Don't mess with an Aussie Redback Spider

Vince

An office receptionist got the shock of her life earlier this week when she found a 14cm long snake entangled in the web of a deadly spider. Tania Robertson, a receptionist at an electrical firm, came in to work on Tuesday and spotted the strange sight next to a desk in her office. The snake, which had obviously died from the spider's poisonous bite, was off the ground and caught up in the web.

Leon Lotz of the arachnology department at the National Museum said it was only the second time that he had heard of a snake getting caught in a
spider's web. It is believed the snake got caught in the web on Monday night. But it did not take the spider long to bite it. A red mark on the snake's stomach was evidence of where the spider had started eating it.

Throughout Tuesday, the spider checked on her prey, but on Wednesday she rolled it up and started spinning a web around it. She also kept lifting
it higher off the ground, while continually snacking on it. Even a fly that accidentally landed on the snake was chased off aggressively.......

wtf

More to follow.

Cheers, Vince

Vince

last three pics

Something else to think about.....this spider is NOT our deadliest either!!

I had a heap of these spiders around my yard, but the Pest Exterminator gotted 'em all. Very Happy

Cheers, Vince

tikkat3 · Super Member Joined: Jul 30, 2006 Posts: 800

Great photos Vince.
I'd definately leave that spider alone, she is doing a marvelous job.
But I'd be checking under my desk for extra family members.

Vince

Oooo yeah. Redbacks have never really fazed me because they are pretty easy to spot, well their web is easy to identify, and if the web is there...so is the redback.

My eldest daughter lives in Toogooloowah, near Esk, in the Brisbane Valey...red deer country Very Happy

...and you should see the number and size of the redbacks there...enormous.

Cheers, Vince

A17Shooter

Between the spiders, snakes, crocs and those mean jellyfish, stepping outside seems to always be a time to be wary. Shocked

gelandangan

A17Shooter wrote:

Between the spiders, snakes, crocs and those mean jellyfish, stepping outside seems to always be a time to be wary. Shocked

Nah mate.. After a few beer, you sorta develop immunization.. Very Happy

but seriously, if you leave them alone, they leave you alone.. unless that is if they are not hungry Very Happy

besides, redbacks are found indoors too Shocked

hunterjoe21

Why does that red hour-glass shape always mean death?

Vince

hunterjoe21 wrote:

Why does that red hour-glass shape always mean death?

Dunno mate....but its universal right around the world.....sorta says...
"DON'T MESS WIV ME....I'LL @%&# YA UP BIG TIME Evil or Very Mad

!!"

Our Redback spider is related to the Black Widow that you guys have in the US. The worst part about the Redback is they can get real big and they nest in some of the worst places...under seats, park benches, under toilet seats in the old Thunder Box, in the roof space of the house (dropping down through light fittings wtf

@#&%* bugger !!), in and around kids toy tricycles and toy boxes. They ain't real nice.

Cheers, Vince

OntheLasGallinas

Vince,
How big do these spiders get? I think the biggest Black Widow I've ever seen was about an inch and a half across. The Black Widow’s web is random and rather glossy. It is really strong. If you are reaching into a dark area and feel that strong texture, you automatically know what it is. The only spider that we have, that is bigger is the tarantula. We have a smaller version in my area, they only get about 3 inches across. If you don't mess with them, they are not aggressive. If you pick one up and don't scare them, they won't bite. They do have fangs about one-third of an inch long and can inflict a painful bit, although their toxin is not that poison.

My father was bitten on the back by a black widow after sitting in a slatted-back lawn chair. It made a red whelp on his back about 8 inches across, but that was about it. He said that it itched and had a burning sensation. He didn't go to the doctor. The bite mark went away in a couple of days.

Cary

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5944

OntheLasGallinas wrote:

If you pick one up and don't scare them, they won't bite.

Well you are a braver man then I am. Shocked

Not going to pick up a tarantula anytime soon. Will sooner shoot one with a 22LR or air gun if its that close then pick one up. Laughing

Dimitri

Vince

OntheLasGallinas wrote:

Vince,
How big do these spiders get? I think the biggest Black Widow I've ever seen was about an inch and a half across. The Black Widow’s web is random and rather glossy. It is really strong. If you are reaching into a dark area and feel that strong texture, you automatically know what it is. The only spider that we have, that is bigger is the tarantula. We have a smaller version in my area, they only get about 3 inches across. If you don't mess with them, they are not aggressive. If you pick one up and don't scare them, they won't bite. They do have fangs about one-third of an inch long and can inflict a painful bit, although their toxin is not that poison.

My father was bitten on the back by a black widow after sitting in a slatted-back lawn chair. It made a red whelp on his back about 8 inches across, but that was about it. He said that it itched and had a burning sensation. He didn't go to the doctor. The bite mark went away in a couple of days.

Cary

The Redback is similar in size to your Black Widow, but is much more venomous. My Father was bitten on the back of his hand some years back and they gave him anti venom. Redbacks have killed a number of people, mainly the very young and the infirm. Dad reckons it is about the most painful bite he has ever had, even more so than a scorpion.

We have a relative of the Tarantula out here, but it isn't as big. The following link shows the common spiders just in the region in which I live:

Spiders of South East Queensland

I can find probably 50% of these spiders in my yard at one time or another throughout the year.

Cheers, Vince

Morax

i spent a summer in arizona when i was young, 13-14 something like that. my cousin walked into the front "yard" (sand in front of house) with a glass of water told me the infamous "watch this" poured the water into what looked like a mole hole in the ground (about 1-1/2 inch diameter), and this BIG AZZED SPIDER come hauling out of that hole!!! of course I screamed like a little girl and jumpped back he reached right down picked it up and walked away with it!!

I HATE SPIDERS even dead ones!!
oh and this was a mexican red knee trancula or however ya spell it, a big male from what he told me..

another time there was a little 1/4 inch spider that dropped down from the visor in the car, I made lori pull over and i jumped out with the heebi-jeebies while she killed it! I aint too proud to say she does the spider killin here!

hunterjoe21

Morax wrote:

I HATE SPIDERS even dead ones!!

Me too, that's why I truly enjoy makin DEAD ones outa LIVE ones...

Morax wrote:

oh and this was a mexican red knee trancula or however ya spell it, a big male from what he told me..

It woulda been a DEAD "mexican red knee trancula" if that were me...

shrpshtrjoe

You can keep that thing over there Vince Smile

. I don't want anything to do with one of those rascals.
Joe

Vince

shrpshtrjoe wrote:

You can keep that thing over there Vince Smile

. I don't want anything to do with one of those rascals.
Joe

Okay mate...I promise not to send any over your way. We get a few black widows over here on shipping containers and no doubt the occassional redback gets around the same way. In fact bloody fire ants came over here about 5 years ago that way.

They catch redbacks over here and put them into resin gearshift knobs as decoration. Now that is just plain weird.

Cheers, Vince