Check out Australia's spider population :D

K.I.L.E.R said:
http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/

Look under the heading:

"Spiders and their relatives"
Struth! I'd never even heard of the mouse spider.... " A male M. bradleyi caused a serious envenomation in a child in the Brisbane region"... They're as ugly as funnelwebs.

I used to see quite a few St. Andrew's Cross and Golden Orb spiders as well as the ubiquitous Huntsman (big and hairy but harmless** and usually trapped in the bath ).

**Err make that "almost harmless".
 
I once saw a small huntsman spider in my small dorm room. Fortunately I've never seen it again. There are many big huntsman spiders living in my home though (my mother and my sister will take care of them if they dare to show up :) )
 
Huntsmen make good pets. I remember seeing one the size of my head. It's legs are massive, stepping on one is like stepping on a puppy. :oops:

PS: I have never stepped on a puppy, I'm speaking metaphorically.
 
I have always been a little concerned by the fact that Funnel Web venom seems targeted at primate nervous systems. Given that their aren't really any primates native to Australia.
Could it be that the general fear of spiders many people have is down to some instinct inherited from a time when spiders where a real danger?

CC
 
You mean like 50ft spiders eating humans in the prehistoric era?

When have spiders ever been a large threat to humans?

A few years ago I was watching Today Tonight and this family had hundreds of funnel webs in thier backyard.
The whackiest thing about it is that funnel webs are not common at all in Victoria. They are rare down here.

Spiders are not the type of species that would go out of their way to hurt/kill a human. A funnel web is more likely to run away from you then bite you, unless you are provoking it until it hits boiling point which in case it would try to strike you. Then again if you provoke anyone until they reach boiling point they will kick your ass. :D

I have always wandered, if you pick a spider by it's back and it's fangs can't hurt you, will the back of the spider secrete poison to hurt you? Or is it safe to pick up a spider by it's back assuming it's fangs can't touch you?
 
K.I.L.E.R said:
I have always wandered, if you pick a spider by it's back and it's fangs can't hurt you, will the back of the spider secrete poison to hurt you? Or is it safe to pick up a spider by it's back assuming it's fangs can't touch you?

Remember that part you mentioned about pissing the spider off? Picking it up would do that.

But no, the spiders venom comes from its fangs. If it can't bite you, it can't envenomate you.

Though some tarantulas can shoot spines which are irritants.
 
Hehe. Spiders, you got to love them. :D
I wander if I can ever grow fangs of a tarantula with the venom of a funnel web. :)

RussSchultz said:
K.I.L.E.R said:
I have always wandered, if you pick a spider by it's back and it's fangs can't hurt you, will the back of the spider secrete poison to hurt you? Or is it safe to pick up a spider by it's back assuming it's fangs can't touch you?

Remember that part you mentioned about pissing the spider off? Picking it up would do that.

But no, the spiders venom comes from its fangs. If it can't bite you, it can't envenomate you.

Though some tarantulas can shoot spines which are irritants.
 
K.I.L.E.R said:
Hehe. Spiders, you got to love them. :D
I wander if I can ever grow fangs of a tarantula with the venom of a funnel web. :)

You can try to seperate the genes of the venom of a funnel web spider, and inject it into an egg of a tarantula. Perhaps you'll succeed (although I think it'll end up a dead tarantula :p ).
 
pcchen said:
K.I.L.E.R said:
Hehe. Spiders, you got to love them. :D
I wander if I can ever grow fangs of a tarantula with the venom of a funnel web. :)

You can try to seperate the genes of the venom of a funnel web spider, and inject it into an egg of a tarantula. Perhaps you'll succeed (although I think it'll end up a dead tarantula :p ).

How would I get fangs the size of the tarantula and the venom of the funnel web? :D
 
K.I.L.E.R said:
How would I get fangs the size of the tarantula and the venom of the funnel web? :D

Wait, you mean you want fangs grow on your face or in your mouth?
Perhaps you should find a dentist to help you. :)
 
my father in Sydney was bitten by a Funnel-web in the middle of the city. just standing by a post-box and it leapt out and bit his foot! he had to be immobilised and taken to hospital immediately. nasty venemous little bastards...
 
K.I.L.E.R said:
You mean like 50ft spiders eating humans in the prehistoric era?

When have spiders ever been a large threat to humans?

A few years ago I was watching Today Tonight and this family had hundreds of funnel webs in thier backyard.
The whackiest thing about it is that funnel webs are not common at all in Victoria. They are rare down here.

Spiders are not the type of species that would go out of their way to hurt/kill a human. A funnel web is more likely to run away from you then bite you, unless you are provoking it until it hits boiling point which in case it would try to strike you. Then again if you provoke anyone until they reach boiling point they will kick your ass. :D

I have always wandered, if you pick a spider by it's back and it's fangs can't hurt you, will the back of the spider secrete poison to hurt you? Or is it safe to pick up a spider by it's back assuming it's fangs can't touch you?


I was merely speculating as to why their venom is most effective against primates when they have only been exposed to them (us) for a relatively short period of time evolutionary speaking.

Many species of Tarantula have irticating hairs which are used as an initial defence mechanism, they rub their legs against their rump which sends up a cloud of these hairs.

I had a pet Chilean Rose tarantula when I was younger. He never bit me, but the damned crickets I was feeding him did!

CC
 
About 25 years ago there was a fascinating book called "Venomous Australia" it catalogue some of our more dealier snakes, spiders an marine life.

In a nutshell there aren't many creatures in Australia that would eat you whole - (out of the water but sharks and crocodile attacks are rare - even though on occassion a shark will exceed 18 feet and crocs can grow over 22 feet). But on land or sea venomous things have a huge variety snakes, spiders, fish, octpuses, box jelly fish. Its fair to say 9 out of the 10 of the most poisonous creatures in world - in every category - live here.

And nobody seems to care much - unless they're bitten which is not too frequent but can often be fatal. We have many supplies of anti-venom, but brush against a box jelly fish and you'd better be within 20 minutes of a major hospital by helicopter. The real danger is the remoteness and sheer size and emptiness of Australia. The average population density is about 1 person per 200 square miles - cause with more beaches than the equator is long - most folk live within 10 miles of the coast - generally the East coast.

/Aside - ever wonder why a country with the population of New York City - 20 million - spread across a land mass the size of the USA regularily wins world championship water events (swimming, surfing, sailing etc) so often its like we invented the game? Well every generation of Australian practically live on the beach. Remember Susie Marohany's swim from Cuba to the USA - name one Amercian man who could do that? If you want to beat Ian Thorpe in the pool you better have an outboard motor and plenty of petrol! :)

The point is get into trouble in the outback - and 98% of Australia is outback - and you're a long way from help. Possibly thousands of miles. Dying of thirst, exposure is probably more dangerous generally than wildlife. We have cattle ranches larger than Texas - you do you round ups with fleets of helicopters and measure cattle ranches in the hundreds of thousands of square miles. So the Australian outback is a perfect place for absolute solutide.
 
g__day said:
About 25 years ago there was a fascinating book called "Venomous Australia" it catalogue some of our more dealier snakes, spiders an marine life.
But you've got to put it into perspective and remember that the most deadly creature in Aus, by a huge factor, is "nonequinus automobilis". :).... so beware crossing tbe roads kids.
 
But you've got to put it into perspective and remember that the most deadly creature in Aus, by a huge factor, is "nonequinus automobilis".

You're not kidding - barely a month goes by in Neighbours without somebody getting knocked over by a car! :p
 
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