Face-Sized Tarantula Discovered in Sri Lanka

A face-sized tarantula has been discovered in Sri Lanka, and a photo of the eight-legged giant has since gone viral, freaking out arachnophobia sufferers across the globe.

The photo of the huge spider was shared by Wired on April 2, shocking readers and immediately being shared across the Internet.

The newly discovered “face-sized” tarantulas were reportedly found living in the trees in Sri Lanka, and some were even found in an old doctor’s quarters inside a local hospital in Mankulam, according to the Wired report.

Examples of this newly discovered face-sized tarantula were found “living in trees and the old doctor’s quarters of a hospital in Mankulam,” according to Wired. They have not been seen outside of northern Sri Lanka. It is believed that these huge specimens prefer old trees but settle for abandoned buildings due to deforestation.

The face-sized tarantula has been named Poecilotheria rajaei. However, Arachnologist Robert Raven, curator at the Queensland Museum in Australia, believes more research is necessary before declaring that the enormous spider constitutes a previously undiscovered species rather than a local variation of a known species. Either way, the spiders’ eight-inch leg span is sure to provide plenty of food for thought.

Source: examiner.com, christianpost.com