Wife (Linda) just came back from local shop and when she went to get her handbag from the rear seat saw this beauty on the back seat.  Linda had to use a salad bowl rather than our usual large vegemite jar to capture and release into the garden.
Lucky it wasn't running about the car while she was driving as she would have had an aracnoleptic fit.

[smg id=19087 type=preview align=center caption="Nice spider"]
[smg id=19088 type=preview align=center caption="Nice spider 2"]

It's just a little one!! 

Glad you got it intact though... I managed to jam the legs under the edge of the container on the last one I did. With those big hairy legs, the beggars can put on a surprising turn of speed, can't they.

Thanks for the pics.  Somewhat large isn't it?

Are these what you call 'Huntsman' spiders, or are they of the 'Harvestman' genus?

It's a Huntsman. They drop down on our car from the trees in the front garden. Big as they are, they can squeeze through the tiniest hole and inevitably end up inside the car.

Quote from: Bealman on November 30, 2014, 03:53:54 AM
It's just a little one!! 

Glad you got it intact though... I managed to jam the legs under the edge of the container on the last one I did. With those big hairy legs, the beggars can put on a surprising turn of speed, can't they.

Well, mid sized.  Have a much larger one which has decided to live in my hobby room, occasionally see it siting near skirting boards.  Won't have a roach problem.
This one was well behaved.  Waited to be captured, little struggle but didn't like the camera near him.
The wolf spiders are the fastest and most common big spiders in the house, have to evict at least one per week.  Still trying to find where they are getting in.
Had a nice tiger snake curled up on the patio near back door last week, allowed me to get close (about 400mm) with the i-pad to take a few photos without moving about.  I-pad not good for taking closeups, have to get real close and it still looks metres away.  I now open the door and look about instead of opening and stepping out.

CFJ

I'm reminded of an old colleague who drove an old soft top Saab, which he parked under a car port at his house. One day he was driving into town across the Harbour Bridge at peak hour when a rather large huntsman appeared on top of his dash. He grabbed his one page to a day A4 diary from the passenger seat and commenced to try to beat the huntsman to a pulp whilst still staying in his traffic lane. The spider retreated back to where he came from and was never seen again.

Quote from: NinOz on November 30, 2014, 03:37:32 AM
Lucky it wasn't running about the car while she was driving as she would have had an aracnoleptic fit

Holy cow 'aracnoleptic' is a new one for me... Are these beasts poisonous?

Black bears are the worst we have to worry about here in Pennsylvania and at this time of year they are hibernating!! 

No, Mike, they're not, but I wouldn't like to cop a bite from one, though. It would be big enough to cause a lot of pain and possibly become ulcerated.

PhilD, your story reminds me of when one of my daughters was very young and strapped in the child restraint in the backseat. I looked in the mirror, and saw one crawling up her arm.

Trying to reach back and get it, I can assure you that lanes were crossed!

I'd agree that it's not overly large. Largest unsquashed (they do do a long way) We've had here was around 6" leg to leg, but as you say not actually dangerous to man. Called huntsman due to their rapid speed and mode of hunting.

As George and the other Aussies know its not the big spiders you have to worry about its the little ones, if bitten some species can kill, others can make you very sick but one very nasty tiny spider is a real horror, it is called a White Tail Spider, a bite from this little dude can cause your flesh to be eaten away.

Other than man eating sharks, stinging and killer jelly fish, snakes and crocodiles Australia is a pretty safe place to live, just stay out of the long grass

Wow you get some big spiders down under, do not the sheilas go into panic mode when they see them, I know a few round here that stand on chairs and flap like big feathered birds when they see one screaming obsenities.

Nice picture by the way.

Nice to see pictures of your wildlife, got anymore.

Quote from: Geoff on November 30, 2014, 07:42:20 AM
Wow you get some big spiders down under, do not the sheilas go into panic mode when they see them, I know a few round here that stand on chairs and flap like big feathered birds when they see one screaming obsenities.

Nice picture by the way.

Nice to see pictures of your wildlife, got anymore.

Na the blokes like me are more scared of spiders than the chicks.

My first run in with a spider in Queensland was when I was  Postie, while delivering mail I rode between a hedge and a fence and came face to face with a monster Orb Spider and its web, the bike went one way the mail went another way and I went for my life, gee they are big marble shaped monsters, yuk Spiders pass me a chair.

I dont mind Snakes though and have photograhed plenty while bush walking.

Quote from: longbridge on November 30, 2014, 07:54:54 AM

Quote from: Geoff on November 30, 2014, 07:42:20 AM
Wow you get some big spiders down under, do not the sheilas go into panic mode when they see them, I know a few round here that stand on chairs and flap like big feathered birds when they see one screaming obsenities.

Nice picture by the way.

Nice to see pictures of your wildlife, got anymore.

Na the blokes like me are more scared of spiders than the chicks.

My first run in with a spider in Queensland was when I was  Postie, while delivering mail I rode between a hedge and a fence and came face to face with a monster Orb Spider and its web, the bike went one way the mail went another way and I went for my life, gee they are big marble shaped monsters, yuk Spiders pass me a chair.

I dont mind Snakes though and have photograhed plenty while bush walking.

Ha Ha glad I am this side of the pond, by the way did the letters get posted lol

Geoff, you just get used them. Actually coming across a huntsman in the house is fairly rare (maybe 3 or 4 times a year), and even if you're not particularly keen on 'em (which I'm not), it doesn't pay to squish 'em because of the huge mess they make. Much better to catch 'em, take 'em outside, and then squish 'em let them go 

I'm arachnophobic enough with British spiders, but these ones from Oz
are ten times worse.     I hate  seeing a big spider on the wall then going
to get a  beaker or something to trap it and when you go back in the room
it's not there!