Spiders in Seychelles include some large web-building species and the free-roaming rather tarantula-like huntsman spiders. The palm spider is the most visible. It is large and virtually everywhere in Seychelles. The female sits at the centre of a large web built from heavy strands of silk, some of them yellow. The males are smaller. Small spiders of other species may occasionally be found living around the periphery of the web. Palm spiders are completely harmless.
Another spider is an attractive web-building spider with yellow and white stripes across the abdomen. It’s of the Argiope spp. and is only found on the granitics and Aldabra. They build their webs on low vegetation.
The huntsman or Giant Crab Spider can be found on the granitic and corallines. It is generally large and hairy and does not build webs but uses silk to make cylindrical shelters of living leaves. It is endemic to Seychelles
(Photo credit: Alec Taylor)