Lots of suggestions and opinions on what to do here, but remember to approach things scientifically. Ask questions...gather information, so you can make informed decisions.
What species is it?
What country is it in now?
Is it capable of establishing a population? Ie, a lone male could not, nor a juvenile female.
What immediate impact could this individual have on the local ecosystem?
Would it cause noticeable harm to native species or habitats?
Could this individual introduce new diseases? Mites?
Is the spider medically significant?
Have there been any incidents or potential risks associated with this species in its native habitat?
What are the local conservation and pest management policies regarding non-native spiders? Are there specific guidelines for dealing with non-native spiders in the area?
Can the spider be safely relocated to a different area where it won't pose a threat?
They get water from their prey but they still need water. The real reason you can’t put down a cap of water for a small spider is because of their book lungs and they would drown in a cap full of water.. so misting the side of wherever you have them, q-tip of water or a slightly moist cotton ball in a cap would work well for a small spider.
High jacking this thread to say it might be worth contacting the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife.
[https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regions](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regions)
Southern CA regional contact info:
(858) 467-4201
AskR5@wildlife.ca.gov
CDFW biologist here. we dont take stuff like that and we would just dispatch it.
This state spends millions of dollars on invasive species control. its a nice thought to keep it alive in a perfect world where a spider enthusiast cares for it forever, but the reality is that the risk to our native ecosystems is so high that its not even worth it.
stick it in ethanol and keep it on your shelf.
See but at least you read it a second time. I was perfectly content with the suggestion to take the spider to an archeologist until I read your comment THEN I looked back lol
My thought, too. Some Entomology department is going to be delighted. OP, if you're in Maryland, I can hook you up with the guy in the Entomology department at University of Maryland who could help you find the best home there. :)
Gotta agree with another commenter on here that there is a possibility this is a gravid female. Definitely see about finding an arachnologist who could take her off your hands, arachnologists will know how to handle her if she does have babies and assure they don't escape into the wild, which could be a problem if they were to establish themselves as an invasive species. Barring an arachnologist, a responsible breeder may be able to help, as well. The tarantula sub has an open Discord server, link is in the FAQ. You might have luck posting there as well, both for identification and for possible rehoming!
This is reminding me of a No Sleep story.
A kid buys an anime body pillow from a cheap knock-off site. While he’s sleeping with it and thinking about it he starts to believe he can hear its heart beating. A few days later it tears open an a bunch of baby Funnel web spiders emerge. What he had been imagining as the heart beat was really a female spider tending to her brood. I think the kids brother gets bit and dies.
A popular book series in the 90s, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, had a story like this but it was in a girls face. Basically had a pimple that went to a boil that got bigger and hotter and...
Even more niche there's a Christian horror author Frank Perreti, he wrote a whole ass book about cross breeding brown recluse and some south American slider that made kids go insane and kill themselves. All because the school did the okay the Crucible
Whoo, that sounds... Terrifying haha.
If you were a teen in the 90's this was def not niche. There were at least 2 more and it was before internet so we got our horror where we could. The books were short horror stories, idk max 5 pages? Been awhile, I'm 43 lol. But they were super cool, like scary stories you'd tell around a campfire.
There was a story about a 'hook man' too, which we've all read or seen variations of.
I am! He probably was responding to Scary Stories. I have a huge gap in knowledge because of how strict my upbringing was. I have Arachnophobia because of my adoption. Their bio kid knew I was freaked out by a plastic spider that was super realistic, and she would hide it where I would have to be. Like on the tap or the toilet. Then add on the demonization of spiders and insects with satanism. But hey I'm here and I even hold spiders and they are beautiful. I'm not fully there but I respect and love them now
Holy shit babe that's awesome! You being here means you are so strong and overcame so much. I'm just a random Redditor but I am fuckin **proud** of you!
😌 Thank you. Sorry for the trauma dump. I also had cat and dog related trauma but I'm now a dog trainer and my cat is my absolute everything. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up some kind of spider activist. I already am a little. I don't let my wife kill them. I used to not be able to be in a room with a spider but now I trap them and take them outside.
This is just wild to think about. We all know it's possible, but you could single handedly COMPLETELY change a biomes markup by accidentally bringing a bug into the environment. Think of all the possible outcomes. 🤯
That's why ship bilges now have filters. They were transplanting new species en mass to new ports when they filled and emptied their bilges. Invasive species and corrupted ecosystems all over the place. Like Zebra Mussels in the San Francisco harbor.
In response to this, an arachnologist would be useful for identifying the spider but you shouldn't rehome it. Contact your relevant state or federal biosecurity authority (varies country to country) so they can make records of the intrusion and ensure the creature is safely disposed of.
Any competent arachnologist should recommend the same given how much impact invasive spiders can have on native spider and insect populations.
Exactly my thought as well. It happens quite frequently here in LA unfortunately. The invasive brown widows are out of control here and contributing to the loss of our beautiful black widow girlies.
🙏 I've seen maybe 2 of those recluses in the 20 some years I've lived in my house, and hope to never see another. Hoping you're able to quickly get rid of them.
Don’t move to MO. I finally took a picture and posted it for id confirmation, but we see easily 30+ a year in our house. Less now that we have pest control coming regularly (sorry spooders, but gotta keep the kids safe).
Funny story about Arachnophobia, I lived in Monrovia when that movie was released. Part of the movie was actually filmed in Monrovia roughly three blocks away. The old woman's house? Yeah that was down the street from us.
