 Funnel-web, Female  Funnel-web, Male 
|
|
Identification
Full size - hand; leg diameter - letter 'O'. Jet black shiny head; black legs and black to grey (when gravid ) abdomen; abdomen as large as last joint of adult thumb. Slow moving; does not jump, but lunges when aggravated.
Habitat
Cool, dark moist places - litter, staghorns, ferns, logs. Rarely found in outer Brisbane suburbs bordering native forest, e.g. Rochedale, Springbrook, Kenmore, Brookfield, The Gap, Mt Coot-tha. North of Coffs Harbour tends to occur in cool mountainous areas, rainforest, and in cleared pastoral areas (e.g. Maleny, Guyra). Mountain rainforest around Mossman (north Queensland) and from rainforest or moist forests along east coastal fringe; west of Gladstone south to Tas. and SA. Males active in light rain in warm months, October - May in Qld.
Web
Rover, also sits. Burrows not obviously funnel-shaped; under rocks and in banks the strong lines radiate from broad floppy silk entrance; in trees, web appears like an X or T with 3 or 4 entrances.
Bite
Long strong fangs strike vertically like snakes. Bite and stay. Male venom more toxic, severe effects, sometimes death (without antivenom); no deaths recorded from bite of females. Muscular trembling a symptom of bite.
|
