Giant 8-inch spiders from China "break through" to the United States: How dangerous are they
A venomous eight-inch spider native to Asia whose palm-sized females eat their male partners has already spread up the east coast of America and is heading west.
Experts say that the Joro spider can fly 50 to 100 miles, using its web as a parasail to glide in the wind. It is also known that these creatures do not pose a threat to humans or pets, the Daily Mail writes.
However, scientists still don't know what impact this giant spider, which is believed to have first entered the United States a decade ago via shipping containers arriving in Georgia, might have on local wildlife.
Last month, ecological and entomological researchers from New York, Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina pooled their resources to try to predict how fast and how far the invasive Joro spider might spread.
According to their forecasts, in the worst-case scenario, the spider will spread to the continental United States, Canada, and even parts of Mexico.
Although joros are venomous, experts said they do not pose a threat to humans, dogs or cats, and will not bite unless they feel severely threatened.