Monomad: Huntsman in My Yard

This afternoon, our house suddenly became noisy. My youngest son screamed loudly while watering his mom's houseplants in our yard. We rushed out of the house to see what was happening. He pointed to a plant and shouted, "Look, there's a big spider!"

...and sure enough, he wasn't mistaken; I spotted a huntsman spider there. Its long, muscular legs gripped tightly onto a leaf. The huntsman spider appeared to be a frightening beast, ready to lunge at anyone it viewed as an intruder. I tried to remain calm but cautious as I approached. I had to catch it, and I did.

Huntsman spiders are a large species of spider belonging to the family Sparassidae. You'll sometimes find them hiding behind cupboards or in tight, dark corners of your home.