Harpactira gigas
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| Common baboon spider | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Harpactira gigas Pocock, 1898 |
Harpactira gigas, sometimes called the common baboon spider, is a species of spider belonging to the family Theraphosidae. It is found in South Africa from Cape Province north to the Transvaal.
This reclusive spider, rarely encountered outside its burrow, reaches a body length of 55 mm, the female usually slightly larger than the male. The black carapace is marked with a distinctive pattern of radiating light brown lines, like the spokes of a wheel. Like all tarantulas, and almost all other spiders, this species is not considered dangerous to man.
[edit] References
- Preston-Mafham, Ken (1998). Spiders: Compact Study Guide and Identifier. Angus Books. ISBN 978-1-904594-93-2.
- Platnick, Norman I. (2008): The world spider catalog, version 8.5. American Museum of Natural History.
