Palm-Sized Joro Spiders From Southeast Asia Could Soon Invade Florida

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A species of spider originally from Southeast Asia could soon invade Florida.

Joro spiders are big, about the size of the palm of your hand, and they started spreading in Georgia last year.

Now, a new study from the University of Georgia predicts Joro spiders are about to spin their populations even further, and it won't be long before they're spotted up and down the East Coast.

"No predators. It doesn't have anything that's controlling its population size in the new habitat, but it has perfect conditions to spread," said Benjamin Frick, an undergraduate in the Odum School of Ecology at UGA.

Researchers say the eight-legged creatures are unusual because they're able to survive in colder climates.

The UGA study found the Joros have a 77% higher heart rate than its relatives, enabling it to survive a brief freeze.

"We exposed them to a brief period of cold, only for a couple of minutes, at below freezing temperatures and most of the Joros did just fine," said Dr. Andy Davis, a research scientist at the Odum school.

While they may look scary to some, scientists say they're highly unlikely to bite.

"Its fangs are so small relative to most human skin that it probably won't be able to get its fangs into you even if it wanted to," Frick said.

The Joro spider's impact on the environment is unclear, but some researchers believe they are not harmful.