When it comes to tracking down the biggest and hairiest spiders that exist in the world, many people would consider South American jungles, or maybe deserts in the middle east, or anywhere at all in Australia, but certainly not in the northeast United States. Well, that would be good thinking, as the US is not home to an abundance of big hairy spiders that fit the “tarantula” category. One exception would be the southwest desert region of the US. But even in the Sonoran and Mojave desert regions, tarantulas are not as prevalent as you may think. There only exists 800 documented tarantula species, only 30 of which reside here in America. Not surprisingly, every one of these species is limited to a strictly desert habitat. Luckily for arachnophobes who live up in the northeast, this is great news, as the region is unique for being one of the few geographical areas where dangerous spiders are virtually non-existent.
Although they are not tarantulas, brown recluse spiders can be found in many northern states, but not so much in the northeast. Most spiders that are spotted in Massachusetts homes are simply trying to find safe shelter. With the exception of very rare brown recluse and black widow sightings in the state, Massachusetts spiders are entirely harmless, but they can become a nuisance requiring professional pest control assistance in some cases. However, if there was one native Massachusetts spider that comes anywhere close to resembling a tarantula, then it would have to be the bold jumping spider.
The bold jumping spider, while tiny, is objectively scary to look at, as they possess numerous bulging eyes and jet black hairs. While the venom produced by these spiders is harmless, they are known for their ability to survive within a variety of locations, such as in cars, homes, shoes, cupboards or offices. The chances of being bit by a bold jumping spider are very low, as they fear humans. In fact, these spiders are rarely caught by even the most slippery of trappers, as these spiders are prized as captive “pets”.
Have you ever spotted a spider that you believe exceeded an inch in size in your state?
