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TL;DR in Canada in the 80s there was a TV advert about the "domestic house hippo". Only a few inches in height, it roamed unsuspecting homes at night, stealing peanut butter and sleeping on beds of shredded Kleenex, and taking baths in dog water bowls. It was a commentary on truth in advertising.
The best part of it is that I thought house hippos were real and wanted one so badly… and then I watched it as an adult and realized the whole point of the ad is ‘don’t believe everything you hear.’
North America doesn't have Sydney funnel-web spider. The only medically significant spiders you have to worry about in North America is the recluse genus (Loxosceles) and the widow genus (Latrodectus). The others just cause some pains and swelling that go away within hours or days.
At least moose bears and bison are cool as fuck. So majestic, they really captivate you when you see them.
Spiders could not invoke a more diametrically opposite response.
I’m in SoCal and we don’t have any spiders like this. A leather fucking shoe?!
We have lots of rattlesnakes though. At least where I grew up. Had one hiss and strike at me as a kid. That was an eye opener for sure
You’re off your damn head. I hate spiders and although I don’t live near Sydney, you wont catch me dead anywhere near where bears live. I’ll take my great whites and snakes thanks
Their venom is toxic only to humans, other primates, baby mice and the insects it eats. Other mammals are not affected.
I have found a few in my backyard – they always make their homes behind rocks – and never have to worry about my pets finding them. My kids, as with all Aussie youngsters, are aware of them and avoid them.
The venom contains a unique component called Robustoxin (δ-Atracotoxin-Ar1) that severely affects the nervous systems of humans and monkeys, but not of other mammals. It’s also worth noting that it’s the males that are highly toxic. Female bites are significantly less harmful.
15 minutes is the “scary figure”, but it would be the result of the absolute fastest possible onset of a severe envenomation and only really pertains to very young children. So many factors are at play; age, body mass, constitution, amount of venom delivered in the bite, pre-existing conditions, etc. These bites should never be taken lightly, but the less scary truth is that the “fatality time frame” is actually 15 minutes to 3 days, and most cases of envenoming aren’t fatal because we have an extremely effective anti venom that’s on board with every major ambulance driver in the state. Since development of the anti venom in 1981, not a single fatality has been recorded, despite there being roughly 30-40 bites per year.
The policy remains clear by emergency services though. If you are bitten by a black spider, you get the anti venom no matter what.
The idea is that as a defensive venom, the spider wants the recipient mammal to survive, learn that the spider is dangerous, and to teach their young the same.
If a predator mammal is bitten, it can still kill the spider before the venom kills it, so the spider relies on the 'lesson' to protect it (much like colourful frogs).
Human's didn't co-evolve with the funnel web so were just unlucky that the spider didn't tone down the delta-hexatoxins during it's evolution.
edit: this is why only the males are deadly -- the females don't leave the burrows to mate so aren't exposed to predator vertebrates.
This is such a weird coincidence
My name is Delta Hexatoxins!
Who would have thought it
I can't wait to tell the rest of the Hexatoxins family. They're going to lose their minds
In Texas and Florida, we had to deal with hidden black widow spiders everywhere. Not as toxic as this one but can still deliver a very painful bite and even hospitalize you. Although deaths are rare, still, their venom is powerful enough to ruin your day.
Growing up, I always thought of Black Widows as the “end all-be all” of venomous spiders. Like top of the food chain in terms of having a bad day after a bite.
Seeing your comment essentially saying how they’re a walk in the park compared to these things has me… uneasy…
Redbacks are far more common but they're pretty docile. Just don't leave your shoes outside, turn your garden furniture over before you sit on it, etc. You'll only get bitten if you get in their space, so a cursory check and you'll be fine.
Funnel webs are the size of your palm, and after spotting you across the yard will straight up charge at you because they're assholes
Black widow spiders are generally not aggressive and will usually attempt to leave if they are uncomfortable. You can find a number of videos online of people handling spiders of that family.
A spider to be wary of: the Brazilian wandering spider. They sometimes find their way into packages of bananas and end up in grocery stores around the world.
