Harpactira gigas
Encyclopedia
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 Western Cape Province north to Mpumalanga Province.
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.
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
belonging to the family Theraphosidae. It is found in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
from Western Cape Province north to Mpumalanga Province.
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
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
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.