Australian funnel-web spider Facts & INFORMATION

Funnel-web spiders live in the moist forest regions of the east coast and highlands of Australia from Tasmania to north Queensland . They are also found in the drier open forests of the Western Slopes of the Great Dividing Range and South Australia’s Gulf region.

australian funnel-web spider habitat

Funnel-webs burrow in moist, cool, sheltered habitats – under rocks, in and under rotting logs, crevices, rot and borer holes in rough-barked trees . In gardens, they prefer rockeries and dense shrubberies, and are rarely found in more open situations like lawns.

australian funnel-web spider life cycle

Funnel-webs mature in about two to four years, with the females living to ten or more years, and the males dying about six to nine months after maturity . The spider’s famous bite is dangerous and can cause serious illness or death.

Are there Australian funnel-web spiders in the US?

How aggressive are Sydney funnel web spiders?

The Sydney Funnel Web Spider is not aggressive by nature, but will show aggression if threatened . Sydney Funnel Web Spiders reside in moist (sandy clay, shale or basaltic soils) sheltered burrows in the ground, under rocks or logs, or in stumps, and tree trunks.

Is the Sydney funnel-web spider the deadliest spider?

What is so dangerous about the Sydney funnel-web spider? – Quora. I’m glad you asked! This one is known as the word’s deadliest spider , yet some would also argue that it’s the Brazilian Wandering Spider. However, there are a few key things that make this one close to the worst.

Where Australian funnel-web spiders live

Funnel-web spiders live in the moist forest regions of the east coast and highlands of Australia from Tasmania to north Queensland. They are also found in the drier open forests of the Western Slopes of the Great Dividing Range and South Australia’s Gulf region. Funnel-webs of the genus Atrax have a much smaller distribution than do the more diverse members of the genus Hadronyche. The Sydney Funnel-web Spider, Atrax robustus, is found from Newcastle to Nowra and west as far as Lithgow in New South Wales.

An antivenom for the Sydney Funnel-web Spider was first developed for clinical use in 1981 by Dr Struan Sutherland and his team at the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories. No deaths have occurred since its introduction. At the same time Sutherland experimentally established the effectiveness of the compression/immobilisation first aid technique for funnel-web bite. Much of the venom for this research was supplied through a funnel-web venom milking program at the Australian Reptile Park near Gosford, NSW. This antivenom has also been effective against other dangerous funnel-web spider species. As well, it has been successfully used in cases of mouse spider envenomation. Antivenom is held at major city and regional hospitals.

Barn Spider Basics

Araneus Cavaticus

Range and Habitat

These spiders are mainly distributed across the United States and Canada, particularly in the northeastern region. They enjoy dwelling in:

• Barns
• Sheds
• Porches
• Other man-made structures

Physical Appearance

A barn spider exhibits a unique appearance, characterized by:

• Grey, yellow, or brown coloration
• Black and white markings
• An overall orb-weaver body shape

Size and Sexual Dimorphism

Barn spiders exhibit sexual dimorphism, meaning the males and females differ in size:

• Females: 7.5 to 11.5 millimeters
• Males: 6 to 9 millimeters

Comparison of Barn Spider Size by Gender

Poor Eyesight and Sensing Vibrations

Despite being predators, barn spiders have poor eyesight.

To compensate, they rely on sensing vibrations through their webs. This helps them:

• Detect trapped prey
• Identify potential threats
• Monitor the condition of their web

Nocturnal Activities

Barn spiders are mostly nocturnal, which means they are most active during the night. Below is a comparison of their day and night activities:

Spiderlings

Upon hatching, the spiderlings, which are tiny replicas of the adult spiders, emerge from the egg sacs. They:

• Go through several molting stages to grow
• Disperse by ballooning, where they travel through the air on a strand of silk

Lifespan

Barn Spiders have a relatively short lifespan. Here are some quick facts about their lifespans:

Appearance

As there are many species of funnel weaver spiders found in the United States, the range of appearances of this family of spiders varies a great deal.

Length : Generally these spiders range in body size (not including the span of their legs) from about 1/5 of an inch to about 3/4 of an inch.

Color : Coloration is generally brownish or grayish and their legs and other body parts are hairy and often have bands and markings that are darker in color.

Body : Some of the most commonly seen funnel weaver spiders have a long, tail-like structure that extends from the rear end of the body. This structure is used for spinning their webs.

Webs : Other than their physical appearance, funnel weaver spiders can be identified by the appearance of their webs. These webs are distinctive and generally have a horizontal, flat surface for capturing prey, plus a small funnel shaped tube that leads to a silk burrow that functions as a protective hiding place.

Sources of food are primarily insects, although some funnel weavers may cannibalize their own species. Spider experts think this could simply involve the fact that since these spiders are often in such close proximity to each other they may wander onto each others’ webs becoming accidental victims.

Geographic Range

Various species of funnel weavers can be found throughout North America, including remote areas such as Alaska and Hawaii.

The spiders can be found in man-made structures like barns and sheds, which may be inhabited with prey. Sometimes, funnel weavers are found in cluttered basements and crawlspaces inhabited with small crawling insect prey.

As soon as males reach sexual maturity, they begin wandering the environment in search of mates. After finding a female and mating several times, a male funnel weaver soon dies off.

Females remain by their webs their entire lives and only tend to leave to find new locations to build webs. Not known to seek out mates, female funnel weavers wait for wandering males to find them.

Most of the female’s time is spent capturing or feeding on prey in order to build the strength necessary for mating and egg production. After producing eggs and hiding the egg sac in a crevice, the female dies.