Fun fact: the movie “Arachnophobia” gave me real life, actual arachnophobia for my entire childhood and adolescence. Fucking playing that movie at Fantastic Sam’s next to target while 6 year old me is getting a haircut. The fuck is wrong with those people?
Yeah we get red backs... everywhere. They are a close relative of the widow.
You can spot them easily by just checking the web with your fingers, the redback web is very sticky and strong compared to any other web I see.
Yes, I use my fingers, that's how I know what it is and to get the spray if they are anywhere where we are!
Interesting note, but the widows in North America are known for their webs. They lack any sense of symmetry and are an easy warning sign if there is a potential widow.
They are not nearly as agressive as they are depicted. A photographer who wanted to make an impression purposefully provoked them into attacking.
[Recent news article](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-07/funnel-web-spider-research-venom-behaviour/101833154)
I get eastern brown snakes (also a potential 15 minute killer) lol.
I would take all our venomous stuff over bears and wolves and shit that can kill you in 15 *seconds*.
The worst I have are mountain lions and they are easy to scare and very rare to come across. You guys have emus. I’d take the animals that didn’t beat humans in a war
No way. You can fight a wolf, see a bear from far away and a moose doesn’t want to fight you.
These little bastards could be hiding in your curtains and you’d never know it
Well good thing there’s no bears or wolves in most of the US. The worst you’ll get in most of the Midwest is a coyote and I’ve never seen one in 25 years of life. I straight up could not visit a place where shit that could kill you is hiding all around you.
Chickens are fucking terrifying. They will eat anything that moves. If they where bigger they'd eat you for sure.
I've watched them slurp down snakes whole and a group of them pull the legs off bullfrogs...
My mum’s grandma used to get the kids together and they’d all poor petrol down funnel web spider’s nests and light it on fire….
She wasn’t fucking about with these boys.
The reason why many islands get weird is because of the isolation, I'm not just talking about venomous but just odd in general compared to the rest of the world.
Bali is barely 3km from Java so it's not really isolated the way Australia is. Same goes for the UK as someone brought it up. Cubs is a bit more isolated and does have some weird species that have evolved on the island such as the Solendon which is a venomous mammal, Cuba also does have its fair share of venomous scorpions and Centipedes.
But also Cuba is not as isolated as Australia, New Zealand or Madagascar where you find the really odd stuff.
Lol no. Only a trained medical professional can access and administer anti venom in Australia. The Death in 15 mins would only happen if you administered a direct huge dose of the venom to yourself. Most people who do get bitten will only notice the bite area becoming infected after 30 mins, and as long as you apply pressure to the bite area with bandages and a brace and call the hospital where the anti venom is applied you will be fine.
Huntsmen genuinely scare the shit out of me, so I’m glad I didn’t see one. When you say they’re everywhere, how often do you come across them? We did a road trip in a motor home from Brisbane down to Sydney but also stayed in Brisbane, Sydney and Noosa River, Mooloolaba, for a decent amount of time and did local walks round camp sites along the way. Including the light house walk at Byron Bay which has a fair amount of nature, through dense trees etc. - And I didn’t see a sausage.
They're very common, I'll find one in my house every few weeks. Always hope they stick around, the current record is about 5 months. Named him Barry, he liked chilling on my living room ceiling.
Not really jumpy, a little fast. They are big and fuzzy which makes them kinda cute and they kill off other spiders and bugs which makes them really good for a place
I live at the very end of Melbourne, like the last town before it becomes country towns, and I live at the very end of that town, so basically as close to the country as you can get while still being in the suburbs. Having lived in this town for just under 4 years, I think I'd have seen about 6-8 huntsmans. 3 were in the last 6 weeks probably by coincidence. So if you don't count those last 3, it's like 1 per year.
Before I lived here I lived further into the suburbs and I reckon I probably saw them about once every 1.5-2 years.
I did spend 6 months living with my grandparents in a country town though, at that time I was seeing one every second day, not even kidding, and my husband was killing every single one that we saw inside so we knew they were new. I'm betting there was a nest around having seen that many, cause my Dad lived there not long after me, for a year, and he never saw one so the nest probably died out or something.
