Wandering spiders (family Ctenidae) are large, highly venomous nocturnal hunters native to Central and South America. Named for their habit of actively roaming the forest floor rather than building webs, these formidable arachnids are infamous for possessing some of the most potent neurotoxic venom in the animal kingdom. They are generally covered in fine hairs and colored in mottled shades of brown and gray, allowing them to blend seamlessly with the leaf litter. When cornered or provoked, they can become fiercely defensive, and while their bites cause excruciating pain, they are rarely fatal to humans. I met this tough guy during the day, while he was resting in the forest debris during my visit to the protected forest “La Perla” in Ecuador’s Santo Domingo province.