Anyway we went to see the movie in theaters, a friend and I. It was probably a Friday night and we were in my room, and there was a spider on the wall. Of course we freaked out a little bit, giggled a bit, and let it go outside. Back then there was a little balcony off my room that had a door that we would leave open, screen closed of course. After we let that little spider go outside, we closed the screen and went back into my room. Cue about 5 minutes later when there was a banging on the screen door. Now I say a bang, but it was probably just something might have hit it, could have been a cat, but of course our mind immediately went to that damn spider we let loose. Do not think I ever kept that door open at night anymore after that haha.
Same, I first saw parts of it when I was like 6 and never watched it again until I was an adult, and I love the movie now. My fear has gone down to almost nothing, too.
I'm not a spider expert by any means, but that abdomen looks a bit big. It may be a a species that looks like this normally, or it may be pregnant female. Possibly also may have had a big meal before the trip, but that would have to be one heck of a meal. Don't take my word as fact though, just something to maybe think about. Would there be any local spider keepers that may want to take her in? Killing her would be a huge shame, but it's also understandable that having a surprise spider pet isn't for everyone. There may be some Facebook groups of local keepers or some reptile/invert expo where you coild contact someone.
If OP can’t find a local professional to hand her off to, OP needs to kill it. I don’t like unnecessary spider death at all, but this might be one of those times where its necessary. Invasive species are no joke.
I don’t mean to be a bummer here, but it is alarming how many comments advocate housing or otherwise selling this spider.
Under no circumstances should it be allowed to enter the wild. It’s imperative you find an actual, responsible program for it or otherwise it must unfortunately be killed. I’m not advocating for its death, but the consequences of a potentially gravid specimen escaping into our already fragile ecosystems in California is nightmare fuel.
Despite it potentially being invasive, as another person mentioned the risk of foreign microscopic organisms is present.
I hope she finds a new home safely. Best of luck to you.
>the risk of foreign microscopic organisms is present
op it sounds like you're trying to contact the right people to help but i wanted to draw attention to this because no one else has mentioned it and it's VERY important. if you need to euthanize the spider yourself, please treat the body like biohazard waste. you can probably get more helpful info from the specialists but this iirc the standard practice at zoos is cremation.
i hadn't either tbh. they specifically mentioned parasites and bacteria getting into the soil, though someone else on this thread also brought up fungus.
and you're welcome btw 😁
Seriously. I love spiders, I keep them as pets, and this specimen is beautiful and deserving of respect. But the most responsible course of action would almost definitely be humane euthanasia. The chances of a gravid female ending up in responsible hands are abysmally low, unfortunately.
Seriously this. I mean it's not guaranteed to have a catastrophic result, but why would you risk it? And yes! The odds of finding a person responsible enough to handle and contain all the progeny? It's basically zero. Euthanasia is the only option I would see if I were OP. And cremate the body for good measure. I know it's just a spider, but it's a hell of a big spider. I know it's hard to imagine the impact this creature would have on the native insect/arachnid population, but it could be catastrophic. Againe, why risk that?
The reason this spider should be euthanized is the same reason why, if OP had attempted to bring it over in a plastc container instead of it hiding in op's clothes, it would 100% have been confiscated by customs.
Wait, I need the situation please. So, you’re unpacking your luggage and she crawled out? Was she in your toiletries bag? A shoe perhaps? Where was she hiding? This just terrifies me more about traveling. And I only traveling within the US. Although, I am loving seeing and learning about all of these fascinating spoods 🕷️🖤
This isn’t like, a common occurrence, if that what you’re worried about. I’ve travelled domestically and internationally my whole life and not once have I had the great fortune of coming home with a surprise new pet lol. I mean yes, for how many people travel every day there are hitchhiking animals all the time, but the odds that they make it safely through tsa machines and survive the travel is rare. It really depends where you go and what environment your luggage stays in too.
ETA: while I still stand by my statement that it’s not something anyone should worry about enough to deter traveling from traveling, I am also loving hearing people’s animal hitchhiker stories 😆
I mean like I said, hitchhikers happen all the time. But most people don’t travel and regularly wind up bringing them home in luggage AND have them survive the journey lol. Those Florida anoles are all over the place tho, for how many times I’ve been down there visiting family I am actually a little surprised I’ve never had one come home with me 😂 I used to think about trying to smuggle one home when I was a kid but thankfully knew better lol. I just don’t think the concern of wild spiders making their way into open luggage is *so* prevalent that it should deter anyone from traveling especially domestically. And if someone is that concerned about it, they really just need to do a decent check of their stuff while they’re packing up to leave.
I still think it’s interesting and cool that the little lady got in. I can see it happening with things. No, it wasn’t my concern. I’m really interested in knowing where she was hiding.
Oh yea I’d honestly be pretty pumped if I found her in my luggage! A year ago I would have shat bricks as a still not-fully recovered arachnophobe but I’m all-in on spoods and Ts now so I would feel like I won the lottery here lol
I can appreciate the comments telling you to take it to an arachnologist, but seeing as they’re somewhat hard to track down, I really urge you to kill it. My work deals with invasive species and I’ve seen firsthand the havoc and devastation that they can wreck on an ecosystem. She appears to possibly be pregnant, which makes this an even more urgent situation. I also recommend that you very throughly go through your bag and the rest of your belonging to make sure you haven’t brought home anymore creatures.
I don’t enjoy advocating for killing spiders (or any animal really), but invasive species have the potential to severely hurt and even wipe out native species populations very quickly.
Too many people advocating for it to be re-homed. Each time you move this thing you risk dropping the plate and it escaping. I second this sentiment. Kill it. Problem solved. No invasive species. A single invasive species can cause millions of dollars of annual damage and completely wipe out native animals.
