Woman Plays With 'Gentle' Huntsman Spiders in Queensland, Australia

A spider enthusiast lovingly cradled her huntsman spiders Feisty and Shy Girl, despite admitting “their bite is quite painful.”Lisa Van Kula Donovan, who uses the name ‘Wannabe Entomologist’ on Instagram, shared the unnerving videos on her account on August 21.In the clips, Donovan can be seen tipping the spiders from their enclosures onto her hand and allowing them to crawl up her arm.In an accompanying caption on Instagram, she said the spiders were “gentle giants” but warned inexperienced handlers against holding them.“It takes a lot with these animals for them to be aggressive,” she wrote. "I always get asked if I have been bitten and the answer is no, not by anything I’ve owned or caught, but once a half-dead wild huntsman bit me when I went to move him off some laundry.“These beauties are gentle giants, although I should warn against trying to hold one of you’re not experienced because they can teleport when they want to and their bite is quite painful.” Credit: Wannabe Entomologist via Storyful