By now I'm fully convinced that the arachnid apocalypse is already upon us. Based on recent news reports of spiders raining out of the skies, blanketing entire villages in their webs and eating live bats, spiders seem to be organizing quite an army this year... and I think we might have found one of their leaders.
This massive specimen, officially discovered by the British Tarantula Society, is a Tiger Spider, a member of the species Poecilotheria (or “Pokies,” as obviously mad scientists like to call them). It's reportedly the size of dinner plate, with a leg span of eight inches, and decked out in a variety of colors. It's an amazing find for spider fans, but just plain horrifying to pretty much anyone else. Oh, did I mention it has developed a tendency to occupy human habitats? Yeah, it does that. This one was discovered in an abandoned doctor's quarters.
"They prefer well-established old trees,” says Ramil Nanayakkara, co-founder of Sri Lanka’s Biodiversity Education and Research, in an interview with Wired Magazine. “But due to deforestation the number have dwindled, and due to lack of suitable habitat they enter old buildings."
I'm sure we'll have more news in the ongoing saga of the giant spider invasion. In the meantime, sleep well, but check your sheets first. You're welcome.