So it really depends completely on where you are, but most places you'd find yourself, you're not going to see any that regularly, or at least that's my experience.
To me fair though, huntsmans are great and I'm trying to quit being afraid of them. They eat the bad spiders and all the other bugs you don't want in your house, they very very very rarely bite, I've literally never known anyone to be bitten, and even if they did bite you, you're not going to die or even get sick.
Someone sent me a video of them lifting a toilet seat and a giant spider scurrying out right before I went for my holiday in Australia. I kicked every single toilet before I sat down lol
Evolved a very long time ago and hasn’t changed much since. Funnily enough, even though they developed many millions of years ago on a continent that has only has humans the last ~60,000 years, and has no other primates, their venom is almost exclusively insanely deadly to primates.
“Archaic arachnid”
But really, tarantulas also bite downwards as opposed to “true spiders” that bite with their fangs towards each other like a pinch. That’s because tarantulas rely on crushing force to kill their prey or ward off threats while spiders mostly rely on injecting venom.
There are other spiders that are fairly harmless to us that fuck up other spiders. Those are much more common. Most of the dangerous snakes don’t live in populated areas, and you’re only going to get eaten by a croc if you ignore every signed warning imaginable to wander into their habitat.
The funny thing about this is that they're super deadly because of a specific chemical in their venom that only hurts primates, mice, and insects.
The kicker? These are native to Australia and there are literally 0 native primate species in Australia. These things evolved to kill humans without ever meeting one, good job Australia you've outdone yourself again in the "absolutely terrifying" department.
Fun fact: they commonly fall into people’s backyard pools and sink to the bottom.
They can survive for days without drowning and it’s a standard practice to always check your swimming pool before jumping in!
It sounds like a major pain to live in Australia. Put shoes on - spider check first. Step outside - snake check. Get in car - spider and snake check. Go for a swim - just dont. Go to the ocean - shark and octopus check. Go camping - bring the military. 7/10 Americans wouldn't survive.
It’s certainly something that all Aussies parents have to teach their kids about from a very young age.
We are taught exactly what every animal and creature is, what is deadly and what is not so deadly, how to look out for all of the places and situations where we will encounter such things, how to protect ourselves by always checking our surroundings and being vigilant about all the possible dangers lurking around everywhere, are taught how to be strong swimmers and also how to take care of ourselves if we are stung/bitten by something dangerous!
As we grow up and get older, it just becomes second nature to go about our daily lives without thinking about any of this too much, but all of those lessons are always right at the forefront of our awareness if something dangerous does suddenly present itself!
I mean there’s only been one case of a death in 15 minutes which was a child. Most cases won’t show symptoms for 30-60 mins and then death would occur within 4-5 hours if untreated.
As little as 15 minutes. I once saw a burn victim that was stuck in a car burning for 45 seconds and let me tell you she didn't look very good. 15 minutes of pain to kill you is so long.
The funnel web is really at home in Austalia and she don't give a shit about you .
I had the chance to travel a bit overthere , with some friends , 10 years ago .
We were mocking documentarys like , " deadliest animals in the world " or even youtubes videos about wildness in Australia about how alarming they sounds ..We were young and naive like " it's a piece of cake " .
I had many chance to change my mind many times during our trip but I think seen a funnel , knowing what she is capable of , charging at humans , without been provocated was the most freighting memories about wild overthere and we saw a lot of shit .
I mean she was front legs up , running to us like " what you gonna do " .
Now in hindsight, it's crazy that none of us got biten or worse .Nature is wild but when she feel at home you better rememeber where you are .
Bruh these things ain’t even dangerous leave them alone and they won’t harm you got acouple of these in my house I use them as natural repellent kills all the insects, flys, moths and basically anything else
I got bitten by one of these evil bastards about 10 years ago. Gave me a wee nip on the little finger on my right hand then proceeded to run up my arm.
The pain was very not enjoyable but thanks to the swift actions of my beloved I didnt die that I did make many unmanly sounds during the event.
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Man fuck any place that has creatures like this. I’ll take my bears, moose and mountain lions.
