Venomous spider turned in to Suffolk SPCA

A Rocky Point man turned in his pet, a venomous African spider, to authorities Friday after determining he could no longer care for the animal. Suffolk SPCA Chief Roy Gross said the ornate golden baboon

News 12 Staff

Aug 17, 2007, 10:16 PM

Updated 6,360 days ago

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A Rocky Point man turned in his pet, a venomous African spider, to authorities Friday after determining he could no longer care for the animal.
Suffolk SPCA Chief Roy Gross said the ornate golden baboon spider is 5 inches long and stands 3 inches tall. It can jump three feet with its hairy legs, and its half-inch fangs are poisonous, Gross said.
"I'm glad that he did the right thing to call us, rather than just releasing it because this certainly could've been a danger to the public," he said.
No charges were filed against the man because ownership of the spider is legal in New York State.
The spider was taken to a sanctuary in Massachusetts.