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Family have had a gigantic spider as a roommate in their home over the past year
They thought it would leave but instead it stayed.
Sasha Alonzo
04.14.23

Most people would agree that spiders freak them out.

But there are others who find them fascinating.

Here’s one person who decided to share a gigantic spider that was freeloading in their home.

Meet Charlotte, and somehow, she became part of the family.

The Dodo/JAKE GRAY
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The Dodo/JAKE GRAY

Australia is home to a huge number of animal species.

They have it all; big, small, venomous, and non-venomous.

One day, a stray, giant spider made its way into somebody’s home in Australia, and guess what?

The spider decided to stay.

Now, the resident, Annette Gray, has noticed her eight-legged houseguest.

Annette and her son, Jake decided to name the spider Charlotte, probably inspired by the famous children’s book, Charlotte’s Web.

The spider was a type of huntsman spider.

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Pinterest

Now, Jake recognized the species of spider Charlotte was, and it was called a Huntsman spider.

These spiders are known to be quite large, with their legs spanning up to 12.7 centimeters.

Additionally, they are venomous to the extent of paralyzing their prey, but not enough to actually incapacitate a human being.

They know for a fact that these spiders aren’t dangerous or aggressive to people, and so the family just let the spider live in their house.

The family did not expect the spider to stay for a long time.

The Dodo/JAKE GRAY
Source:
The Dodo/JAKE GRAY

The spider stayed at Annette’s home for a very long time.

In fact, they were able to witness the spider’s growth!

“We’ve watched [Charlotte] grow over the last year or so,” Jake told The Dodo. “[She] never bothered us. She moves about the house, pops up room to room, eats all the bugs.”

Since then, they noticed that the spider grew 15 centimeters wide (about six inches).

Annette decided to share Charlotte on the internet.

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Pinterest

Their spider houseguest has been living with them for a while, and now the spider’s practically family.

Annette and Jake had shared about Charlotte with their friends and family, and so they decided to take it to the next level – sharing her with the whole world.

Nadia308 - Flickr
Source:
Nadia308 - Flickr

As the internet saw Charlotte’s photograph, a lot were horrified.

Just imagine having a spider that big at your home.

Some even joked about burning the house down to get rid of the spider.

Although, Annette disagrees.

They actually got used to Charlotte’s presence and they continue being a great host to her.

“I don’t kill them,” she wrote. “[Charlotte’s] harmless.”

Perhaps we should be like Annette.

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Pinterest

There is really no need for us to kill spiders.

In fact, they bring some benefits to the table.

They can clear the room with pesky pests like mosquitos, or even cockroaches.

Thus, they could get rid of the annoying pests that might even bring the family disease.

It was just right for Annette to keep Charlotte with them, and perhaps even other spider visitors that they had before.

Spiders could be great as pets.

Jean and Fred Hort - Flickr
Source:
Jean and Fred Hort - Flickr

Despite the spiders’ threatening look and creepy legs, they make such good pets to others.

Since Australia has a lot of spiders, why not make the best of the situation and adopt one as a pet?

Ian Sutton - Flickr
Source:
Ian Sutton - Flickr

Although, keep in mind that keeping spiders is not an easy task, and there’s a lot to consider before getting one; for example, the correct breed, and how to maintain them.

Would you ever consider leaving one inside your home?

Let us know in the comments.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

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