#sydney funnel web

[athena-cat-wizard-official]

why are they edging the spider

[hasellia]

Being Australian, I was afraid of spiders once. But after learning there's only about 5 spiders that are actually deadly here and how to identify them, I've lost a lot of my fear. Well that and:

Living with a house spider in my window and watching her go about her life for half a year.

Having to sleep with a huntsman about a foot away from my face for a night. I'd wake up after about an hour of sleep, and she would still be there, perfectly still, exactly where she was before. Until she left around about 5PM when the sun rose. She didn't jump, sprint or bite. She calmly walked behind my furniture, & I never saw her again.

And now;

Deadly Aussie Spider Identification chart below, yahoo!

[arachnion]

I want Hanni and Danielle to go on a nature walk in Australia and look for various Huntsman spiders, the Sydney funnel web, the peacock jumping spider, and show us Eucalyptus trees (to name a few). Bonus for kangaroos and koalas! Bonus if the other girls join. Who do you think will be less afraid of the creepy crawlies? 😂

Just imagine Hanni or Danielle like:

This video made me have this thought. 😆

[onenicebugperday]

Hi!!! Have you heard the funnelwrb news?

A male Sydney Funnelwrb Spider - named Hercules - was found this week and is 7.9cm across!!!! The species is normally only 1-4 cm, and edpecially with him being a male makes this so cool!

He was captured and donated to a park, and is now apart of their anti-venom program :3

I hope Hercules knows that I love him. I can't share the images legally but if you want to see him there are pics here:

https://www.livescience.com/animals/spiders/deadly-male-funnel-web-spider-hercules-breaks-record-as-biggest-ever-discovered

[creature-studios]

The Sydney Funnel-Web Spider (Atrax robustus) is a highly venomous spider native to eastern Australia, particularly within a 100-kilometer radius of Sydney. It belongs to the family Atracidae and is part of a group known as Australian funnel-web spiders. These spiders are medium to large in size, with body lengths ranging from 1 to 5 centimeters. They are glossy and darkly colored, often appearing blue-black, black, or dark brown. The species is infamous for its potent venom, which can cause severe illness or even death in humans if untreated.

This spider is known for its distinctive burrows, which are typically found in moist, sheltered environments such as under rocks, logs, or in suburban gardens. The burrow entrances are lined with silk trip-lines that radiate outward, alerting the spider to potential prey. Male Sydney Funnel-Web Spiders are more venomous than females and are often encountered during the warmer months when they wander in search of mates. Despite their fearsome reputation, the development of an antivenom in 1981 has significantly reduced fatalities from their bites.

The Sydney Funnel-Web Spider was first described in 1877 by Octavius Pickard-Cambridge, who named it Atrax robustus. Its venom contains a compound called atracotoxin, which is highly toxic to primates, including humans, but surprisingly harmless to many other animals. The spider's role in the ecosystem includes controlling insect populations, and its venom has even been studied for potential medical applications. Despite its notoriety, the Sydney Funnel-Web Spider remains a fascinating and ecologically important species.

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Atrax (Sydney funnel-web spider)

[Photo: thebeachcomber, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons]

[some-murmurings]

in my defense, i really thought she was as curious about Ostriches as me

Being a “Fun Fact !” kind of autistic is all fun and games until you get halfway through sharing an interesting tidbit and realize that it probably wasn’t appropriate to share in polite company and now you have to deal with the consequences :(

[hasellia]

Chart of Venomous Spiders in Australia.

The LOW DANGER spiders are literally harmless unless you have allergies, btw. "Localised pain and swelling" just means "you've been bitten". Also, mature label is on solely for the arachnophobic viewers.

[herpsandbirds]

I want a Newcastle Big. Boy. give. me. The Big. BOY!

This somehow totally escaped my attention earlier this year.

This is totally new to me!

Newcastle Funnel-web Spider (Atrax christenseni), family Atracidae, found in an area north of Newcastle in NSW, Australia

VERY Venomous.

AKA "Newcastle Big Boy"

Formerly thought to be a subspecies of the Sydney Funnleweb Spider, it was elevated to species status in Jan. 2025.

photographs: Kane Christensen & Ruth Spigelman

Read more:

Atrax christenseni - Wikipedia

New species of spider nicknamed 'big boy' is one of the world's deadliest | News Tech | Metro News

Newcastle Funnel-web Spider, Atrax christenseni - The Australian Museum

[bnny0rgnz]

The Metamorphosis Effect

Y/n twisted and turned in her bed, her body writhing as the cold sharpened to a painful, icy sting with each passing second. Sweat poured from her skin despite the chill, slicking her sheets as if she were burning alive. Her head throbbed, each heartbeat pounding against her skull like a hammer, eyes aching with every pulsation. The silence grew deafening, every sound amplified and sharpened to knives.

Crickets outside screamed in her ears. The wind’s howling against the trees became furious roars. Bruce’s typing from distant rooms echoed like gunfire. Snores, groans, whispers, faint cries—she heard them all at once, a maddening cacophony rattling inside her head. Even her own pulse sounded like a drumbeat, relentless and agonizing.