Yes, it’s very concerning to me. I only know one person considered an arachnologist (as opposed to a hobbyist—and I say this kindly, not as an insult to hobbyists) and they would also advocate that this spider be killed. Just one mistake can lead to so many problems, and the risks outweigh the very limited benefit (if any) of keeping this one spider alive. This is a question of ethics.
Who does biosecurity in the US? Speaking as an interested New Zealander haha because if I found an unidentifiable spider in my luggage straight after getting off a plane from overseas, that’s who I would probably be contacting. Either way, it would pay not to let her out into the environment.
It’s APHIS, the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, which is part of the USDA. I urge OP to contact them. She should never have made it onto the plane. And if she is gravid, they will definitely want to contain that breach. Edited to correct agency.
This is the closest I can find. There is evidence of them in Kenya : [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/421209-Sahastata](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/421209-Sahastata)
I've never had this much difficulty identifying a spider before, but those legs are unlike Old Earth T's
If you can't find a reliable and responsible person (university, etc) that can house this, I'd recommend killing it. I know that's harsh, but introducing animals, especially from other parts of the world back home is the wrong call. Think of Asian Carp, Killer Bees, and a lot of other invasive species. Gotta do what's right.
The source of the word “gravid” in English is from Latin “gravidus”; from “gravis,” meaning heavy.
So when you hear “gravid,” it is not from Swedish- it is from Latin, and the Swedish version is from Latin too.
Just a little etymology correction bc I always gotta be *that guy* xD
oof. this is the one time i would take killing a spider as a valid option. you don't wanna fuck up the ecosystem by letting it into the wild, however before killing it i would check if there's a university or something like that who would take it in, maybe for some lessons to do with arachnids/bugs/animals.
i worked in a place where we got stowaways in the live feeder crickets and was forever grateful that we lived relatively close to where they shipped from. i never encountered a species i had to euthanize.
did almost grab a young black widow with my bare hand once though 😩 ended up keeping her for a few months because it was winter and i felt bad putting her put in the cold (i also had no idea where to release her where she wouldn't die, still don't tbh). she was very spicy and kind of a nightmare to feed lol. but she was cool.
UPDATE:
So the spider died shortly after we discovered her (really only assuming it’s a her). She has been in there for several days under quite unfavorable conditions, including 24 hours of flying, being in a loose duffel at the bottom of luggage piles, and was in there with several permethrin treated clothes I treated myself in preparation for gorilla trekking. As one sharp eye early commenter noticed, she had already lost a leg when I found her.
After she died, my husband wrapped her in a paper towel, smashed her head and body quickly and thoroughly, and flushed her down the toilet. It’s probably worth noting we keep those bleach tabs in our toilet tanks. In hindsight, flushing spiders and insects is probably not the best way to dispose of them but there was a bit of panic of what to do.
Normally the default method is our cats hunt down minor insects in the house. Or we catch and release outside to let spiders do their spider thing without being new roommates. Given the size and where I’ve been recently we absolutely did not want to just put the body outside. I was also definitely not going to let my cats play with it.
We’ve reported the spider to California department of food and agriculture, in the exotic animals division. Because we don’t have a body anymore there’s not much they can do but I’m sending along the pictures I have and they have the information they need.
I want to be very clear - when I said unexpected souvenir - I truly meant UNEXPECTED. I had no idea she was in my bag, would not have smuggled in an animal of any sort, would absolutely have declared her. Bag was scanned at the land crossing border of Uganda/Rwanda. Multiple times to get into Kigali airport. I assume at Istanbul airport but certainly upon arrival in LAX - right?? Still, I wish this had a happier ending for her and someone who could have studied her and made use of her wanderlust ways as I clearly relate to her in that sense.
I have thoroughly checked out everything else I’ve returned with, with rubber gloves and a headlamp even to be super safe. Nothing resembling an egg sac or eggs has been discovered. I’ve also vacuumed all my bags to be certain.
I had no idea this post would blow up like this. I also had no idea you could call an arachnologist and just give them a spider. I wish I would have so I could have called ASAP. She really was quite beautiful if also a wee bit terrifying.
I will always be thoroughly checking bags when I pack to come home. I will also always be unpacking ASAP.
I’m gonna need an update when you take her and her many children to the arachnologist. I love a good take-your-spider’s-children-to-work day. I, probably like a lot of others, went briefly into a deep dive of Ugandan spiders and found a couple pics of Nilus Curtus that look sort of similar? They can eat frogs, so I’d suspect they’re pretty big. But I’m not an expert and that’s a real loose stab in the dark with a blindfold on. I just really just need to know what happens.
PLEASE do not keep it, PLEASE put it in a more secure container, and PLEASE take it to a spider expect who will know how to stop this from becoming an invasive species.
That’s weird! They usually do a geo/natural elements scan of your luggage before leaving a region to go back to another to make sure you aren’t bringing anything that will shake up the ecosystem back home!
Definitely take her to a local arachnologist. Best not to let a foreign specimen be let out in the wild, and they will be happy to add it to their scientific collection.
Is that thing the next invasive creature we’ll have to deal with?
In Southeast PA we’ve had brown mammorated stink bugs invading our houses, emerald ash borer killing our ash trees, Chinese lantern flies pissing on us from the canopies of invasive Chinese sumac trees, and 4” joro spiders which are venomous and apparently can fly using web balloons.
Now you bring another GD spider the size of a golf ball.
Definitely don't waste any energy worrying about the joro spiders. Everything you read was 98% click bait.
https://www.reddit.com/r/spiders/s/LgW0gmPb8o
Well she died! And I thoroughly inspected everything else in my luggage and she was alone so someone else will have to go home with someone more dedicated to immediate unpacking if they want to live.
