A man who almost put his hand on top of a massive spider has posted a picture on Reddit challenging users to see if they would be as lucky in avoiding it.
User kingakatosh shared the picture in the subreddit /FindTheSniper, a Where’s Waldo-inspired community where people post photos and ask others to find a particular thing.
While many struggled at first, it was not long before more eagle-eyed users spotted the large critter, leaving many feeling thoroughly creeped out.
Self-described arachnophobes were quickest in spotting the frighteningly large, brown-colored spider in the mess of leaves and twigs.
‘My spidey senses (arachnophobia) were tingling and I found that f***er immediately,’ one person wrote.
‘Oh hell, I immediately zoomed in on it and gagged,’ another person wrote.
‘Finding it gave me a crawling sensation in my brain, which I disliked very much. Thank you,’ a third commented.
Take a look at the photo and see if you can spot it in 20 seconds or less.
There is a spider lurking in this photo taken by a Reddit user. Can you spot it in 20 seconds or less?
In the comments, the poster revealed that they live in the midwestern US and narrowly avoided touching the critter.
‘Reached my hand down to pick up and rock and noticed this dude mere millimeters from my hand ACKKK,’ the user wrote.
Others commented on what type of spider the poster had seen, with most settling on it likely being a dark fishing spider, scientifically known as Dolomedes tenebrosus.
Dark fishing spiders are found in the United States and Canada. Despite their name, they typically dwell in trees and wooded areas.
Females can reach a body length of about an inch long with a leg span of over three inches, while males are usually about half the size.
They generally don’t pose a threat to humans as they considered shy spiders. They will usually run away at the slightest bit of movement from a person.
In the rare circumstance that one bites a person, the bite is no more severe than a bee or wasp sting, according to the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State.
However, those who are already vulnerable to spider venom could experience more serious symptoms.
The spider was seen just above the a root, though it was well hidden in leaves, twigs and other brush materials
Pictured: A closeup of a dark fishing spider climbing a piece of wood in Michigan. Reddit users speculated this could be the type of spider in the photo
Mature dark fishing spiders are typically found roaming around starting in May through September.
Studies have shown that male spiders die when they mate, which leads to their female counterparts cannibalizing them.
Females deposit their egg sacs in June and carry them around until they’re ready to hatch.
Young spiderlings can be observed from around July to September.
