Venomous spider found in Waitrose shopping 'beautiful but aggressive' | Dave Clarke, London Zoo

While most spiders scurry away when confronted, the Brazilian wandering spider stands its ground, says David Clarke of London ZooKiller spider found in family’s supermarket shoppingHow dangerous are Britain’s household spidersThe Brazilian wandering spider – which according to reports over the weekend emerged from a South London family’s Waitrose delivery – is one of the most infamous species of venomous spider.It is actually a very beautiful spider, quite big, with about a 15-centimetre (six-inch) leg span. It is also quite aggressive, and while most spiders run away when confronted, the Brazilian wandering spider might stand its ground and has a particularly impressive stance – it rears up on its back legs and looks quite menacing. If it feels threatened it adopts an “attack first, ask questions later” sort of defence. Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - October 20, 2014 Category: Science Authors: Dave Clarke, head of invertebrates, ZSL London Zoo Tags: Zoology Animal behaviour Science Insects Animals Biology Wildlife Waitrose UK news Environment Source Type: news