Nature & Environment

'Megaspider' is so large it can bite through fingernails

By T.K. Randall
November 21, 2021 ·  25 comments

As if funnel web spiders weren't already large enough... Image Credit: CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons As if the spiders in Australia weren't bad enough already, a gargantuan female funnel web spider measuring a whopping 8cm across was recently donated to Australian Reptile Park in Somersby, New South Wales as part of its ongoing anti-venom program.

The spider is particularly unusual because funnel web's usually only grow to a maximum of 5cm.

"In my 30-plus years at the park, I have never seen a funnel web spider this big," said the park's education officer Michael Tate."She is unusually large and if we can get the public to hand in more spiders like her, it will only result in more lives being saved due to the huge amount of venom they can produce."

"People can bring any collected spiders to the reptile park itself. However, if they can't get to us, we have drop off zones around Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle and all facilities are provided with a spider safety kit to house the spiders until the Australian Reptile Park staff can come and pick them up each week."

Funnel web spiders are a particularly deadly species, with the largest specimens reportedly being capable of biting through fingernails and even shoes.

With any luck, this particular monster's venom will go on to help save many lives.


Source: MSN.com | Comments (25)

Tags: Spider