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Video: Tarantula discovered in Gledhow Valley Woods
He is the size of your hand, has giant fury fangs and is usually found in south America. So quite why Jaws, a six-inch long tarantula, ended up on a footpath in Gledhow Valley Woods is a mystery.
No one was more surprise than housewife Lehane Walker when a couple knocked on her front door asking her to help the stricken spider.
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Lehane told Roundhay Today: "This couple had been walking in the woods and said they found the tarantula on the footpath.
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"Mine was the nearest house. I got a plastic tub, which had some mini chocolate rolls in it, and between us we managed to coax the spider in using a stick.
"My oldest son Zygi, who's six, is in a bug club at school so he couldn't wait to get home to have a look. He wanted to take him into class."
The mum-of-three added: "I'm not a big fan of spiders but my other son Max, four, has a real insect obsession so he loved having the spider in the house.
"What I can't understand is where it's from and how it has survived."
Jaws is actually a venomous Chile Rose Tarantula, or Grammostola cala/rosea to give it its Latin name, according to Judith Layzell from Leeds City Council's Tropical World.
She said: "If you get bitten it's a bit like a wasp sting – you may have an adverse reaction to it.
"You probably wouldn't die but your body might react violently.
"I've got bitten by a tarantula and my arm become so swollen I had to got to hospital to get a shot of anti-venom.
"Their natural habitat is South America, although a lot are now kept as pets. They can survive outside if it's warm like it has been.
"Having said that you don't find them running around the British countryside, it's very rare. One must assume it has escaped. It would be interesting to know how he got there."
And there's one more surprise.
Stacey Gaunt, of Tyrannosaurus Pets in Kirkstall who are now looking after him, said: "Jaws is in quite good condition and is a tame little thing.
"But we won't be sure what sex he is until the final skin shed."
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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