Baboon Spiders look large and fearsome but if left alone they are quite docile. Even during lockdown at KwaMbili we have to keep an eye out for creatures large and small! We found a spider floating upside down in the pool and, just to err on the side of caution, touched it with a stick to see if it was still alive – and luckily it was! Once we saw the legs move we used a stick to lift it out. The little fellow just stood in the same spot and dried off for a few minutes before slowly walking away. Although these spiders do not have any venom they can still leave a nasty bite with their large fangs. They are one of what are known as the Old World Spiders and don’t spin webs like New World Spiders. They actually go out and hunt for their food or wait at the entrance of their burrow and strike once prey is close enough. The burrow is a round hole the depth and size of which varies according to the age of the spider. One hole we measured went down 35cm! The spider we rescued is a Horned Baboon Spider, usually much more aggressive than the other species, the Golden Legged Baboon Spider. The name “Horned” comes from the fact that there is a raised section on the back of its abdomen that gives it the “horned” look!
