really big spider
Posted by melissa maples on October 22, 2007
Q: Hi. A friend of mine went on a trip to the Dominican Republic. While in the mountains there, the bus stopped in the middle of the road to let a spider cross the road. I know this sounds like an exaggeration, but the spider was as big as a car tire. What kind of spider could possibly be that big, and could it be harmful? Thanks... Melissa M.
State: Outside the U.S. and Canada
A: It's fun for us to receive questions about areas outside the U.S. and Canada but we're not as well qualified to answer those. However, I have a strong suspicion that the "spider" crossing the road, wasn't a spider at all. I'll bet that was one of the land crabs that are common in the Caribbean islands. These can certainly look like a spider but are related to the crayfish and lobsters you may be more familiar with. Take a look at this website and it will give you information on this animal www.sms.si.edu
Hope this helps to solve your "spider" mystery. Thanks for writing.
John Wiessinger ( October 23, 2007)