People who are afraid of spiders may not welcome the latest scientific findings, which show that the world's fastest spider can run faster than most humans.
Scientists examined 258 species of spiders and found that the fastest huntsman spider can run at a speed of 3.6 metres per second. Many people have a natural fear of spiders. Even those with a strong fear may have taken some comfort from the thought that they could escape from these eight-legged creatures by running away.
However, the latest findings show that spiders can move faster than humans. This means that, even if a person tries to run away, the spider could still be faster. It is a thought that many people may find unsettling.
For many years, the Moroccan flic-flac spider was widely regarded as the world's fastest spider. However, many scientists questioned that view because the spider moves in an unusual way by performing acrobatic flips, which almost double its normal speed.
To determine which spider is truly the fastest, a team of scientists carried out controlled laboratory tests on 258 different spider species before reaching a clear conclusion.
The huntsman spider, found in Queensland, Australia, was declared the world's fastest spider after reaching a speed of just over eight miles per hour. This is faster than the average human running speed of four to six miles per hour.
The research also found that larger spiders generally run faster, provided their abdomen is not so heavy that it slows them down. The study also showed that fast-running spiders usually have longer legs.