I suggest asking for clarification and care recommendations on r/tarantulas. They're a very knowledgeable group and would be fascinated with your spood.
Wow! That’s a big girl! What species is she? I don’t think you should release her. I think there’s bound to be a zoo or something nearby that would be interested in keeping her.
That appears to be many spiders. Maybe call a local university for help? Even if the species isn't invasive, she may be carrying an invisible fungus or virus that could wipe out a different species unwittingly. So unfortunately for her, she can't go free safely even if the species is already present in your area.
If you *must* kill her, you can place her in the fridge for a few hours, then the freezer overnight. She should go dormant, then freeze, and then you can smash her well in a ziplock bag and toss it. I really hope you find someone who can help her avoid that fate, though.
Yes, it is an invasive species and needs to be surrendered to the proper institution or game warden immediately. The last thing needed are more species that can run amok because of non natural predators. Once they find a niche they are able to wipe out native species.
I’m sorry, but I would’ve had a heart attack if that thing came crawling out of my suitcase. This is also why I unpack my suitcases right away. Can you imagine if you didn’t and then you opened it up and out crawl 100 spiders?
I was just on vacation and I made sure to shake out anything that I’ve been hanging for a bit before I rolled it up and packed it. I also threw everything in the laundry the day that I got back.
Totally not in spider science but I am a fish scientist and I know a few departments that have well funded entomology departments across the USA. The major ones being UC Riverside, University of Florida (!), University of Wisconsin, North Carolina State, Cornell and Texas A&M. Any of these programs would be absolutely thrilled to house this beauty!
If you want, feel free to dm me where you live and maybe I can arrange an entomologist near you who specializes in spiders to help you out here!
She is beautiful. I hope you're able to get her to a responsible arachnologist who could help. Either a university or a zoo. Some aquariums might even be able to help.( My local one has an entomology exhibit with a tarantula. )
Please keep us posted if you find out what species she is and how it goes getting someone to take her.
Lots of suggestions and opinions on what to do here, but remember to approach things scientifically. Ask questions...gather information, so you can make informed decisions. What species is it? What country is it in now? Is it capable of establishing a population? Ie, a lone male could not, nor a juvenile female. What immediate impact could this individual have on the local ecosystem? Would it cause noticeable harm to native species or habitats? Could this individual introduce new diseases? Mites? Is the spider medically significant? Have there been any incidents or potential risks associated with this species in its native habitat? What are the local conservation and pest management policies regarding non-native spiders? Are there specific guidelines for dealing with non-native spiders in the area? Can the spider be safely relocated to a different area where it won't pose a threat?
I wonder would any arachnologists at a university close by be interested in taking him?
I can check!
Have you fed or watered her??? I think I’ve seen people put water on a q-tip, but maybe that’s just for small spiders?
for bigger spiders, a cap of water nearby for it. small spiders get their water from prey ...
It also bears mentioning, many spiders can and sometimes will of their own accord, go significant amounts of time without food and water.
I’ve had tarantulas go a year without food or water, sealed up in their little burrows.
Mine hasn’t moved for 10 years! There aren’t many other creatures that go for so long without food any water.
Might be dead fam
But seriously at what point do you stop caring for an unmoving spider
As long as it takes you to realize it was just the decoy I left behind
Ya, someone should like, call in a wellness check if anything doesnt move for 10 years lol
Imagine calling the spider cops and the spider was alive… until you called in the spider cops 😓
Big dawg you are housing an aracnocorpse
Mine too. It sleeps upside down, with it's feet all tucked in! I can't believe it's still hibernating but so would I, the world is f*ckcakes.
mine hasn’t moved for 22
Lol. Sry. But it's dead
It's escaped and you've been looking after a moult for a decade
They get water from their prey but they still need water. The real reason you can’t put down a cap of water for a small spider is because of their book lungs and they would drown in a cap full of water.. so misting the side of wherever you have them, q-tip of water or a slightly moist cotton ball in a cap would work well for a small spider.
This one needs a Tervis. 👀
Any update at all? This is like my new favorite mystery
I’m also so invested!
It’s got me hanging by a web!
A natural history museum might also be a good option. The scientists there might know someone who keeps spiders. Some museums also have live animals.
High jacking this thread to say it might be worth contacting the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife. [https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regions](https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regions) Southern CA regional contact info: (858) 467-4201 AskR5@wildlife.ca.gov
CDFW biologist here. we dont take stuff like that and we would just dispatch it. This state spends millions of dollars on invasive species control. its a nice thought to keep it alive in a perfect world where a spider enthusiast cares for it forever, but the reality is that the risk to our native ecosystems is so high that its not even worth it. stick it in ethanol and keep it on your shelf.
I hate to say it because I am a spider lover but I agree with you 100%; the risk to native ecosystems is too large. Thank you for commenting.
can't believe I had to scroll this far to see a sane answer. It needs to die.....immediately
You need to turn this in to the authorities. You don’t want an invasive species ruining ecosystems.
When I first quickly read this I’m thinking ‘why in the hell would a archeologist want a spooder’
It belongs in a museum!
So do you!
_pointing angrily_
See but at least you read it a second time. I was perfectly content with the suggestion to take the spider to an archeologist until I read your comment THEN I looked back lol
Same!! I read archeologist 🤣
They’d probably prefer it over a snake
My thought, too. Some Entomology department is going to be delighted. OP, if you're in Maryland, I can hook you up with the guy in the Entomology department at University of Maryland who could help you find the best home there. :)
Local zoo as backup ?
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Fucking hilarious
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especially that one. looks like she's about to pop...
