''Harpactira gigas'', sometimes called the common baboon spider, is a species of
spider belonging to the family
Theraphosidae. It is found in
South Africa from
Western Cape Province north to
Limpopo Province.
This reclusive spider, rarely encountered outside its burrow, reaches a body length of 55 mm, the female usually slightly larger than the male. The black
carapace
A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tor ...
is marked with a distinctive pattern of radiating light brown lines, like the spokes of a wheel. Like all tarantulas, and almost all other spiders, this species is not considered dangerous to people.
References
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Endemic fauna of South Africa
Theraphosidae
Spiders of South Africa
Spiders described in 1898
{{Theraphosidae-stub