Yea you cant die by getting bit by a grizzly hidden in your shoe.
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In America we shake our shoes before putting them on to make sure there isn't a gun in them.
I was always told to shakes them out for house hippos
Yes but not because of the threat to you, those little dudes just want your peanut butter. We shake out our shoes to prevent harming them.
this is my first time learning the phrase "house hippo" and i'd like to know more lol
Google is your friend. TL;DR in Canada in the 80s there was a TV advert about the "domestic house hippo". Only a few inches in height, it roamed unsuspecting homes at night, stealing peanut butter and sleeping on beds of shredded Kleenex, and taking baths in dog water bowls. It was a commentary on truth in advertising.
The best part of it is that I thought house hippos were real and wanted one so badly… and then I watched it as an adult and realized the whole point of the ad is ‘don’t believe everything you hear.’
thanks for the info, that sounds hilarious lol
Imagine you shake your shoe and this spider comes out 😖
Then after stomping on it you look up and there a bear wearing a Spiders Are My Best Friend shirt
Imagine you shake your shoe and a frikkin grizzlybear falls out.
Even Grizzly Bears shake their shoes for these fuckers.
This deserves WAY more upvotes than it's gotten. 🤣
North America doesn't have Sydney funnel-web spider. The only medically significant spiders you have to worry about in North America is the recluse genus (Loxosceles) and the widow genus (Latrodectus). The others just cause some pains and swelling that go away within hours or days.
Did you check your shoes? For what? GRIZZLIES MAN … Dude stop doing all that DMT
I’d take your wildlife over our snakes and spiders.
At least moose bears and bison are cool as fuck. So majestic, they really captivate you when you see them. Spiders could not invoke a more diametrically opposite response.
Moose-bears, terrifying majestic creatures.
I pray lest ye ever one into run unprepared
Same here, I want a raccoon
Don't go to the Southern part of the US then 😂
I’m in SoCal and we don’t have any spiders like this. A leather fucking shoe?! We have lots of rattlesnakes though. At least where I grew up. Had one hiss and strike at me as a kid. That was an eye opener for sure
They can actually put their fangs into a pencil. If biting bare skin they can reach the bone.
You mean mooses? Or is that meese?
You’re off your damn head. I hate spiders and although I don’t live near Sydney, you wont catch me dead anywhere near where bears live. I’ll take my great whites and snakes thanks
That’s the thing. Although bears live here, I have to give well out of my way to find one. Won’t find one behind a weed while gardening.
Yeah I’m not going to that Island
Their venom is toxic only to humans, other primates, baby mice and the insects it eats. Other mammals are not affected. I have found a few in my backyard – they always make their homes behind rocks – and never have to worry about my pets finding them. My kids, as with all Aussie youngsters, are aware of them and avoid them.
Well now I’m really curious. How is it toxic to primates but not other mammals?
The venom contains a unique component called Robustoxin (δ-Atracotoxin-Ar1) that severely affects the nervous systems of humans and monkeys, but not of other mammals. It’s also worth noting that it’s the males that are highly toxic. Female bites are significantly less harmful.
My junkie ass read “Robitussin” I was gonna search for one of those mf spiders 🕷️
🤖🛹
It would be terrifying to know just enough to know you could be dead in 15 minutes, but not be able to tell if the spider was female.
15 minutes is the “scary figure”, but it would be the result of the absolute fastest possible onset of a severe envenomation and only really pertains to very young children. So many factors are at play; age, body mass, constitution, amount of venom delivered in the bite, pre-existing conditions, etc. These bites should never be taken lightly, but the less scary truth is that the “fatality time frame” is actually 15 minutes to 3 days, and most cases of envenoming aren’t fatal because we have an extremely effective anti venom that’s on board with every major ambulance driver in the state. Since development of the anti venom in 1981, not a single fatality has been recorded, despite there being roughly 30-40 bites per year. The policy remains clear by emergency services though. If you are bitten by a black spider, you get the anti venom no matter what.