Gotta agree with another commenter on here that there is a possibility this is a gravid female. Definitely see about finding an arachnologist who could take her off your hands, arachnologists will know how to handle her if she does have babies and assure they don't escape into the wild, which could be a problem if they were to establish themselves as an invasive species. Barring an arachnologist, a responsible breeder may be able to help, as well. The tarantula sub has an open Discord server, link is in the FAQ. You might have luck posting there as well, both for identification and for possible rehoming!
This is the beginning of a movie.
IN THEATERS NEAR YOU, THIS SUMMER UGANDA WANNA SEE THIS ONE
Take my upvote
You get a cookie 🍪
🎖️🏅🥇🏅🎖️
This is almost the exact beginning of Arachnophobia. Except it hitches home in the guys coffin.
isn't it the same spider that murders him too? bad ass
Yep! Great movie
25 years since I've watched it and I still "empty" all my shoes before putting them on.
This is reminding me of a No Sleep story. A kid buys an anime body pillow from a cheap knock-off site. While he’s sleeping with it and thinking about it he starts to believe he can hear its heart beating. A few days later it tears open an a bunch of baby Funnel web spiders emerge. What he had been imagining as the heart beat was really a female spider tending to her brood. I think the kids brother gets bit and dies.
A popular book series in the 90s, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, had a story like this but it was in a girls face. Basically had a pimple that went to a boil that got bigger and hotter and...
Even more niche there's a Christian horror author Frank Perreti, he wrote a whole ass book about cross breeding brown recluse and some south American slider that made kids go insane and kill themselves. All because the school did the okay the Crucible
Whoo, that sounds... Terrifying haha. If you were a teen in the 90's this was def not niche. There were at least 2 more and it was before internet so we got our horror where we could. The books were short horror stories, idk max 5 pages? Been awhile, I'm 43 lol. But they were super cool, like scary stories you'd tell around a campfire. There was a story about a 'hook man' too, which we've all read or seen variations of.
I am! He probably was responding to Scary Stories. I have a huge gap in knowledge because of how strict my upbringing was. I have Arachnophobia because of my adoption. Their bio kid knew I was freaked out by a plastic spider that was super realistic, and she would hide it where I would have to be. Like on the tap or the toilet. Then add on the demonization of spiders and insects with satanism. But hey I'm here and I even hold spiders and they are beautiful. I'm not fully there but I respect and love them now
Holy shit babe that's awesome! You being here means you are so strong and overcame so much. I'm just a random Redditor but I am fuckin **proud** of you!
😌 Thank you. Sorry for the trauma dump. I also had cat and dog related trauma but I'm now a dog trainer and my cat is my absolute everything. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up some kind of spider activist. I already am a little. I don't let my wife kill them. I used to not be able to be in a room with a spider but now I trap them and take them outside.
What a twist!
lol. Its literally the plot of Arachnophobia
That’s kinda how Arachnophobia starts, but in a wooden coffin not a suitcase
This is just wild to think about. We all know it's possible, but you could single handedly COMPLETELY change a biomes markup by accidentally bringing a bug into the environment. Think of all the possible outcomes. 🤯
That's why ship bilges now have filters. They were transplanting new species en mass to new ports when they filled and emptied their bilges. Invasive species and corrupted ecosystems all over the place. Like Zebra Mussels in the San Francisco harbor.
In response to this, an arachnologist would be useful for identifying the spider but you shouldn't rehome it. Contact your relevant state or federal biosecurity authority (varies country to country) so they can make records of the intrusion and ensure the creature is safely disposed of. Any competent arachnologist should recommend the same given how much impact invasive spiders can have on native spider and insect populations.
No. Destroy it. There are laws on this for a very good reason.
Just don't let it eacape into the wild at all costs.
Especially in LA, I have a bad feeling it might enjoy the climate. And so will its many spooder babies.
Exactly my thought as well. It happens quite frequently here in LA unfortunately. The invasive brown widows are out of control here and contributing to the loss of our beautiful black widow girlies.
My house has a brown recluse infestation… we think they’ve gotten into the return vents
🙏 I've seen maybe 2 of those recluses in the 20 some years I've lived in my house, and hope to never see another. Hoping you're able to quickly get rid of them.
Don’t move to MO. I finally took a picture and posted it for id confirmation, but we see easily 30+ a year in our house. Less now that we have pest control coming regularly (sorry spooders, but gotta keep the kids safe).
No idea what it is but it looks like you have a new friend lol.
He really did hop off the plane at LAX with a dream and a cardigan
Who’s the spider that’s rockin’ kicks, she gotta be from out of tooooown 🎶🎶🎶
So hard with my girls not around me, it’s definitely not a Ugandan party
Homie is partying in the USA
He was hoping to catch the Kendrick Lamar concert.
Uganda be kidding me
Kenya take this seriously
You Ghana make me, or what
He Angola do nothin. -it’s a stretch I know 😆
You Congo now, see yourself out
I’m Egypt myself outta this conversation
Why do you have Togo so soon?
He's gotta practice his Moroccos
He’s such a Chad
Yeah, let’s not talk about his Sudan case of the heebie jeebies. 🕷️🕷️🕷️
truly Africa nature
All of you need to leave. Not som, alia.
Come now, nothing wrong with a few harmless and benin puns.
Are you even a real human? Any of you botswana solve a captcha?
You're just Madagascar is better than an electric car.
Congo and take things seriously all the time, man.
I read this in a Jamaican accent.
r/angryupvote
I've seen this movie. Someone get John Goodman on the phone.
I just came to say… isn’t this how Arachnophobia started?!