When she finally forced her eyes open, darkness swallowed her. The walls—gone. Her trophies—gone. Her vanity—gone. Even the bed she had been writhing upon was now nothing but absence. She blinked rapidly, pinching her arm only to feel nothing. The chill? Gone. The sweat clinging to her skin? Numb. Even the touch of her fingers rubbing against each other felt distant, like someone else’s hands. It was as if her senses were malfunctioning, betraying her.

Ahead, blinding light pierced through the dark. It swelled, consuming everything until only it remained, brilliant and searing. The sounds of the house faded into oblivion, replaced by the haunting strains of Swan Lake playing from somewhere unseen. As her vision adjusted, she looked down at herself.

She was clad in a pristine white leotard, tights, a pancake tutu, and pointe shoes—costume-perfect, the White Swan. Her breath hitched. Then, from the shadows, a tall figure approached, its presence overwhelming and impossible to ignore.

Before Y/n even understood what was happening, she was dancing. Her body twisted and leapt, propelled by some unseen force that refused her control. Each leap sent shocks of pain through her legs. Each turn grated her feet against the ground until they throbbed. Every backbend threatened to shatter her spine. Her limbs moved without mercy, stretching, breaking. Her ribs ached with each forced arch, her muscles straining beyond their limits.

The black figure shoved her chest back, forcing her to contort, her spine cracking as she bent beyond natural limits. Tears slipped down her face as she faced an empty audience, her back so close to snapping that agony became her only sensation. She closed her eyes, praying for the torment to end.

But when she opened them, her family was in the audience, watching her with cold, disapproving eyes. Their expressions twisted in contempt. They weren’t proud. They weren’t even disappointed. They were disgusted. And still, her body moved, again and again. Bones splintered, muscles tore. The black figure wrenched her leg high above her head, forcing her into a pose that shattered her own bones. Y/n couldn’t scream. She could only cry.

A TV lay on the ground, static crackling and hissing. Drawn to it, Y/n knelt and touched the screen. The static ceased, replaced by a pair of lips painted in deep Russian Red lipstick, grinning with a gleaming, unnatural smile. They spoke in Japanese, their voice lilting and unnatural.

The audience vanished. The scenery twisted and melted until she was standing in her favorite spot—the abandoned subway. But it was changed, overgrown with flowers and swarming with butterflies. The air was thick with the scent of petals, sweet and suffocating.

♡⑅*˖•. ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .•˖*⑅♡♡⑅*˖•. ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .•˖*⑅♡

“Y/n. You made it. The metamorphosis is nearly complete. But before you leave, there are things you must understand. You were infected by the Butterfly’s venom yesterday. Now you are undergoing a painful transformation.

“Yet pain is not without purpose. The transformation grants resilience, like the flowers that thrive here. It grants strength, like the Sydney funnel-web spider. It grants beauty, as you emerge from your chrysalis, a butterfly reborn. It grants power—power over nature, over life. Power to save the world... or to destroy it. You will decide what becomes of you once your transformation is complete.”

The lips curled into a cruel smile. Y/n felt terror coil in her gut, the voice lingering in her mind like a dark seed.

A loud ding echoed, the subway’s ancient speaker crackling to life. “You have reached your destination.” The TV returned to blaring static as the ground beneath her feet rumbled.

The floor split open, and Y/n plummeted. She tumbled through the air, skyscrapers and buildings flashing by as she fell. The wind tore at her, her stomach lurching as if she were being ripped apart. The woman’s words rattled through her mind. Was she really changing? Was this just a nightmare?

Y/n jolted awake, tangled in her blankets, the sunlight clawing through her curtains. Her trophies glimmered from their shelves, her vanity mirror intact, her door shut just as she had left it.

Darkness took her before she could find an answer.

♡⑅*˖•. ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .•˖*⑅♡♡⑅*˖•. ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .•˖*⑅♡

Breakfast was a blur. She moved mechanically, her senses dull. Tim and Damian avoided her with narrowed eyes. The rest of the family ate in uneasy silence. Bruce shot her a glance now and then, awkward and suspicious, his guilt still thick from their last argument.

“What the heck just happened?” Y/n whispered, her hand pressed to her chest, feeling her heart thundering beneath her ribs. The thumping was violent, rapid, unnatural.

♡⑅*˖•. ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .•˖*⑅♡♡⑅*˖•. ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .•˖*⑅♡

“You look like hell. Bad dream?” Bruce muttered, his gaze fixed somewhere past her shoulder.

Y/n didn’t respond. Her eyes flicked to him, her stare glassy and distant.

“What day is it?” she asked, her voice raw and strained.

“It’s Saturday,” Barbara answered gently, her eyes swimming with concern.

“Actually, that’s a good thing. You should go to a salon and get your makeup done. You need it... badly.” Stephanie chimed in, her attempt at humor falling flat.

Y/n sighed, her gaze dropping to her untouched food.

