Australia is the continent of the most dangerous animals in the world. Spiders in Australia are the cause of many phobias, a multitude of beliefs and indeed responsible for fatal envenomations in the past. However, no mortality directly due to one of their bites has been recorded in the country since 1979. A single suspicious death following a Redback bite dates back to 2016, but the circumstances seem rather vague as to the treatment that followed.
There are a large number of spider types in Australia, ranging from small, very colorful and harmless specimens like peacock spiders to gigantic but relatively calm Huntsman and Golden silk orb-weaver. Discover a little more about the spiders of Australia, the species, the risks and some useful advice.
The danger of spiders in Australia
Of the approximately 10,000 species present in Australia (approximately 2,700 officially described), only a few families are potentially dangerous to humans. The vast majority of these species are harmless.
The two most dangerous groups are those commonly known as Funnel web spiders (which include 3 genera of spiders) and Redback spiders. Then come the Mouse spiders which can also cause serious envenomation, even if none has ever been lethal!
You should know that many bites are called blank bite, that is to say without injection of venom.
Which spiders are dangerous in Australia?
Have a look at the pictures and guess in which of the following category those spiders in Australia belong.
- Category A: Spider is deadly & dangerous
- Category B: Spider is toxic. That means poisonous. Its bites is very painful.
- Category C: Spider is a “low risk” spider. Spider can be beneficial in the control of flies & mosquitos…
Just click on the question to get the solution and more information about our (sometimes not so) little friends…and by the way…body size means body size – not total size including legs.
Wolf Spider
Huntsman Spider
.
Female & Male Funnel-Web
Saint Andrew’s Cross
White-Tail Spider
.
Female & Male Mouse Spider
Garden Orb-Weaving
Black House Spider
Female Trap-Door
..
Red-Back Spider
Congratulation, you just finished the spider quiz! We hope that no matter if you’re an expert or not you won’t come across too many spiders in Australia!
Spiders Chart – overview
What to do if bitten ?
In the event of a bite, you may see redness appear on your skin up to 24 hours later, with itching or irritation.
- Disinfect the bite area
- Apply ice to prevent redness and swelling
- If in doubt, go to the pharmacy
- If symptoms appear (sharp pain, fever, body aches) go to the emergency room or to the doctor asap.
Source & Pictures: spiders.com.au
