The Barking Spider is, in fact, real and even has a couple of species. One of these species is also known as the Queensland whistling tarantula, that makes noises that are similar to barking, but it doesn't happen the same way as dogs bark. A couple of these species of barking spiders live throughout Australia.
Noun. An Australian spider, Selenocosmia crassipes, which makes a "hissing" sound (stridulation) when disturbed.
The barking spider are ground dwellers. Adult females live in a wed-lined burrows while younger spiders and males use flimsy silk retreats under rocks and logs. They live in mulga country deserts and in tropical rainforests of Queensland also in Alice spings desert.
Barking spiders live in the Australian desert and are ambush predators from burrows placed among leaf litter.
Selenocosmia crassipes can attain legspans of up to 22 cm (8.7 in). Its body length, from eyes to the rear of its abdomen, measures between 6 and 9 cm (2.4 and 3.5 in), making it the largest Australian tarantula.
Description: There are currently seven tarantula species described in Australia from four genera, Selenocosmia, Selenotholus, Selenotypus, and Phlogiellus, with six species occurring in Queensland. Tarantulas range widely in size with a leg spans between 5 to 16 cm.
What is the biggest spider in Australia? Australia's biggest spiders belong to the same family as the Goliath Spider. They are the whistling spiders. The northern species Selenocosmia crassipes can grow to 6 cm in body length with a leg span of 16 cm.
They are harmless to humans and pets.
The largest-ever documented giant huntsman spider had a leg span of 30 cm (12 in) leg span and 4.6 cm (1.8 in) body length. However, Charlotte, a Giant huntsman Spider, was rescued by Barnyard Betty's Rescue farm and refuge in Queensland, Australia, in October 2015.
The team has started testing the hearing of other species, such as fishing and wolf spiders, all of which seem to have a similar ability. “Spiders can hear humans talking and walking, which is within the audible range,” says Menda.
Harvard Entomologist Piotr Naskrecki recently posted on his blog about an encounter in Guyana's rainforest with a South American Goliath birdeater, a spider so large it's the size of a small dog or puppy. According to Naskreski, "Their leg span approaches 30 cm (nearly a foot) and they weigh up to 170 g."
While some spiders catch prey with webs, others -- such as jumping spiders -- hunt using sharp eyesight. Because they don't have eardrums, scientists have always assumed that arachnids were deaf to airborne vibrations. But biologists at Cornell University have now shown that spiders can detect sounds after all.
Australia's tarantulas make a fine hissing sound, hence their other name, Whistling Spiders. They have been called name Bird-eating spider but that is incorrectly modified from "Bird Spider" which was given because the giant South American spiders resemble a fluffy bird chick. These spiders rarely eat birds.
Animals which feed directly on spiders include birds, reptiles, mammals and many arthropods, including other spiders, centipedes, scorpions and even some insects.
Ultrasonic sound is thought to be discomforting for spiders and creepy crawlies, causing them to leave the room.
The Brazilian wandering spider's venom contains a toxin whose unusual erection-inducing qualities have attracted the attention of the pharmaceutical industry. In 2007, researchers found that the bites of the Brazilian wandering spider can cause long and painful erections in human males, along with other symptoms.
Most banana spiders are not dangerous to humans. The Brazilian wandering spider is more venemous than others, but it rarely appears in international shipments. Spiders typically don't bite humans unless held or threatened. A bite from any type of banana spider may cause pain or irritation, but it's not usually deadly.
Sydney funnel-web spider. According to the Guinness World Records, the Sydney funnel-web spider, Atrax robustus, is the most dangerous spider to humans in the world. Native to Australia, this poisonous spider is found in moist habitats such as under logs or in gardens.
These spiders are venomous but have very mild venom which is not considered dangerous to humans. Most are very reluctant to bite, and will attempt to run away from any threats they encounter. Contrary to popular belief, huntsman spiders do not chase people. They do not see like we do, and cannot see us from a distance.
In Australia they are only found in the southeastern part of the country, from South Australia to Queensland via Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. You won't find them in the dry and arid zones. On the other hand, huntsman and wolf-spiders are found all over the country.
They will never intentionally run towards you because they're small and not highly venomous. They can bite you, but they won't do any harm. "Huntsmen are super fast but they get confused, so if a huntsman is running towards you, it's confused.
That is quite the sight, but picture this — millions of tiny spiders raining from the sky. While it can sound like something out of a horror movie, in Australia the transition from late summer to fall can trigger what is known to the locals as spider season.
Fast Facts. Scorpions are common arachnids found in gardens and forests throughout Australia. They are found under logs, rocks and in shallow burrows in earth banks. There are also desert species that construct deep spiral burrows in desert sand.
Introduction. Wolf Spiders are found throughout Australia. They are robust, agile hunters that live on the ground in leaf litter or burrows. They are often found in lawns and gardens.