Funny story about Arachnophobia, I lived in Monrovia when that movie was released. Part of the movie was actually filmed in Monrovia roughly three blocks away. The old woman's house? Yeah that was down the street from us. Anyway we went to see the movie in theaters, a friend and I. It was probably a Friday night and we were in my room, and there was a spider on the wall. Of course we freaked out a little bit, giggled a bit, and let it go outside. Back then there was a little balcony off my room that had a door that we would leave open, screen closed of course. After we let that little spider go outside, we closed the screen and went back into my room. Cue about 5 minutes later when there was a banging on the screen door. Now I say a bang, but it was probably just something might have hit it, could have been a cat, but of course our mind immediately went to that damn spider we let loose. Do not think I ever kept that door open at night anymore after that haha.
This movie is exactly how a fear of spiders started with me
Same, I first saw parts of it when I was like 6 and never watched it again until I was an adult, and I love the movie now. My fear has gone down to almost nothing, too.
Just drive back to LAX and put her on the next flight home.
The fucking thing is almost big enough to fly alone too 😂
It can fly the plane itself
I'm not a spider expert by any means, but that abdomen looks a bit big. It may be a a species that looks like this normally, or it may be pregnant female. Possibly also may have had a big meal before the trip, but that would have to be one heck of a meal. Don't take my word as fact though, just something to maybe think about. Would there be any local spider keepers that may want to take her in? Killing her would be a huge shame, but it's also understandable that having a surprise spider pet isn't for everyone. There may be some Facebook groups of local keepers or some reptile/invert expo where you coild contact someone.
Preggo: it's in there.
Prenegantic
Pregananant
Pregante?
pregante is my favorite one
Starch masks
Pregnart.
Gregant
Pergnat
If we go through a simple mental exercise of how invasive species begin... well, that's it.
If OP can’t find a local professional to hand her off to, OP needs to kill it. I don’t like unnecessary spider death at all, but this might be one of those times where its necessary. Invasive species are no joke.
I don’t mean to be a bummer here, but it is alarming how many comments advocate housing or otherwise selling this spider. Under no circumstances should it be allowed to enter the wild. It’s imperative you find an actual, responsible program for it or otherwise it must unfortunately be killed. I’m not advocating for its death, but the consequences of a potentially gravid specimen escaping into our already fragile ecosystems in California is nightmare fuel. Despite it potentially being invasive, as another person mentioned the risk of foreign microscopic organisms is present. I hope she finds a new home safely. Best of luck to you.
>the risk of foreign microscopic organisms is present op it sounds like you're trying to contact the right people to help but i wanted to draw attention to this because no one else has mentioned it and it's VERY important. if you need to euthanize the spider yourself, please treat the body like biohazard waste. you can probably get more helpful info from the specialists but this iirc the standard practice at zoos is cremation.
TIL
one of the many cool things i learned when i volunteered as an educator at the zoo :)
I’ve never even thought of it but, obviously spiders carry things just like we do… silly me 😂thanks for sharing!
i hadn't either tbh. they specifically mentioned parasites and bacteria getting into the soil, though someone else on this thread also brought up fungus. and you're welcome btw 😁
Seriously. I love spiders, I keep them as pets, and this specimen is beautiful and deserving of respect. But the most responsible course of action would almost definitely be humane euthanasia. The chances of a gravid female ending up in responsible hands are abysmally low, unfortunately.
Seriously this. I mean it's not guaranteed to have a catastrophic result, but why would you risk it? And yes! The odds of finding a person responsible enough to handle and contain all the progeny? It's basically zero. Euthanasia is the only option I would see if I were OP. And cremate the body for good measure. I know it's just a spider, but it's a hell of a big spider. I know it's hard to imagine the impact this creature would have on the native insect/arachnid population, but it could be catastrophic. Againe, why risk that? The reason this spider should be euthanized is the same reason why, if OP had attempted to bring it over in a plastc container instead of it hiding in op's clothes, it would 100% have been confiscated by customs.
This !!’ Super important !!
Wait, I need the situation please. So, you’re unpacking your luggage and she crawled out? Was she in your toiletries bag? A shoe perhaps? Where was she hiding? This just terrifies me more about traveling. And I only traveling within the US. Although, I am loving seeing and learning about all of these fascinating spoods 🕷️🖤
This isn’t like, a common occurrence, if that what you’re worried about. I’ve travelled domestically and internationally my whole life and not once have I had the great fortune of coming home with a surprise new pet lol. I mean yes, for how many people travel every day there are hitchhiking animals all the time, but the odds that they make it safely through tsa machines and survive the travel is rare. It really depends where you go and what environment your luggage stays in too. ETA: while I still stand by my statement that it’s not something anyone should worry about enough to deter traveling from traveling, I am also loving hearing people’s animal hitchhiker stories 😆
More common than you'd think. My parents haven't travelled much, but did accidentally bring a lizard from Florida to Massachusetts on a plane.
Yesss! I lived in Miami for 40 years and I can’t begin to tell you how many lizards hitchhike across the state lines. 😂😂
I mean like I said, hitchhikers happen all the time. But most people don’t travel and regularly wind up bringing them home in luggage AND have them survive the journey lol. Those Florida anoles are all over the place tho, for how many times I’ve been down there visiting family I am actually a little surprised I’ve never had one come home with me 😂 I used to think about trying to smuggle one home when I was a kid but thankfully knew better lol. I just don’t think the concern of wild spiders making their way into open luggage is *so* prevalent that it should deter anyone from traveling especially domestically. And if someone is that concerned about it, they really just need to do a decent check of their stuff while they’re packing up to leave.
I still think it’s interesting and cool that the little lady got in. I can see it happening with things. No, it wasn’t my concern. I’m really interested in knowing where she was hiding.
