Hiker’s creepy discovery of furry ball bursts into swarm of spiders

Social media is on fire after a chilling clip emerged of a man stumbling upon a baffling, dark-furred clump lurking in a crevice. Initially thought to be a puppy’s rear, a poke with a stick revealed a grim sight that left the skin crawling on dozens of netizens.

Ayer explorando #Alamos# Sonora… lo que parecía ser un animal dormido en un cuevita resultó ser algo más sorprendente! pic.twitter.com/gJry170M5c

— Rada SC (@Rada_SC) December 29, 2018

According to international news reports, a man known as Alfonso was hiking with his father on a hillside near Alamos in Northern Mexico when he happened upon an odd black clump lodged in a hole on a rocky incline. The peculiar clump had long black fur and at first sight, appeared to be the rear of a puppy.

Curiosity piqued, Alfonso didn’t proceed carelessly. Using a stick, he gently prodded the mysterious clump, only to be met with an unsettling revelation. The black clump was, in reality, a multitude of spiders. The spiders surged out of the clump, scattering in all directions, reported Sanook.

Further reports indicated that this cluster of black fur was a form of long-legged blind spider. Known colloquially as harvesters or daddy longlegs, this ubiquitous species populates the world, excluding Antarctica. They are non-venomous, reproduce through egg-laying and do not produce silk.

These spiders are effectively blind, relying on their second pair of legs as antennas to sense their surroundings. They prefer damp soil and are responsive to noise. Typically, their bodies measure less than 5 millimetres in length, though the gap between their legs can exceed 10 centimetres.

Daddy longlegs are predominantly omnivorous, feasting on small insects, plants and fungus. Some species are scavengers consuming animal carcasses or faeces. They gather in groups around water sources. This aggregation, primarily a defence mechanism against predators, also minimises the likelihood of group members being targeted, thanks to the scent they emit.

Nevertheless, the unfolding scene was captured while Alfonso was hiking with his father near Alamos, Northern Mexico, and shared on Twitter in the year 2018. The clip has resurfaced and is again viral this year.