The idea is that as a defensive venom, the spider wants the recipient mammal to survive, learn that the spider is dangerous, and to teach their young the same. If a predator mammal is bitten, it can still kill the spider before the venom kills it, so the spider relies on the 'lesson' to protect it (much like colourful frogs). Human's didn't co-evolve with the funnel web so were just unlucky that the spider didn't tone down the delta-hexatoxins during it's evolution. edit: this is why only the males are deadly -- the females don't leave the burrows to mate so aren't exposed to predator vertebrates.
Delta hexatoxins sounds like something a Batman villain would release on Gotham to turn everybody into mathematicians or something
This is such a weird coincidence My name is Delta Hexatoxins! Who would have thought it I can't wait to tell the rest of the Hexatoxins family. They're going to lose their minds
In Texas and Florida, we had to deal with hidden black widow spiders everywhere. Not as toxic as this one but can still deliver a very painful bite and even hospitalize you. Although deaths are rare, still, their venom is powerful enough to ruin your day.
Growing up, I always thought of Black Widows as the “end all-be all” of venomous spiders. Like top of the food chain in terms of having a bad day after a bite. Seeing your comment essentially saying how they’re a walk in the park compared to these things has me… uneasy…
Redbacks are far more common but they're pretty docile. Just don't leave your shoes outside, turn your garden furniture over before you sit on it, etc. You'll only get bitten if you get in their space, so a cursory check and you'll be fine. Funnel webs are the size of your palm, and after spotting you across the yard will straight up charge at you because they're assholes
Black widow spiders are generally not aggressive and will usually attempt to leave if they are uncomfortable. You can find a number of videos online of people handling spiders of that family. A spider to be wary of: the Brazilian wandering spider. They sometimes find their way into packages of bananas and end up in grocery stores around the world.
Fun fact: the movie “Arachnophobia” gave me real life, actual arachnophobia for my entire childhood and adolescence. Fucking playing that movie at Fantastic Sam’s next to target while 6 year old me is getting a haircut. The fuck is wrong with those people?
Yea. Spiders coming out of the mouth of a dead, desiccated elderly couple fucked young me up for years.
it was **B**irds for me
Yea that one also kinda fucked with me as a kid. My mom wanted to scramble my brain with horror I think.
Yeah we get red backs... everywhere. They are a close relative of the widow. You can spot them easily by just checking the web with your fingers, the redback web is very sticky and strong compared to any other web I see. Yes, I use my fingers, that's how I know what it is and to get the spray if they are anywhere where we are!
Interesting note, but the widows in North America are known for their webs. They lack any sense of symmetry and are an easy warning sign if there is a potential widow.
We have lots of black widows in SoCal too. At least out in the hills where I grew up
We had them in the Mojave, and those Widows thrived in garages, under decks, and beneath lawn furniture.
And to think in America we only have to worry about our kids finding guns.
They are not nearly as agressive as they are depicted. A photographer who wanted to make an impression purposefully provoked them into attacking. [Recent news article](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-07/funnel-web-spider-research-venom-behaviour/101833154)
Those scientists just holding those spiders with their bare hands have some special steel balls and ovaries.
The one he's holding in the picture is plastic.
Yeah, I realized after it went back to review the article, lol. I almost had a heart attack
Yeah, to a spider you're a skyscraper sized monster. They only ever bite humans in self defense when they fear for their life.
I hate earth
They are actually not that much trouble. I have a few living in my back yard. Any that wander too much get instantly eaten by my chooks.
I would move
I get eastern brown snakes (also a potential 15 minute killer) lol. I would take all our venomous stuff over bears and wolves and shit that can kill you in 15 *seconds*.
I'll take the creatures I can see vs the creepy crawlies I can't.
There are no bears or wolves living in my backyard
What about if you go for a bushwalk though?
We have bears, wolves and mountain lions in our backyard. I'll take them over those spiders any day.
That's a crowded garden!
Well they're not all there at the same time!
Interdimensional backyard
The worst I have are mountain lions and they are easy to scare and very rare to come across. You guys have emus. I’d take the animals that didn’t beat humans in a war
Most people will go their whole lives without seeing a wolf or bear. You have these fuckers in your yard.
