Spider the size of human hand found in English city street

A tarantula spider the size of a human hand was abandoned in a street in the English city of Leicester, animal welfare charity the RSPCA said Tuesday.

The spider, discovered in a plastic box, has been identified as a Brazilian salmon pink bird-eating tarantula, the third largest species of tarantula in the world. It can grow up to a leg-span of more than 25 centimeters.

As RSPCA officers tried to trace the owner of the arachnid, it has now being looked after by a specialist exotics keeper.

RSPCA officer Steve Smith said: "The member of the public who contacted us was understandably shaken by the size of the spider. Despite the size, the spider was not aggressive at all.

"Luckily we have found someone who has taken the spider on, so the spider will now live the rest of their life being looked after properly.

"We are concerned that someone abandoned a spider in the street like this. These tarantulas live in a warm and humid environment in the wild and need the same provided in captivity, to meet their needs and keep them healthy.

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: "Exotic pets often end up in our care after people realise they're not easy to care for, or once the novelty wears off, as for many people an exotic animal represents too much of a commitment.

"Caring for exotics can be challenging and expensive; the animal may grow very large, live for a long time, become aggressive or require a licence or other paperwork to be legally kept or sold. They have the same needs as in the wild, which include the need for a suitable environment, diet and to express normal behavior." Endit