A deadly funnel-web spider with a leg span of 10cm (about 4in) is the largest specimen ever handed in to Australia's only venom-milking programme.
The spider, named Big Boy, has been handed to the Australian Reptile Park, which milks spiders to make anti-venom.
The park's venom programme supervisor, Billy Collett, said he had not heard of a bigger specimen.
"There might be one at a museum, but this is the biggest one we've had in our venom programme," Mr Collett said.
Big Boy is a male Sydney funnel-web spider, which is the deadliest spider in Australia and one of the most venomous in the world.
The average leg span of a funnel-web is between 6cm and 7cm.
Mr Collett said earlier reports that Big Boy's size was 7.5cm were based on an incorrect measurement taken when the spider's legs were not fully extended.
Big Boy will now become one of more than 500 funnel-webs that are milked for venom at the Australian Reptile Park.
"We get them into a defence position and with a glass pipette we vacuum the venom right off their fangs," Mr Collett said.
The venom is used in the production of anti-venom for treating funnel-web bites, which can be fatal.
The Australian Reptile Park encourages adults to collect funnel-webs if they come across them in the wild so they can be used for venom milking.
Spider facts
Named after their irregularly-shaped webs, funnel-web spiders live in moist habitats - such as under logs or shrubbery - or rotting parts of trees.
They sometimes fall into swimming pools, where they can live up to 30 hours under water.
Their venom can lead to heart collapse, affect the nervous system and intestines, and cause difficulty in breathing.
There have been 13 recorded deaths from funnel-web spider bites in Australia - nobody has died since the anti-venom programme began.
Sources: Australian Museum, US National Library of Medicine
Spider milk
Spider milk
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
-
MajGenl.Meade
- Posts: 21238
- Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:51 am
- Location: Groot Brakrivier
- Contact:
Re: Spider milk
Heck with the venom... I'd have heart collapse if the bastard was anywhere near meTheir venom can lead to heart collapse
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
-
oldr_n_wsr
- Posts: 10838
- Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 1:59 am
Re: Spider milk
Wear big boots. The better to stomp on them
Re: Spider milk
I'd love a job milking spiders and snakes! 
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
Re: Spider milk
Then maybe you should get a gig setting up political fund raisers for large donors...BoSoxGal wrote:I'd love a job milking spiders and snakes!
-
Bicycle Bill
- Posts: 9745
- Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2015 1:10 pm
- Location: Living in a suburb of Berkeley on the Prairie along with my Yellow Rose of Texas
Re: Spider milk
BoSoxGal wrote:I'd love a job milking spiders and snakes!
-"BB"-
Yes, I suppose I could agree with you ... but then we'd both be wrong, wouldn't we?
Re: Spider milk
That would be whore-ific.Lord Jim wrote:Then maybe you should get a gig setting up political fund raisers for large donors...BoSoxGal wrote:I'd love a job milking spiders and snakes!
Re: Spider milk
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
Re: Spider milk
speaking of milking snakes......
I still think that BSG and BB should hook up.
even misery loves company.
yrs
rusty the patched bumblebee
I still think that BSG and BB should hook up.
even misery loves company.
yrs
rusty the patched bumblebee