Bendigo woman celebrates arrival of hundreds of Huntsman spider babies
A Bendigo woman who set up a spider nursery inside her letterbox has celebrated the arrival of hundreds of Huntsman spider babies.
Natasha Joyce posted video of her new babies on YouTube on Tuesday after waiting six weeks for the impending arrival.
"We were delighted to find today that they were all safely arrived, ready to be eaten by each other and other predators," Ms Joyce said.
"Congratulations Hortense the Huntsman Protector of the Post!"
Hortense had made the egg sac in early October, with Ms Joyce checking on the daily progress.
"It was a long gestation period, as this species usually hatch within 2-3 weeks, but the weather has been odd lately," she said.
While experts have warned female Huntsman spiders aggressively defend their sacs and their young, Hortense is seen calmly sitting to the side of her giant brood in the video uploaded on Tuesday.
According to Museum Victoria, the lifespan of Huntsman spiders is about two years.
Exactly how many of the Hortense's young will survive is yet to be seen.