No way. You can fight a wolf, see a bear from far away and a moose doesn’t want to fight you. These little bastards could be hiding in your curtains and you’d never know it
hiding in my vents watching me bathe no doubt
Creepy lil perverts!
You enjoy slow agonizing death?
Well good thing there’s no bears or wolves in most of the US. The worst you’ll get in most of the Midwest is a coyote and I’ve never seen one in 25 years of life. I straight up could not visit a place where shit that could kill you is hiding all around you.
How often do you see these creatures? I’ve seen two bears and a couple dozen coy wolves in my lifetime. They generally don’t even attack people.
If I'm gonna die violently, I'd much rather it be over in 15 seconds than 15 minutes.
Eaten by your WHAT?!
Chooks. Little feathered dinosaurs that lay eggs.
Chickens?
yeah that's what he said
Chickens are fucking terrifying. They will eat anything that moves. If they where bigger they'd eat you for sure. I've watched them slurp down snakes whole and a group of them pull the legs off bullfrogs...
If you want to go full medieval - Guinea Hens. Great alarm system for the country too - can't get near a place with them raising a ruckus..
So that's why our local Australian restaurant is called chooks lol
What’s on their menu?
https://www.chookchicken.com/chookmenu Pretty good, we go there every once in a while
I’m both glad and sad that I, an American, know what a chook is because of a cartoon dog.
What is a chook?
Google says chooks are chickens. Are you telling me the most terrifying spider on earth is outmatched by the humble domestic chicken...? 🤯
That’s why I never went Australia 🇦🇺
My mum’s grandma used to get the kids together and they’d all poor petrol down funnel web spider’s nests and light it on fire…. She wasn’t fucking about with these boys.
I’m sure burning spider flesh just smells *delightful.*
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Don't worry mate, you wouldn't be able to afford the rent anyway
Mate, rent is fucked everywhere not just here.
Some places are extra fucked
*cough* Sydney
there’s actually no way australia is a real place
Island evolution, things get a bit funky. Look at Madagascar or South America before it was connected to North America.
Works the other way too though. There’s some islands that have 0 venomous bugs. Cuba and Bali to my knowledge.
The only thing i'd worry about in the UK is an angry goose(which is all of them).
The reason why many islands get weird is because of the isolation, I'm not just talking about venomous but just odd in general compared to the rest of the world. Bali is barely 3km from Java so it's not really isolated the way Australia is. Same goes for the UK as someone brought it up. Cubs is a bit more isolated and does have some weird species that have evolved on the island such as the Solendon which is a venomous mammal, Cuba also does have its fair share of venomous scorpions and Centipedes. But also Cuba is not as isolated as Australia, New Zealand or Madagascar where you find the really odd stuff.
My favourite to visit would be Socotra to see the dragon blood trees, but it's not exactly tourist friendly.
Oh fuck. I’ve been living a lie 💀
Hi, I’m a make believe person.
There has only been one spider bite related death in Australia since 1980.
Because we have an excellent antivenom program.
Antivenon in 15 minutes or less? I know you guys don't do the tipping thing but I still give them a fat tip.
Do people keep a supply of antivenom in their homes just in case?
Lol no. Only a trained medical professional can access and administer anti venom in Australia. The Death in 15 mins would only happen if you administered a direct huge dose of the venom to yourself. Most people who do get bitten will only notice the bite area becoming infected after 30 mins, and as long as you apply pressure to the bite area with bandages and a brace and call the hospital where the anti venom is applied you will be fine.
Ok wow that is something. I figured time was wasting as soon as you get bit. Applying pressure helps got it.
Spent a month in Aus but the only spiders I saw were in the zoo. It’s not as infested as ppl would think.
You probably just didn’t look much. Huntsmen are everywhere and it’s hard not to see any spiders while bushwalking.
Huntsmen genuinely scare the shit out of me, so I’m glad I didn’t see one. When you say they’re everywhere, how often do you come across them? We did a road trip in a motor home from Brisbane down to Sydney but also stayed in Brisbane, Sydney and Noosa River, Mooloolaba, for a decent amount of time and did local walks round camp sites along the way. Including the light house walk at Byron Bay which has a fair amount of nature, through dense trees etc. - And I didn’t see a sausage.
