Giant Australian huntsman spider displays its strength by carrying away dead mouse

The huntsman spider carrying the dead mouse across a fridge. PHOTO: JASON WOMAL/FACEBOOK

Social media has reacted with a mixture of shock, awe and disgust at footage of a massive huntsman spider carrying away a mouse in an Australian man's home on Monday (Oct 24) morning.

A video of the spider scurrying across the side of a fridge, the dead mouse firmly in the grip of its chelicera, sparked a frenzy when it was posted on Facebook by Queensland tradesman Jason Womal.

The video has since chalked up a whopping 16 million views, with nearly 80,000 users leaving comments that ran the gamut from horror and revulsion to amazement at the arachnid's remarkable strength.

Mr Womal shared that he was about to leave for work when his neighbour offered him a chance at seeing something "cool".

"I say 'Hell yeah'. So we proceed to his place and he shows me this. Huntsman trying to eat a mouse," he wrote in his Facebook post.

He later shared more photos of the spider in action, and revealed that it was fine and had been given a nickname: Hermie.

"We have adopted him and he is now running his own extermination business out of our town Coppabella. Oh and he is now paying rent," joked Mr Womal.

Experts that the Guardian Australia spoke to said a huntsman spider can grow to have a leg span of 16cm.

While there were doubts over whether the spider had actually killed the mouse, they were in agreement that it had displayed impressive strength and stamina.

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