Arachnophobia abounds when giant spiders invade Australian town

According to a Times of London story, giant venomous spiders have recently invaded the town of Bowen, Australia, startling and shocking residents just because of their size.

The spiders are eastern tarantulas, also called bird-eating spiders or whistling spiders because of the noise they make when aggravated.

The influx is believed to have been caused by recent heavy rains, which have pushed the spiders out of their natural habitats.

The arachnids can grow to be up to 2.5 inches long with a leg span of 6 inches, or larger than a man's palm.

While not deadly to humans, the spiders venom has been known to kill dogs and cats.