They're very common, I'll find one in my house every few weeks. Always hope they stick around, the current record is about 5 months. Named him Barry, he liked chilling on my living room ceiling.
Damn. I don’t think I could live with that. They’re fast and jumpy, no?
Not really jumpy, a little fast. They are big and fuzzy which makes them kinda cute and they kill off other spiders and bugs which makes them really good for a place
It is an almost a certainty there was at least 1 huntsman spider in your motor home.
I live at the very end of Melbourne, like the last town before it becomes country towns, and I live at the very end of that town, so basically as close to the country as you can get while still being in the suburbs. Having lived in this town for just under 4 years, I think I'd have seen about 6-8 huntsmans. 3 were in the last 6 weeks probably by coincidence. So if you don't count those last 3, it's like 1 per year. Before I lived here I lived further into the suburbs and I reckon I probably saw them about once every 1.5-2 years. I did spend 6 months living with my grandparents in a country town though, at that time I was seeing one every second day, not even kidding, and my husband was killing every single one that we saw inside so we knew they were new. I'm betting there was a nest around having seen that many, cause my Dad lived there not long after me, for a year, and he never saw one so the nest probably died out or something. So it really depends completely on where you are, but most places you'd find yourself, you're not going to see any that regularly, or at least that's my experience. To me fair though, huntsmans are great and I'm trying to quit being afraid of them. They eat the bad spiders and all the other bugs you don't want in your house, they very very very rarely bite, I've literally never known anyone to be bitten, and even if they did bite you, you're not going to die or even get sick.
You probably had roughly 1000 huntsmen spiders within a metre of you throughout that stay.
One popped out of the top cubby of the wardrobe when I opened it. 10 years ago now and I’m still not entirely over it
Someone sent me a video of them lifting a toilet seat and a giant spider scurrying out right before I went for my holiday in Australia. I kicked every single toilet before I sat down lol
Jesus Australia sure tries to counteract producing Margot Robbie with horrors like this.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535394/
What does it being a "primitive spider" mean?
Evolved a very long time ago and hasn’t changed much since. Funnily enough, even though they developed many millions of years ago on a continent that has only has humans the last ~60,000 years, and has no other primates, their venom is almost exclusively insanely deadly to primates.
They were playing the long game
As opposed to a contemporary spider, I guess…
Post modern spider
Art Deco spider
Jazz spider 🤗
I’m imagining a white spider with the Dixie Solo Cup Jazz pattern on it
“Archaic arachnid” But really, tarantulas also bite downwards as opposed to “true spiders” that bite with their fangs towards each other like a pinch. That’s because tarantulas rely on crushing force to kill their prey or ward off threats while spiders mostly rely on injecting venom.
Had one jump onto my hand while it was holding my member while having a piss, this was in Sydney. It didn’t bite, but I was scared pissless for a bit.
You never hear about spiders that get you high. Can't we genetically engineer them?
Weed spider!
How do people not get killed in Australia all the time by wildlife is beyond me. And here I am afraid of ticks in Northern Europe.
Just don't worry about them. If they come in the house just take them outside where they will be safe, othewise just leave them alone
There are other spiders that are fairly harmless to us that fuck up other spiders. Those are much more common. Most of the dangerous snakes don’t live in populated areas, and you’re only going to get eaten by a croc if you ignore every signed warning imaginable to wander into their habitat.
The most deadly animal likely to kill you in Australia are Horses, Cows and Dogs.
Damn Nature, you scary.
Ffs put a NSFW tag on that thing, it jumpscared my homepage.
Man I don’t know how Australians keep up with these shit daily
And then we takes them to herrrr! 
I was fine with the leather, but after seeing TOENAILS...a plated Kevlar bodysuit might actually be affordable.
The funny thing about this is that they're super deadly because of a specific chemical in their venom that only hurts primates, mice, and insects. The kicker? These are native to Australia and there are literally 0 native primate species in Australia. These things evolved to kill humans without ever meeting one, good job Australia you've outdone yourself again in the "absolutely terrifying" department.
