Common name : Barking Spider
Scientific name : Selenocosmia crassipes
Family : Theraphosidae
Native to : Queensland, Australia
Interesting fact : The largest Australian spider, the barking
spider has a total body length of 6-9 cm and legs reaching
up to 22 cm.
Large in size, this species has relatively fat front legs. Females have a longer life span than males. They build borrows with a silk lining. These burrows can go up to 2 metres in length. While the name ‘barking spider’ is highly inappropriate considering this spider does not bark, another common name, ‘Queensland whistling spider’ is more apt for this bug, considering it makes a sharp whistling sound when it is threatened.