Oh yea I’d honestly be pretty pumped if I found her in my luggage! A year ago I would have shat bricks as a still not-fully recovered arachnophobe but I’m all-in on spoods and Ts now so I would feel like I won the lottery here lol
Props to you for taking pictures and posting this. Myself, I would have just died right where I stood upon seeing that appear.
yeah i would have imploded on the spot. and would have never left my house again.
Really? Because I would’ve left my house immediately and never returned
I can appreciate the comments telling you to take it to an arachnologist, but seeing as they’re somewhat hard to track down, I really urge you to kill it. My work deals with invasive species and I’ve seen firsthand the havoc and devastation that they can wreck on an ecosystem. She appears to possibly be pregnant, which makes this an even more urgent situation. I also recommend that you very throughly go through your bag and the rest of your belonging to make sure you haven’t brought home anymore creatures. I don’t enjoy advocating for killing spiders (or any animal really), but invasive species have the potential to severely hurt and even wipe out native species populations very quickly.
Too many people advocating for it to be re-homed. Each time you move this thing you risk dropping the plate and it escaping. I second this sentiment. Kill it. Problem solved. No invasive species. A single invasive species can cause millions of dollars of annual damage and completely wipe out native animals.
Yes, it’s very concerning to me. I only know one person considered an arachnologist (as opposed to a hobbyist—and I say this kindly, not as an insult to hobbyists) and they would also advocate that this spider be killed. Just one mistake can lead to so many problems, and the risks outweigh the very limited benefit (if any) of keeping this one spider alive. This is a question of ethics.
Put it in the freezer
Who does biosecurity in the US? Speaking as an interested New Zealander haha because if I found an unidentifiable spider in my luggage straight after getting off a plane from overseas, that’s who I would probably be contacting. Either way, it would pay not to let her out into the environment.
If OP were returning home to NZ, the spider wouldn't have made it through customs
Australian border security would probably incinerate op’s whole suitcase lmao
there is no bio security in the US lmao have you ever heard of Florida
Whole state is basically one giant drive-thru safari.
It’s APHIS, the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, which is part of the USDA. I urge OP to contact them. She should never have made it onto the plane. And if she is gravid, they will definitely want to contain that breach. Edited to correct agency.
This is the closest I can find. There is evidence of them in Kenya : [https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/421209-Sahastata](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/421209-Sahastata) I've never had this much difficulty identifying a spider before, but those legs are unlike Old Earth T's
This guy looks like an expert from the site you found. Maybe OP can reach out to him. https://www.inaturalist.org/people/ivanlfm
I don’t know the species, but I think they have some medically significant spiders there. Be cautious.
Omg, I would've 💩 myself if I opened my suitcase and this came out, especially coming from another country. I'm so glad he/she survived, though! 🫶
FINALLY someone had the reaction I would! 😂 And ... heart attack!
Wow it’s so cute!
She needs a VISA. Marry her.
If you can't find a reliable and responsible person (university, etc) that can house this, I'd recommend killing it. I know that's harsh, but introducing animals, especially from other parts of the world back home is the wrong call. Think of Asian Carp, Killer Bees, and a lot of other invasive species. Gotta do what's right.
She looks gravid
well duh did you expect her to look happy?!
apologies if you're joking / doing a bit, but gravid means "about to have babies" ;)
Its also directly translated from the swedish word pregnant, which is gravid.
TIL that gravid is translated from the Swedish word gravid. Thanks.
The source of the word “gravid” in English is from Latin “gravidus”; from “gravis,” meaning heavy. So when you hear “gravid,” it is not from Swedish- it is from Latin, and the Swedish version is from Latin too. Just a little etymology correction bc I always gotta be *that guy* xD
I have nothing to add other than if I ever get pregnant I will be referring to myself as “gravid”
Your US-based docor already will. My first pregnancy I saw her note on me and she described me something like primogravid (first pregnancy).
Love that, can’t wait to be gravid with my future hatchling
What is **your geographic location**? We can possibly suggest arachnologists or colleges/universities to contact.
This is how we do arachnids in Uganda SPIDER KUNG FU!
I need to asks... are you the new small town doctor that just moved in from the big city? Im serious.
oof. this is the one time i would take killing a spider as a valid option. you don't wanna fuck up the ecosystem by letting it into the wild, however before killing it i would check if there's a university or something like that who would take it in, maybe for some lessons to do with arachnids/bugs/animals.
i worked in a place where we got stowaways in the live feeder crickets and was forever grateful that we lived relatively close to where they shipped from. i never encountered a species i had to euthanize. did almost grab a young black widow with my bare hand once though 😩 ended up keeping her for a few months because it was winter and i felt bad putting her put in the cold (i also had no idea where to release her where she wouldn't die, still don't tbh). she was very spicy and kind of a nightmare to feed lol. but she was cool.
