Huntsman Spider

Description:

This is a very common site in Australian homes though this guy is particularly large. I know he is a Huntsman Spider of the family Sparassidae, but this family consists of 82 genera with 1009 species many of which are Australian. I really have no hope of culling down to genera let alone species without the guidance of an Arachnid expert. He was spotted in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia.

Habitat:

Members of the Sparassidae are common in Australia, but also in many warm-temperate-to-tropical parts of the world. They live in the crevices of tree bark, but will frequently wander into homes and vehicles. They are able to travel extremely fast, often using a springing jump while running, and walk on walls and even on ceilings.