Spiders: Part II

The Sydney Funnel-web Spider is one of the most deadly of the Australian spiders. We have not seen a live one, but had the chance to see some real preserved ones. On our trip up to Brisbane back in April we stayed with our exchangee's sister in Coff's Harbour, and they have seen a few of these spiders. They live in a rural area about 20 km from the town, on a large acerage, and have many animals, both domesticated and otherwise, on their property. They have been able to catch some of the funnel-webs they have seen and have preserved them in jars, and they kindly let us have a look:





























Their distringuishing characteristisc are the white stripes at the base of the legs, and their robustness!
Here are some links to learn more:
http://www.amonline.net.au/spiders/dangerous/funnelweb/
http://www.austmus.gov.au/factsheets/funnelweb.htm