Then, a sharp ringing echoed through her ears. The doorbell.

“Ugh, someone’s at the door,” she groaned, clutching her temples.

The family glanced at her, confused.

“No one knocked or rang—” Tim started, only to be cut off by the sudden chime of the doorbell.

“I’ll, uh, get it.” Alfred’s confusion mirrored everyone’s.

“Master Tim, your friend is here.” Alfred announced as Conner stood behind him, awkward and hesitant, offering a half-hearted wave.

Tim rose to greet Conner, his eyes darting back to Y/n with uncertainty. “Let’s go to my room. I gotta show you my latest invention.”

They left the kitchen, but the air remained thick. Barbara and Bruce exchanged uneasy glances, whispers traded like secrets. How had Y/n known someone was at the door before the doorbell even rang?

Y/n retreated to her room, her head aching, senses frayed. Whatever was happening to her, it was only getting worse.

She would soon find out.

[21sbaby]

Hey I just wanted to say that I’m so sorry that perv dude was doing that stuff

I hope he gets bitten by thousands of Sydney funnel web spiders, repeatedly

*hugs*

Hi! @theodditylacey is the one he was being a perv to, I was just the one who got to toy with him lmao!

Unfortunately he’s in the UK so I fear there are no Sydney funnel web spiders 💔💔

[cornytheclown]

I love you Brazilian Wandering Spider

I love you Sydney Funnel Web Spider

I love you Redback Spider

I love you Recluse Spiders

I love you Black Widow Spider

I love you highly venomous spiders all over the world 🥰

[imitative-magpie]

A Small Infodump about Spider Venom

Look, I know the doctor said I need to take it easy and not work myself up but-

Is it really that bad that I'm currently  compiling a list of different spider venoms and their myriad of effects, along with categorizing different species of spiders to what venom they inflict? I believe a wise man once inquired, "Can't a girl have hobbies?" . Of course we all know the big four categories–

There is Phospholipase D, a venom that interacts with different cellular membrane components, degrades phospholipids, and generates bioactive mediators. This can cause damage to the tissue through necrosis, as well as blistering near the bite. The recluse spider is one of the most well known arachnids to have this venom.

Alpha Latrotoxin, stimulates uncontrolled exocytosis of neurotransmitters from nerve terminals, causing paresthesia, seizures and myocarditis, which always brings up the image of the infamous black widow spider, with her striking hourglass abdomen.

The Delta Atracotoxin wielded by my personal favorite- the black sydney funnel web spider (did you know that a sydney funnel web spider is capable of biting through a human fingernail?) slows the inactivation of sodium ion channels in autonomic and motor neurons. This can cause circulation failure as well as excess salivation, nausea and disorientation…

And of course the less talked about PhTx 3-4, a calcium channel blocking toxin that also stimulates the nervous system, causing nausea, hypertension, and change in arterial flow in parts of the body.

 There's just something about insects and arachnids and all of it as a whole that peaks my curiosity, that runs borderline close to familiarity. I mean, how about I turn the topic at hand onto you all– anyone who would like to share their favorite bugs and why, feel free.

Better yet, why not make it a poll?

[manymantids]

My Robust Curtain Web spider, Stranger! 💚 she’s a cutie, unfortunately I don’t hold her how I do occasionally with my other spider. Cethegus robustus reminds me too much of the Sydney funnel web(Atrax robustus) to feel comfortable touching her with my hands. Although they are(Cethegus robustus) not considered deadly to humans how A. robustus are, the C. robustus venom hasn’t been studied to that extent

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Funnel-web spiders

Sydney Funnel Web Spider

[spearmaster-is-gay]

The creature speaks

[Big text: The creature speaks]

Ugh intro post again

Hi I'm Apple but idgaf what you call me so long as I can tell you're talking to me

She/they works but all my neos are in my pronouns.page card

No DNI, I block freely

Userboxes by @kthecritter

'types under cut bc I can't be bothered to make a new post for it

for those who don't want to see specific fictionkin things, the tags are:

#apple's rivposting (rivulet)

#apple's hunterposting (hunter)

#apple's artiposting (arti/artificer)

#apple's spearmposting (spearmaster)

#apple's gourmposting (gourmand)

All the aforementioned slugcats

Brown bear

Mexican duck

Orangutan

Chocolate mackerel tabby cat

Black lop rabbit

Rat (fuck you Alberta government)

Sydney funnel web spider

Black crab spider

Black orb weaver spider

Swift fox

Coyote

Black-and white goat

Some kind of horse (idk breed if any, coat colour changes)

Crow

Black-billed magpie

Northern saw-whet owl

Longhair retriever-type mixed dog

Flower beetle clado

Misc white sheep

Red fox

Hereford cattle

Elm tree

Timber wolf

Sea wolf

American eel

Deer

Dragon

Conifer clado hearttype

Black myotis bat

Pteranodon

Black rat snake

Red squirrel

Conger eel

Green iguana

Raven

Weird amalgamation cryptid thing