Spidey Spider

Tarantulas are a group of hairy and often very large spiders belonging to the family Theraphosidae, of which approximately 900 species have been identified. Tarantulas hunt prey in both trees and on the ground. All tarantulas can emit silk; while arboreal species will typically reside in a silken "tube web", terrestrial species will line their burrows or lairs with web to catch wandering prey. They mainly eat insects and other arthropods, using ambush as their primary method. The biggest tarantulas can kill animals as large as lizards, mice, or birds. Most tarantulas are harmless to humans, and some species are popular in the exotic pet trade while others are eaten as food. These spiders are found in tropical and desert regions around the world.

In Singapore, there is a spider, at around 20 mm, is lurking in your garden. Though the Singapore Tarantula has a 'tarantula' in its name, it does not grow to gigantic sizes. It is common around leaf litters and under rocks and pieces of wood.

I have found a few around my block but they were too fast. Once you lift up a rock, it will immediately crawl into a hiding place.

This Singapore Tarantula was shot at West Coast Park. If you observe closely, you can see the tiny hairs on its body. You can see that it has lined its lair with web.