Brown huntsman spider reaches 3.59 m/s in speed tests

A brown huntsman spider reached a peak speed of 3.59 metres per second during laboratory tests, the highest figure recorded among more than 250 spider species examined by scientists. Researchers collected 162 species, primarily from London and Greifswald, and supplemented the sample with species from North America, southern Europe and Australia.

Running speeds were measured using cameras and gridded paper as a track.

Study methods and additional data The team also incorporated results from earlier studies, including work published in 2021 by an evolutionary biomechanist at the University of the Sunshine Coast. That research examined how spiders combine muscle action with hydraulic pressure to move their legs.

The brown huntsman lives along Australia’s east coast and is commonly found in homes in south-east Queensland. Adults reach roughly hand size; the species is venomous but bites to humans are rare and effects are described as mild.

Speed context and limitations The 3.59 m/s figure was sustained for only a fraction of a second. Average sustained speed for the species measured closer to 2 m/s. One of the lead researchers stated that the study represents the broadest comparative analysis of running speed in spiders conducted to date.

The data showed that larger body mass does not guarantee higher speed and that web-building species were not uniformly slower than active hunters.