum specimens | is described from a collection from Laos deposited in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris (note: stats.diet. The description's sections (type material, description, biology, relationships) mention no prey; no other cached source states a diet.) |
| In the male holotype, the specimen the name rests on, one leg of the second pair measured 128.1 mm. | II 31.1 10.1 39.0 41.0 6.9 128.1 (note: Table 1, measurements of palp and legs of male holotype; total column.) |
| The females measured had longer abdomens, 18.0 to 29.3 mm | opisthosoma length 25.0 (18.0-29.3) (note: Female paratype PJ 1477 first, other adult paratypes in parentheses.) |
| against 12.6 and 14.6 mm in the two males | opisthosoma length 12.6 (14.6) (note: Male holotype first, male paratype in parentheses.) |
| Both sexes are yellowish-brown with banded legs. | Color. Yellowish-brown with annulate legs (note: Male; the female section says 'Color. As in male.') |
| The largest previously known, the Australian Beregama aurea, measured 41 mm in body length. | The largest sparassids so far known are the Australian delenine Beregama aurea (L. Koch, 1875) of 41 mm body length |
| Jäger called the new species the largest known sparassid spider. | This is the largest known sparassid spider. |
| Two of the specimen labels name caves: one reads "Grotte de Kouan Pha Vang", another "grottes près du village de Kouan Pha Vang" (caves near the village). | grottes près du village de Kouan Pha Vang (note: faq 2; the other label reads 'Grotte de Kouan Pha Vang, altitude 140 m, entrée SE'.) |
| Jäger also judged from its build that the species may be cavernicolous, or cave-dwelling. | suggest that this species may be cavernicolous (note: faq 2) |
| Jäger described it from a collection already held at the Paris museum, whose labels record it as a gift ("don") from a Mademoiselle Colani. | don de Mademoiselle Colani (note: faq 3; abstract: 'described from a collection from Laos deposited in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris'.) |
| Its specimens were collected long before it had a name. | entrée no. 5-1933 (note: faq 3; every type label carries the museum entry number 5-1933, and two give collection dates 18-11-30 and 19-11-30, so the specimens predate the 2001 description.) |
| at least one specimen label says it was caught in a grotto | At least one label indicates, that the specimens were caught in a grot (note: vibe.reason) |

## Mammola et al. (2017). Record breaking achievements by spiders and the scientists who study them. PeerJ.

https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3972

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A spider found in caves in Laos, with a leg span of up to 30 cm. | discovered from caves in Laos, is possibly the largest known spider by leg span (up to 30 cm (note: tagline) |
| A leg span of up to 30 cm | possibly the largest known spider by leg span (up to 30 cm (note: stats.superpower) |
| most likely the species with the absolute longest walking legs | most likely the species with the absolute longest walking legs |
| No. A review of spider records names the goliath bird-eating spider as possibly the largest known spider by mass. | Theraphosa blondi is possibly the largest known spider by mass |
| One review of spider records says it is most likely the species with the absolute longest walking legs. | most likely the species with the absolute longest walking legs |
| Legs that span up to 30 cm | possibly the largest known spider by leg span (up to 30 cm (note: vibe.reason) |

## Largest arachnid leg span. Guinness World Records.

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/498542-largest-arachnid-leg-span

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| has legs that can stretch 30 cm across | whose leg span can grow to 30 cm across |
| up to 30 cm, just ahead of the goliath bird-eating spider at up to 28 cm | whose leg span can grow to 30 cm across, slightly exceeding that of the largest spider, the goliath bird-eating spider Theraphosa blondi , whose leg span measures up to 28 cm across |
| The bird-eater is the heavier spider. | However, it is heavier than the giant huntsman. |
| Science had no name for it until 2001. | this species remained undiscovered and undescribed by science until as recently as 2001 |
| A 30 cm leg span | whose leg span can grow to 30 cm across |
| Leg span record | The largest arachnid leg span is that of the giant huntsman spider Heteropoda maxima (note: blockquote lead) |