Yes it's real. I need to do a little more research before I can say what it is. I live in Northern Utah in the "high desert" @ 5000'. Rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas, black widow spiders, this guy, and other critters hang out here. I put the glove and chapstick in the pic to give a size reference. I'm guessing it was 4" across. From what I did read, it's harmless. Cool though!