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Huge spider greets family new to San Antonio

'I mean we are in Texas and not the jungle.' Stone Oak woman's first encounter with Texas Tan Tarantula

Courtesy: Teouna Thomas (KSAT)

SAN ANTONIO – Teouna Thomas and her husband moved to San Antonio about eight months ago from the Dallas-Fort Worth area and last week they got a huge surprise.

“I hear my husband yell, ‘OMG what in the heck is that?‘” Thomas said.

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What she was seeing was a huge spider crawling up the outside of her patio door.

“I mean we are in Texas and not in the jungle somewhere,” Thomas said.

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They knew they had to capture it because their puppy was outside trying to get it as well.

Thomas’ husband was the true hero and captured the spider in a plastic container.

Stone Oak family new to the area, startled by large spider in their patio. Courtesy: Teouna Thomas (Teouna Thomas)

They called the front office of their apartment complex and a worker there said she would take it and she later released it back into the wild.

KSAT 12 asked the San Antonio Zoo for details about the arachnid and the ectotherms team believes it’s a Texas Tan Tarantula, a common species in Texas.

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The experts at the zoo tell us they are harmless to humans. All spiders have venom, but you’d have to try hard to get bit by one of these spiders, they said.

The Texas Tan Tarantula can grow up to four to six inches long and right now it is mating season for the spiders, which is why the Thomas family may have seen one.

They do have a benefit, they keep the pest population down by eating roaches and crickets.

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About the Author
Erica Hernandez headshot

Erica Hernandez is an Emmy award-winning journalist with 15 years of experience in the broadcast news business. Erica has covered a wide array of stories all over Central and South Texas. She's currently the court reporter and cohost of the podcast Texas Crime Stories.

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