It is pretty funny before we make the move to Australia our lovely friends who are already here regularly tell us about the big crazy spiders in Australia.
Only to leave us checking our shoes and adding to the stress of making a move over.
The reality is the majority of people will see none of these during their working holiday visa in Australia.
But to make you feel even better, I have decided to list the most venomous spiders in Australia.
Australia’s spider reputation is bigger than its bite: a death in April 2016 was the country’s first recorded spider-caused death since 1981.
The info is from the Australian Geographic magazine so you can read more upon the lovely spiders here.
Okay, brace yourself.
5th Most venomous spider in Australia: Trap door spiders(Idiopidae family)
Danger Level: Medium
This lovely critter is named after their habit of camouflaging the entrance of their burrow to trick their prey into falling inside.
A trap door spider waiting for its prey
Trap door spiders cause only minor symptoms for humans, generally inflicting only localised pain, but sometimes nausea, lethargy and malaise.
The above pictures of the trap door spider don’t freak you out then maybe this video will spark your interest.
*I did warn you*
4th Most venomous spider in Australia: Mouse spider (Missulena sp.)
Danger Level: Medium
There are eight species of mouse spider found all across Australia.
You can find them in burrows, often near rivers or waterways, and can occasionally be found in suburban areas.
Male mouse spider, isn’t he lovely?
No fatalities have been linked to their bites, but they are very venomous.
3rd Most venomous spider in Australia: Redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti)
Danger Level: High
I saw quite a few of these doing my regional work a few years ago. You do not want to get bitten by these!
May be life-threatening to a child but is rarely serious for an adult.
There are approximately 2000 recorded redback spider bites each year in Australia, and about 250 receive anti-venom.
No deaths have been recorded since anti-venom was introduced in the 1950s.
The main symptom of a redback spider bite is a severe and persistent pain.
Most serious bites are from the female redback spider, which measures about 1cm long (bigger than males) and is recognisable by the well-known red stripe on its back
Cupboard spiders (Steatoda sp.) are often mistaken for redbacks, and they produce similar symptoms, though their venom is less potent. Redback venom is effective against these bites.
2nd Most venomous spider in Australia: Other funnel-webs
There are about 40 species of funnel-web spiders in Australia, but only six have been reported to cause severe envenomation, with victims generally around southern Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Two of the most dangerous include the northern tree funnel-web spider and the southern tree funnel-web spider.
The most venomous spider in Australia: Sydney funnel-web (Atrax robustus)
LOOK AT THOSE FANGS!
Danger Level: High
With highly toxic venom produced in large amounts and large fangs to inject it, the Sydney funnel-web is without a doubt the deadliest spider in Australia, and possibly the world.
Though just 1.5-3.5cm big, the Sydney Funnel-web has fangs larger than a brown snake’s and so powerful they can even pierce through nails and toenails.
Their venom has a compound that can attack the human nervous system and alter the functioning of all organs and, when coming from a male, can kill.
One in six bites causes a severe reaction, but since the antivenom has been made available, in 1981, no fatalities have been recorded.
How many of these spiders have you seen in Australia?
Check out the video below if the above five spiders in Australia have not freaked you out haha.
Be sure to Pin this image to your Pinterest boards and give it a share with your friends who are making the move to Oz.
Pin Me