January 4, 2024 – 7:32 pm
A record-sized male specimen of the world's most dangerous spider, the funnel-web spider that can pierce a human nail, has been found in Australia. MTI wrote that the animal was transferred to the Australian Reptile Park, where it can save lives by extracting its venom.
The Sydney funnel spider, named Hercules, was found in the Central Coast region, about 80 kilometers from Sydney, the reptile park said in a statement.
During an investigation by spider experts working in a nearby park, it was confirmed that the animal was the largest male specimen of this species ever found in Australia. Hercules measures 7.9cm long, surpassing the Australian Reptile Park's 2018 record holder, Colossus. You can be a little afraid of him here!
Hercules, the deadliest spider – Photo: Australian Reptile Park
Sydney funnel spiders typically range from 1 to 5 centimeters in length. Females grow larger than males, and their bite is less toxic. They live mostly in forested and suburban areas, from Sydney north to Newcastle and west to the Blue Mountains.
Hercules will participate in the reptile park's antidote program, where a life-saving antidote is produced from venom extracted from spiders.
“We are used to spiders with relatively large funnel webs arriving at the park, but we hit the jackpot with this giant male,” said Emma Tenney, Australian Reptile Park keeper, stressing that this animal is of great value to them. Because they know an enormous amount of poison from a sample this size.
No person has died in Australia from a funnel-web spider bite since the Australian Reptile Park's poison control program began in 1981.
