Hundreds of Huntsman Spiders Hatch in 'Skin-Crawling' Viral Video

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People are reeling in horror after an insect-lover shared a video of hundreds of huntsman spiders hatching on his hand.

Adrian Kozakiewicz, from Germany, describes himself as "one of the largest invertebrate breeders in Europe."

He regularly shares footage of large and exotic insects and animals, including spiders.

Kozakiewicz uploaded the clip to his TikTok page early on Friday and it has already amassed more than 29 million views.

"I have a surprise for you," the caption reads, as the footage shows his hands peeling open a white pod.

Hundreds of tiny Australian huntsman spiders pour out of the pod, crawling all over Kozakiewicz's fingers.

He confirmed the species in another caption, adding "love you" to the arachnids.

But Kozakiewicz might be alone in that respect, as numerous TikTok users left comments expressing their fear and revulsion.

@insecthaus_adi

#loveyou #tiktok and Australian Huntsman spiders ?

♬ original sound - Carlos

Damon Salvatore admitted: "No... this made my hands itch."

Foryou agreed, writing: "So cute that it made my skin crawl."

Jame posted: "I literally got shivers down my back someone get the bug spray."

Raja Gaming confessed: "I thought it was a ball of paper."

Miraculous Fan commented: "That is cute but really scary."

Auxvieuxduluth wrote: "That's not a surprise that's a nightmare."

Drippone added: "I suggest fire."

The "large and hairy" spiders can sometimes bite, according to a factsheet on the Australian Museum's website.

"As with most spiders, they do possess venom and a bite may cause some ill effects. However, they are quite reluctant to bite, and will usually try to run away rather than be aggressive," the document added.

The Australian huntsman is sometimes referred to as the giant crab spider, because of its shape and leg span of up to 6 inches.

The museum website said many of the spiders "have rather flattened bodies adapted for living in narrow spaces under loose bark or rock crevices. This is aided by their legs which, instead of bending vertically in relation to the body, have the joints twisted so that they spread out forwards and laterally in crab-like fashion."

Another spider video went viral in April, after a woman named Georgia spotted a giant arachnid in her cooker hood.

She shared a series of clips to her TikTok account, @georgia_knight_, describing the animal as "f****** massive."

Georgia documented the saga of removing the oven light to get to the creature, which turned out to be dead.

Some social media commenters shared a chilling theory, however, claiming the spider had in fact shed its exoskeleton. One person wrote: "That my friend … is only skin. The spider is still in that house."

stock image of a huntsman spider
Stock image of a huntsman spider. A terrifying video showing hundreds of the creatures hatching has been watched close to 30 million times. Getty Images/Ken Griffiths

About the writer

Rebecca Flood is Newsweek's Audience Editor for Life & Trends, and joined in 2021 as a senior reporter. Rebecca specializes in lifestyle and viral trends, extensively covering social media conversations and real-life features. She has previously worked at The Sun, The Daily Express, The Daily Star, The Independent and The Mirror, and has been published in Time Out. Rebecca has written in the UK and abroad, covering hard news such as Brexit, crime and terror attacks as well as domestic and international politics. She has covered numerous royal events including weddings, births and funerals, and reported live from the King's Coronation for Newsweek. Rebecca was selected to be one of Newsweek's Cultural Ambassadors. She is a graduate of Brighton University and lives in London.

Languages: English

You can get in touch with Rebecca by emailing r.flood@newsweek.com. You can follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @thebeccaflood.





Rebecca Flood is Newsweek's Audience Editor for Life & Trends, and joined in 2021 as a senior reporter. Rebecca specializes ... Read more