A spider-loving Aussie has captured a moment sure to leave arachnophobes with nightmares after spotting a monster huntsman devouring a possum.
Facebook user Justine Latton took to social media at the weekend to share terrifying images of the huntsman mid-feast in the midst of Mount Field National Park in Tasmania.
The spider can be seen grabbing on tightly to the marsupial, which hangs helplessly in the air below it.
“Possum-eating spider!” Justine captioned the post which was shared on Facebook group Tasmanian Insects and Spiders.
The image, taken by Justine’s husband, has sent the internet into meltdown – receiving over 6,000 shares and 100 comments since it was published on Saturday.
However, while it would surely send shivers down the spines of some, the majority of people were simply amazed by the encounter, with some claiming they wish they had been there to see it in action.
“Omg what a once in a lifetime photo opportunity,” one person wrote on Facebook. “I would be so freaking excited if I were lucky enough to witness this… not scary at all just interesting and such a mystery to how this all went down… would have been amazing to see from the onset of the battle.”
Another commented: “Justine this is so interesting. Nature never ceases to amaze me.”
While a third said: “That’s the coolest photo I’ve seen for a long time.”
Although, there were of course some who would have preferred not to have seen the photo, admitting they were shocked by the size of the spider.
“Stuff of nightmares!” one person said. “That’s the biggest Huntsman spider I have ever seen,” a second wrote.
Another added: “That’s a solid nope from me!”
For those living in Australia, the presence of spiders is not all that surprising, however, there was one other monster huntsman discovered late last year which left many in shock.
An image posted to popular forum Reddit in August showed the scary moment a giant huntsman landed on a Sydney homeowner’s window with a massive thud. The massive critter, which the owner estimates is the size of his palm, terrified the man and his cat when it slammed against the window.
The huntsman, which is known for its speed and monstrous size, then made itself comfortable as it sat on the lounge window.
Taking to Reddit, he wrote: “This big guy just jumped on my lounge window. He’s so large he made a “thump” noise when he landed and scared the hell out of me and the cat.”
He added: “I know huntsman are supposed to be our friends but this guy is pushing the acceptable boundaries a bit.”