Baboon Spider

The Baboon Spider in the Western Cape (Harpactirella lightfooti) (Afrikaans name Bobbejaan Spinnekop), commonly known as Tarantulas, are the only venomous baboon spiders with a bite that is extremely painful although not deadly.

they live a long life with females known to have lived for 30 years, the males having a much shorter life.

They are ambush hunters feeding on various insects, beetles, scorpions and even small reptiles. On the other hand they are hunted by birds, reptiles (lizards, chameleons), insectivorous mammals (honey badgers, shrews, bats, mice and baboons,) and even other arachnids such as scorpions.

We saw this one in the West Coast National Park, probably out looking for females.

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