Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia is home to a diverse range of spiders, with an estimated total of 10,000 species. While the majority of these spiders are not dangerously venomous, Australia has its fair share of highly venomous species, including the Sydney funnel-web spider and the redback spider. Among the more distinctive Australian spiders are the huntsman spiders, known for their large size and hairy appearance. The giant huntsman spider, in particular, boasts a leg span of up to 12 inches, earning its place as the largest known huntsman spider in the world. Other notable Australian spider families include the ant-eating spiders, assassin spiders, Australian tarantulas, and the false wolf spiders, each with their own unique characteristics and adaptations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of spider species in Australia | 10,000 |
| Number of spider genera in Australia | 381 |
| Number of spider families in Australia | 78 |
| Average body length of Lamponidae spiders | 3 to 13 mm |
| Average body length of huntsman spiders | 1.8 cm |
| Average leg span of huntsman spiders | 15 cm |
| Maximum leg span of huntsman spiders | 25-30 cm |
| Maximum body length of huntsman spiders | 4.6 cm |
| Maximum leg span of giant huntsman spiders | 30 cm |
| Maximum body length of giant huntsman spiders | 11.8 inches |
| Leg span of giant huntsman spiders | 12 inches |
| Weight of goliath birdeater tarantula | 6 ounces |
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What You'll Learn
Huntsman spiders: leg span of up to 15 cm
Huntsman spiders, members of the family Sparassidae, are known for their large size and distinctive appearance. They are typically grey or brown with patterns that provide excellent camouflage under loose bark, rock crevices, or leaf litter. While the body of a huntsman spider is relatively small—measuring about 1.8 cm (0.7 in) long—they can have an impressive leg span of up to 15 cm (5.9 in) on average, with some reports of larger spans.
The giant huntsman spider (Heteropoda maxima) is the largest species within the huntsman family. Native to Southeast Asia, particularly Laos, this spider boasts a remarkable leg span of 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in), earning its title as the world's largest spider by leg span. Its size and long legs often make it appear more fearsome than it is, and its unique leg structure gives it a crab-like gait, setting it apart from typical spiders.
Huntsman spiders are often confused with tarantulas due to their hairy nature. However, their distinguishing trait is their long, angular, crab-like legs, which help them move swiftly forward and sideways. They are also known as giant crab spiders because of their size and appearance. Larger species may be referred to as wood spiders due to their preference for woody habitats, such as forests, mine shafts, and woodpiles.
Huntsman spiders are expert hunters, actively chasing their prey rather than relying on webs. They are incredibly fast and agile, making them effective predators of insects, small lizards, and other arthropods. While they generally avoid humans, they can bite if they feel seriously threatened. However, their venom is mild, and their bites are typically no worse than a bee sting.
In Australia, huntsman spiders are among the most common arachnids found in homes. They are known for their pest control abilities, snacking on insects like cockroaches and mosquitoes. So, while their size and appearance may be startling, they are mostly harmless to humans and can even be considered helpful housemates.
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Sydney funnel-web spiders: highly venomous
The Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus) is a species of venomous mygalomorph spider native to eastern Australia, usually found within a 100 km (62 mi) radius of Sydney. It is one of the world's most medically significant spiders and is regarded by some as the most deadly in terms of clinical cases and venom toxicity. The Sydney funnel-web spider is a large, black, aggressive spider with large, powerful fangs that can penetrate fingernails and soft shoes. Its body length ranges from 1 to 5 cm (0.4 to 2 in), and it has a glossy appearance with dark colouring ranging from blue-black to shades of brown or dark plum.
The venom of the Sydney funnel-web spider is highly toxic to humans and other primates, with the male spider possessing a more potent venom than the female. The lethal dose of venom in humans is unknown, but it has been determined that 0.2 mg/kg is lethal for crab-eating macaques, and higher doses are lethal for two-day-old mice. The average venom yield for a male Sydney funnel-web spider is 0.81 mg. The venom contains delta-atracotoxin, an ion channel inhibitor that does not affect the nervous system of other mammals but has rapid and fatal effects on primates. The bite of a Sydney funnel-web spider is initially very painful, with clear fang marks, and the spider often strikes repeatedly.
Sydney funnel-web spiders are mostly terrestrial and favour habitats with moist sand and clay, where they build silk-lined tubular burrows with collapsed "tunnels" or open "funnel" entrances. They are commonly found in suburban rockeries, shrubberies, garages, yards, and swimming pools, and they often fall into pools while wandering. These spiders are attracted to water and can survive immersion for several hours, even delivering a bite when removed from the water. They typically inject their venom into prey, which includes insects, lizards, or frogs, but they do not always inject venom when biting humans. About 10 to 25% of bites produce significant toxicity, and all bites should be treated as potentially life-threatening.
Prior to the development of an antivenom in 1981, there were 13 known fatalities associated with Sydney funnel-web spider bites. Since the introduction of the antivenom, there have been no recorded deaths, and hospital stays for bite victims have been significantly shortened. The antivenom is produced using venom from male Sydney funnel-web spiders, and it is effective against the venom of all species of atracids. The pressure immobilisation method of first aid should be employed for bites by large black spiders in the Sydney area, and medical attention should be sought promptly.
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Lampona cylindrata: common species in Australia
The average size of a spider in Australia varies depending on the species. Some common species in Australia include the white-tailed spider, huntsman spider, and the funnel-web spider. One of the most common species of spider in Australia is the Lampona cylindrata, also known as the white-tailed spider.