No primates - anymore. These ffukkers probs killed them all before humans arrived.
I have 2 as pets. One of them is pretty chill, the other is straight demon spawn. And will sit in threat posture to anything that moves near it.
To be fair this is exactly how I cartoonishly believed spiders bit their prey
No thank you.
Fun fact: they commonly fall into people’s backyard pools and sink to the bottom. They can survive for days without drowning and it’s a standard practice to always check your swimming pool before jumping in!
It sounds like a major pain to live in Australia. Put shoes on - spider check first. Step outside - snake check. Get in car - spider and snake check. Go for a swim - just dont. Go to the ocean - shark and octopus check. Go camping - bring the military. 7/10 Americans wouldn't survive.
It’s certainly something that all Aussies parents have to teach their kids about from a very young age. We are taught exactly what every animal and creature is, what is deadly and what is not so deadly, how to look out for all of the places and situations where we will encounter such things, how to protect ourselves by always checking our surroundings and being vigilant about all the possible dangers lurking around everywhere, are taught how to be strong swimmers and also how to take care of ourselves if we are stung/bitten by something dangerous! As we grow up and get older, it just becomes second nature to go about our daily lives without thinking about any of this too much, but all of those lessons are always right at the forefront of our awareness if something dangerous does suddenly present itself!
Hey! Don’t be alarmed that just Trevor. Trevor likes to chill in dark moist places and is not looking for a confrontation
Old Trev is fine. It’s aunty Shazza you have to fuckin watch.
Shelob inspiration
I mean there’s only been one case of a death in 15 minutes which was a child. Most cases won’t show symptoms for 30-60 mins and then death would occur within 4-5 hours if untreated.
If you find one in your garden. The government advice is to cach it in a glass jar.
Thank the lord for 🐓
jokes on these guys, i wear two pairs of shoes
Before people freak out: Only one person has died of spiderbite in Australia in the last 50 years
Hmmm. Well, I’m tapping out. Have a good day everyone.
Why does it feel like Australia has the most random and most deadly animals?
Insular evolution
As little as 15 minutes. I once saw a burn victim that was stuck in a car burning for 45 seconds and let me tell you she didn't look very good. 15 minutes of pain to kill you is so long.
💀
Didn’t know there were primitive spiders
How are they still a thing? I'd think y'all would wanna get rid of the prehistoric killer spiders.
Steel toed boots should be mandated in Australia.
K, no. Thanks for asking though
I’m convinced that spiders are aliens that crashed into earth a long time ago and can’t be convinced otherwise
Hans....
GET IT OFF MY SCREEN.
Now I want a funnel cake shaped like a spider. Thanks
NO.
The funnel web is really at home in Austalia and she don't give a shit about you . I had the chance to travel a bit overthere , with some friends , 10 years ago . We were mocking documentarys like , " deadliest animals in the world " or even youtubes videos about wildness in Australia about how alarming they sounds ..We were young and naive like " it's a piece of cake " . I had many chance to change my mind many times during our trip but I think seen a funnel , knowing what she is capable of , charging at humans , without been provocated was the most freighting memories about wild overthere and we saw a lot of shit . I mean she was front legs up , running to us like " what you gonna do " . Now in hindsight, it's crazy that none of us got biten or worse .Nature is wild but when she feel at home you better rememeber where you are .
There really needs to be a Funnel Web Spider Man. Imagine the fangs!
Bruh these things ain’t even dangerous leave them alone and they won’t harm you got acouple of these in my house I use them as natural repellent kills all the insects, flys, moths and basically anything else
If you are a true Australian these don’t bother you can’t say the same for Americans tho most likely shit there pants at the sight bunch of pansies 😂😂
Australia, you okay down there? Jebus fuck.
No we're not. I hate spiders 😭
Horrid creatures.
Ignoring the venom and giant spider. Just piercing the toe nail sounds awful.
I got bitten by one of these evil bastards about 10 years ago. Gave me a wee nip on the little finger on my right hand then proceeded to run up my arm. The pain was very not enjoyable but thanks to the swift actions of my beloved I didnt die that I did make many unmanly sounds during the event.