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What undiscovered species of animals do you think are out there?
>I've heard my fair share of tales about giant spiders lurking in the shadows. But few have intrigued me as much as the legend of the kouilou spider, a purported behemoth said to inhabit the dense rainforests of the Congo Basin.
>The indigenous peoples of the Congo Basin, particularly the pygmy tribes, have long spoken of a giant arachnid they call the "J'ba FoFi" or "great spider." These oral histories offer a tantalizing glimpse into the possible characteristics and behaviors of this cryptid.
>According to native descriptions, the kouilou spider is a formidable sight to behold. With a leg span that can reach up to five feet in diameter, it dwarfs even the largest known spider species, such as the giant huntsman, which maxes out at around a foot in leg span. >Eyewitnesses describe the kouilou spider as having a brown, hairy body reminiscent of a tarantula, but with a distinctive purple sheen on its abdomen that sets it apart.
>But it's not just the kouilou spider's size that makes it so intimidating. >Indigenous accounts paint a picture of a highly adapted ambush predator with a hunting strategy not unlike that of the notorious trapdoor spiders. The kouilou spider is said to construct burrows beneath the roots of trees, which it camouflages with a veil of leaves and debris. Near this lair, it spins an expansive web, crisscrossed with trip lines that alert the arachnid to passing prey. When an unsuspecting victim stumbles into this nearly invisible snare, the kouilou spider erupts forth with startling speed to subdue and envenomate its catch.