Lampona cylindrata, or the white-tailed spider, is a common species of spider found in Australia. It is native to the country and can be found across south-east Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia. This species has also been introduced to New Zealand, where it has become widespread throughout the North and South Islands since the 1980s.
Lampona cylindrata was first described by Ludwig Carl Christian Koch in 1866. The species name "cylindrata" refers to its cylindrical body shape. The spiders are slender with a dark reddish to grey, cigar-shaped body and dark orange-brown banded legs. The female Lampona cylindrata can grow up to 18 mm in length, while males reach up to 12 mm. Their leg span is approximately 28 mm.
These spiders are vagrant hunters that seek out and envenom their prey rather than spinning a web. They are most active at night and their preferred prey is other spiders, especially the black house spider (Badumna insignis) and the brown house spider (Badumna longinqua). Lampona cylindrata live in gardens, inside houses, and beneath bark and rocks.
Bites from Lampona cylindrata have been reported to cause minor symptoms such as a red mark, local itchiness, swelling, and pain. In rare cases, bites can also lead to more severe symptoms like nausea, vomiting, malaise, or headaches. There have been concerns and reports about necrosis and ulcers from Lampona cylindrata bites, but a scientific study by Isbister and Gray (2003) suggested that these issues were caused by other factors, primarily infections.
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Daddy long-legs spiders: a family of Australian spiders
The Pholcidae are a family of araneomorph spiders that includes the species commonly known as the daddy long-legs spider. Daddy long-legs spiders are easily recognised by their extremely long, skinny legs and small body. They are a common "house spider", setting up their webs in the corners of rooms, under furniture, behind doors, in sheds, garages, and under decks—any sheltered positions where they are unlikely to be disturbed. They are found throughout Australia, though they are believed to have originated in Europe.
Daddy long-legs spiders have eight eyes, two of which are enormously enlarged and face forwards. They are sometimes called cellar spiders because they are often found in basements. They are also known as vibrating spiders due to their threat response when disturbed: they vibrate rapidly in a gyrating motion in their web, becoming a blur to anyone watching. This behaviour may make it difficult for a predator to locate or strike the spider, or it may be a signal to a rival to stay away.
The body length of the daddy long-legs spider is around 9 mm, while their legs can be up to 50 mm long. They vary in colour from beige to pale brown, and some species have different colour patterns. For example, the Marbled Cellar Spider (Holocnemus pluchei) has a strongly patterned abdomen with a dark stripe on the underside.
There is a persistent belief that the daddy long-legs spider has the most toxic venom of all spiders. However, this is a myth. While daddy long-legs spiders are capable of biting humans, their venom is not medically significant. Their fangs are small, at approximately 0.25 mm, and while they can penetrate human skin, the result is only a mild, short-lived burning sensation. This myth may have arisen because the daddy long-legs spider preys upon deadly venomous spiders, such as the redback.
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Giant huntsman spiders: the largest spider by leg span
Giant huntsman spiders, scientifically known as Heteropoda maxima, are the largest spiders in the world by leg span. They were first discovered in 2001 by German arachnologist Peter Jäger in a cave in Laos. They are believed to be cave dwellers because of their pale colour, long legs, and special hairs on the second foot of the male.
The giant huntsman spider is a species of the huntsman spider family Sparassidae. They are found in Laos and are believed to live near cave entrances rather than in complete darkness. This is because they do not have reduced eyes like other cave-dwelling organisms. They are also prevalent in Africa, Australia, and South America. They can be found in some warm American states such as Florida, California, and Texas. They are also native to tropical and warm temperate regions worldwide.
The giant huntsman spider has a leg span of 25-30 cm (9.8-11.8 inches) and a body length of 4.6 cm (1.8 inches). Its legs are typically banded with brown or grey markings, and its body is yellowish-brown with several irregularly distributed dark spots. The eyes of the giant huntsman spider appear in two forward-facing rows of four.
The giant huntsman spider is not considered dangerous to humans. It rarely bites humans, and its bite typically causes only mild symptoms. It feeds on insects, small rodents, and reptiles. Like most spiders, it uses venom to immobilize its prey.
The giant huntsman spider is often confused with tarantulas due to its size and hairy nature. However, it can be distinguished by its laterigrade legs, similar to those of crabs. It is also commonly mistaken for a brown recluse spider due to their shared colouring. However, the brown recluse's venom is much more dangerous to humans than that of the giant huntsman spider.
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Frequently asked questions
Spider sizes vary greatly in Australia, with some spiders having a body length of 3 to 13 mm, while others can be as large as 4.6 cm, not including their leg span. The average huntsman spider, for example, has a body length of about 1.8 cm and a leg span of up to 15 cm.
The average huntsman spider in Australia has a body length of about 1.8 cm and a leg span of up to 15 cm.
Yes, there are various huntsman spiders in Australia, including the banded huntsman (Holconia), which is large and grey to brown with striped bands on its legs, and the badge huntsman (Neosparassus), which is brown and hairy.
The giant huntsman spider (Heteropoda maxima) is the largest spider in Australia and the world by leg span, reaching up to 11.8 to 12 inches (about 30 cm).
Australia is known for its highly venomous spiders, including the Sydney funnel-web spider and the redback spider, whose bites can be extremely painful and, in some cases, fatal. However, it's important to note that most Australian spiders' venom is not considered dangerously toxic, and no deaths from spider bites in Australia have been substantiated since 1979.