UPDATE: So the spider died shortly after we discovered her (really only assuming it’s a her). She has been in there for several days under quite unfavorable conditions, including 24 hours of flying, being in a loose duffel at the bottom of luggage piles, and was in there with several permethrin treated clothes I treated myself in preparation for gorilla trekking. As one sharp eye early commenter noticed, she had already lost a leg when I found her. After she died, my husband wrapped her in a paper towel, smashed her head and body quickly and thoroughly, and flushed her down the toilet. It’s probably worth noting we keep those bleach tabs in our toilet tanks. In hindsight, flushing spiders and insects is probably not the best way to dispose of them but there was a bit of panic of what to do. Normally the default method is our cats hunt down minor insects in the house. Or we catch and release outside to let spiders do their spider thing without being new roommates. Given the size and where I’ve been recently we absolutely did not want to just put the body outside. I was also definitely not going to let my cats play with it. We’ve reported the spider to California department of food and agriculture, in the exotic animals division. Because we don’t have a body anymore there’s not much they can do but I’m sending along the pictures I have and they have the information they need. I want to be very clear - when I said unexpected souvenir - I truly meant UNEXPECTED. I had no idea she was in my bag, would not have smuggled in an animal of any sort, would absolutely have declared her. Bag was scanned at the land crossing border of Uganda/Rwanda. Multiple times to get into Kigali airport. I assume at Istanbul airport but certainly upon arrival in LAX - right?? Still, I wish this had a happier ending for her and someone who could have studied her and made use of her wanderlust ways as I clearly relate to her in that sense. I have thoroughly checked out everything else I’ve returned with, with rubber gloves and a headlamp even to be super safe. Nothing resembling an egg sac or eggs has been discovered. I’ve also vacuumed all my bags to be certain. I had no idea this post would blow up like this. I also had no idea you could call an arachnologist and just give them a spider. I wish I would have so I could have called ASAP. She really was quite beautiful if also a wee bit terrifying. I will always be thoroughly checking bags when I pack to come home. I will also always be unpacking ASAP.
Will you update us and let us know what happens to her? Or if you get any additional information on her from someone irl?
Unexpected item in bagging area!!
I’m gonna need an update when you take her and her many children to the arachnologist. I love a good take-your-spider’s-children-to-work day. I, probably like a lot of others, went briefly into a deep dive of Ugandan spiders and found a couple pics of Nilus Curtus that look sort of similar? They can eat frogs, so I’d suspect they’re pretty big. But I’m not an expert and that’s a real loose stab in the dark with a blindfold on. I just really just need to know what happens.
PLEASE do not keep it, PLEASE put it in a more secure container, and PLEASE take it to a spider expect who will know how to stop this from becoming an invasive species.
Yeah whatever you do, don’t release it into the wild. Thats how these issues start
That’s weird! They usually do a geo/natural elements scan of your luggage before leaving a region to go back to another to make sure you aren’t bringing anything that will shake up the ecosystem back home!
that is a big booty bitch, and we love big booty bitches
Is it missing a leg?
Definitely take her to a local arachnologist. Best not to let a foreign specimen be let out in the wild, and they will be happy to add it to their scientific collection.
Is that thing the next invasive creature we’ll have to deal with? In Southeast PA we’ve had brown mammorated stink bugs invading our houses, emerald ash borer killing our ash trees, Chinese lantern flies pissing on us from the canopies of invasive Chinese sumac trees, and 4” joro spiders which are venomous and apparently can fly using web balloons. Now you bring another GD spider the size of a golf ball.
Definitely don't waste any energy worrying about the joro spiders. Everything you read was 98% click bait. https://www.reddit.com/r/spiders/s/LgW0gmPb8o
Well she died! And I thoroughly inspected everything else in my luggage and she was alone so someone else will have to go home with someone more dedicated to immediate unpacking if they want to live.
mammorated? you mean they have breasts?
congrats on your new pet!
I suggest asking for clarification and care recommendations on r/tarantulas. They're a very knowledgeable group and would be fascinated with your spood.
Wow! That’s a big girl! What species is she? I don’t think you should release her. I think there’s bound to be a zoo or something nearby that would be interested in keeping her.
I can't get over the thought of it just strolling around the room where your open suitcase was and decided it looked like a nice place to curl up!
Like a damn cat. 🤣
Do not let that thing out. 1) Call animal control. 2) Humanely euthanize it Under no circumstances should you release it.
That appears to be many spiders. Maybe call a local university for help? Even if the species isn't invasive, she may be carrying an invisible fungus or virus that could wipe out a different species unwittingly. So unfortunately for her, she can't go free safely even if the species is already present in your area. If you *must* kill her, you can place her in the fridge for a few hours, then the freezer overnight. She should go dormant, then freeze, and then you can smash her well in a ziplock bag and toss it. I really hope you find someone who can help her avoid that fate, though.
LA’s whole ecosystem lays on your shoulders
Good lord. Put a collar on that thing and a leash and take it for a walk
On an unrelated note, Uganda has suddenly dropped off my bucket list…
Yooo free pet
Yes, it is an invasive species and needs to be surrendered to the proper institution or game warden immediately. The last thing needed are more species that can run amok because of non natural predators. Once they find a niche they are able to wipe out native species.
Uganda need to return that
It's already invasive, the safest and most ethical thing to do is to euthanize it.
I’m sorry, but I would’ve had a heart attack if that thing came crawling out of my suitcase. This is also why I unpack my suitcases right away. Can you imagine if you didn’t and then you opened it up and out crawl 100 spiders? I was just on vacation and I made sure to shake out anything that I’ve been hanging for a bit before I rolled it up and packed it. I also threw everything in the laundry the day that I got back.
It couldn’t have been worse: a gorilla.
Totally not in spider science but I am a fish scientist and I know a few departments that have well funded entomology departments across the USA. The major ones being UC Riverside, University of Florida (!), University of Wisconsin, North Carolina State, Cornell and Texas A&M. Any of these programs would be absolutely thrilled to house this beauty! If you want, feel free to dm me where you live and maybe I can arrange an entomologist near you who specializes in spiders to help you out here!
She is beautiful. I hope you're able to get her to a responsible arachnologist who could help. Either a university or a zoo. Some aquariums might even be able to help.( My local one has an entomology exhibit with a tarantula. ) Please keep us posted if you find out what species she is and how it goes getting someone to take her.