Yes, I know there are arachnophile forums, I’ve posted this there but it’s currently in my house and I don’t know if it’s a false widow or what. Can anyone identify this? Is it dangerous? No scale but it is enormous. I'm not scared of spiders but don't want to engage it if it's actually lethal or something.

(I can hear myself saying this in Anne Heche's voice, Six Days, Seven Nights-style)...

Re: Can anyone identify this spider (urgent)
 

I don't know what it is, but it looks BIG from your pics. Don't get bit by it, even a non lethal spider bite can cause lots of pain and potential problems...believe me I was bit over a year ago and I still have the red mark from it on my arm.

Re: Can anyone identify this spider (urgent)
 

That's a big spider! What country are you in right now?

Re: Can anyone identify this spider (urgent)
 

A tarantula perhaps ? :)
I just remembered this morning a wasp came into my apartment. A pretty big one. After catching it with a glass and a piece of paper, I released it... ;)

London, U.K.

That’s exactly what I’ve just managed to do (albeit with a mop and a bucket), but I was very stressed about the whole thing. I’m pretty hands on with these things and not at all squeamish, but this one looked big enough to be cause for concern.

Why country? This will help narrow it down

Not a tarantula

It must have been quite a big one - if you had to use a bucket :) you had courage it seems :D

London, U.K. Richmond to be exact.

It could be a false widow spider judging by its shape and size

It was absolutely enormous, as big as my palm. I wasn’t scared so much as ambulances are rubbish around here, and I’m not ready to die yet, you know! But yes, released it into my garden and it seems to have taken off by now.

That’s what I was thinking/worried about. Aren’t they very dangerous? Haven’t yet heard back from anyone on the arachnophile forums (unsurprisingly :lol:).

Not really. Like most non venomous spider bites, it’ll hurt but last I heard, the UK doesn’t have any venomous spiders that are that lethal

Oh, well, that’s a relief. Phew.

They still hurt though…..

Sometimes they come back…..and lay by your side while you’re tucked into bed during a cold night, staring at your with its eight menacing eyes as you lie asleep unaware of its impending attack if you so happen to roll over in its direction……

That was a decent attempt at a horror (which, I’m a fan :) ), but I actually like smaller spiders, my superstitious mother believes they bring good luck and material gain, so I was socialised to like them. It’s just that this one was enormous and that made me think it could be poisonous. So I’d rather this one stayed in the garden. I’ve shut all my doors and windows and sealed the bedroom, so it has no way in.

It’s the smaller ones that are usually the most poisonous. Black Widow, Brown Recluse, Chilean Recluse…all rather small

That’s what they say about scorpions. I mean, I appreciate it’s just an instinctive thing maybe to be more bothered by the big ones. Overall usually it’s been a case of ‘they don’t bother me, I don’t bother them’. I can only hope we can go back to that kind of cohabitation.