Are Australian spiders really that big?

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Not as big as the dropbears, mate.

http://www.dropbearaware.com/

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

the coconut crab, is actually a spider:

this is a medium sized one, btw, they can get bigger.

This is odd. I'm actually petrified of crabs (and if anyone does reply with an image, I'm reporting you. *evil smile*), but this doesn't even freak me out?

Aren't the camel spiders actually scorpions as well?

 

[ExileNZ]

The big spiders are the bird-eating tarantulas, which we do have, though they're not as big as South America, I think. They're also mostly found out bush anyway. We do, however, have the most venomous spiders, and those buggers will hide under your damn toilet seat.

Wasn't there a song about that?

I've seen a doco about huntsmen, apparently they're responsible for a huge number of car accidents because they like to hide in the overhead sun-shield.

 

[Blandman]

Being from the UK, the biggest spider I can expect is probably around 2cm (body size), and unless some forig spider hitches a ride into town nothing venomous. So you may be able understand my reluctance.

Yay for living in mild, temperate countries.

 

[Zhukov]

Woke up with a hunstman sitting on my face once, just above the left eye.

I went from warm, sleepy and happy to freaking the fuck out in about 0.4 seconds.

To this day I still have no idea what he thought he was doing.

 

[Thaluikhain]

[This is odd. I'm actually petrified of crabs (and if anyone does reply with an image, I'm reporting you. *evil smile*),

"With an image".

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Eh, you are much more likely to get hit by a car, and nobody seems to be that frightened of them.

Well, except for cars driven by spiders, perhaps.

 

[arrapippol]

I was always scared of the funnel web spiders, but I'm told New Zealand has more of them than Australia does. Also huntsmans can be kinda scary. Daddy-long-legs are poisonous, but they don't bite humans, so they're fine. Although size is scary, I think knowing that the spider on your bedroom wall is poisonous, and in some cases, potentially fatal; thats the scary part. e.g. red-backs, white-tail. don't really get many of the other poisonous ones in suburbia Melbourne.

P.S. Its the drop bears you really gotta look out for
P.P.S. oh, and the hoop snakes

Edit: Black Widow spiders, not Funnel web spiders, am i superly afraid of. though the funnel webs are still pretty scary..

 

[TJC]

Naaah, nonsense...
All lies to keep out the annoying tourist and filthy immigrants

 

[pearcinator]

How could I forget about those drop bears...one of them almost got me the other day!

 

[not_you]

Yeah, the "size of your hand" spider is big...

It's not really the size of the spiders that makes them scary here in Australia...
It's more just how deadly they are...

Like, imagine something the size of a bee, being able to kill you (of course, killing someone with no allergies, I just couldn't think of anything the same size)

And there are hundreds of the damn things here...

Although there are many that grow crazy-huge... You would never find them in a city though...

 

[Dastardly]

its not the big ones you need to be afraid of though, they are easy to see and you can just avoid them. its all the little bastards that bite people. sure most dont die but occasionally it does happen

anyway pic is apparently from some guys backyard up near Cairns, yes the spider is eating a bird

I have run out of screams. All of them are gone, forever. Now I must kill to obtain more, because this image still exists.

 

[Titan Buttons]

Actually the spiders to watch out for over here are the small ones because they are the most vemonous in the world.

 

[CulixCupric]

anyway pic is apparently from some guys backyard up near Cairns, yes the spider is eating a bird

*img*

I have run out of screams. All of them are gone, forever. Now I must kill to obtain more, because this image still exists.

oh, it gets worse.

all those little ones are going get big like the huge one.

also, I don't scream. I make more of a silent *meep* sound, so no need to kill me, as i have no screams.

 

[Puddleknock]

I went to Australia for a whole 2 weeks and always thought I was ok with spiders till I saw a huntsman spider. It properly freaked me out, even with all the Aussies saying it was harmless. Guess its a cultral difference, Aussies tend to be ok with most spiders. I suppose I would also be ok if that kinda experience was normal for me, but it was not and so the huntsman scared the life out of me.

The inverse of this did happen later when a spider was found in the pool and I paid little attention to it as was tiny. Only for someone to start screaming everyone get out as apparently it was lethal. It was dead but did concern those around me whilst my ignorance made me blind to any danger.


All fun and games in Australia.

 

[Nazulu]

The Gold Orb Weaving Spider is probably the biggest in Australia. The largest they have found of this species is 22cm with it's feet spread out. They are not dangerous at all I don't think but you wouldn't want to walk into one of there webs, they're so strong they capture birds and even bats.

The Funnel Web are not as big but still pretty big and are the most dangerous. Teeth are sharp enough to go through your shoes and their poison can kill you.

 

[Pakkie]

Not always big, mainly just poisonous/deadly, it was something like 90ish%(I could be way off, just what I have heard) of poisonous animals live in Australia or some crap (I live in Aus).

But if you live anywhere suburban, like the major majority of the population does, its rare that you'll come across something that bad. Still lots of bugs around, just none that will insta-kill you.

 

[Jaythulhu]

Yes, yes they are. That one was trying to hitch-hike with me. It's a baby, by the way.

 

[Xixikal]

There's not so bad when you see them, so much as when you don't...