Venomous funnel-web tarantula
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| Missing image SydneyFunnelWebSpider.jpg Male Sydney funnel-web spider Male Sydney funnel-web spider | ||||||||||||
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The venomous funnel-web tarantulas (family Hexathelidae) are notorious for the inclusion of the Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus). This is probably one of the three most dangerous spiders on our planet. It has a powerful neurotoxin that, for some reason not easily apparent, is more toxic in the male. Unfortunately, males are aggressive and tend to wander in search of females. They are often found in swimming pools where they have fallen while so engaged. They also show up in garages and yards in suburban Sydney. Until the antivenom was produced in 1980, the bite of a male Sydney funnel-web spider was usually fatal. Even the bite of a female or juvenile can be serious.
Like the related diplurid spiders, the hexathelids have generally long spinnerets. Members of the genus Hadronyche can also produce a nasty bite. Most hexathelids are found in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. One species is known for the Mediterranean region and two from South America.
Missing image Victorian_funnelweb02.jpg Victorian Funnelweb Spider | Missing image Victorian_funnelweb.jpg Victorian Funnelweb Spider | Missing image Victorian_funnelweb_side.jpg Victorian Funnelweb Spider |
Missing image Victorian_funnelweb_rear.jpg Victorian Funnelweb Spider |
References
- Main, Barbara York. 1976. Spiders. Collins, Sydney, Australia.
- McKeown, Keith C. 1952. Australian Spiders. Angus and Robertson, Sydney, Australia.
External links
- Arachnology Home Pages: Araneae (http://www.arachnology.org/Arachnology/Pages/Araneae.html)
- Platnick, N.I. 2003. World Spider Catalog (http://research.amnh.org/entomology/spiders/catalog81-87/index.html)