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.
Australian tarantulas are often known as whistling or barking spiders because of the sounds most species can produce.
A large species of tarantula native to the east coast region of Australia, the whistling spider, is the largest spider in the country. As the largest spider in Australia, whistling spiders can grow a leg span of up to 16 cm (6.2 inches) and a body size of around 6 cm (2.3 inches).
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.
These spiders have a lifespan of about 12 years and generally live in web-lined burrows in the ground. Tarantulas are also common exotic pets, with an estimated 10,000 tarantulas taken from the wild every year to be sold as pets all across Australia. This is mainly due to their gentle and slow-moving nature.
If a tarantula bites you, you may have pain at the site of the bite similar to a bee sting. The area of the bite may become warm and red. When one of these spiders is threatened, it rubs its hind legs across its own body surface and flicks thousands of tiny hairs toward the threat.
Tarantulas Just Aren't That Into You
Spiders do have feelings, but unlike a dog or a cat, they won't bond with you. In fact, they likely won't even recognize you. They simply aren't hardwired to be companions to humans and should never be bought at pet stores, online, or anywhere else.
The Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula is considered to be bigger than the Huntsman Spider because of its heavier body mass.
VENOM TOXICITY - Australian tarantulas are non-aggressive, but if provoked it can inflict a painful bite. An adult's fangs can be 1cm long. Severe illness may result with nausea and vomiting for 6 to 8 hours have been reported from bites.
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.
The Australian funnel-web spiders are among the deadliest spiders in the world in the effect their bites have on humans and our primate relations (although the bite has little effect on dogs and cats). There are many species of funnel-web spiders in Australia but only male Sydney Funnel-webs have caused human deaths.
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.
Huntsman spiders are a non-aggressive group of spiders. They are very timid and will try to avoid and when encountered can move at lighting-fast speed to escape human contact. However, a large individual can give a painful bite. Beware in summer when the female Huntsman Spider is guarding her egg sacs or young.
The Huntsman Spider
Low Risk and Non-toxic to humans. Non-aggressive. The name Huntsman is derived from their speed and agility when hunting prey. (Which has been known to be mice and small birds as well as other insects like cockroaches).
Despite looking like one of our planet's deadliest spiders, Trapdoor spiders are actually relatively harmless – their bites generally only cause local pain and swelling.
The Goliath birdeater is native to the upland rain forest regions of Northern South America: Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, northern Brazil, and southern Venezuela.
Australian tarantulas are large spiders and can be much more aggressive than their South American relatives. If disturbed, individuals may 'rear up' and appear rather menacing. The bite is painful, as the fangs are large and can grow up to one centimetre long.
The Sydney funnelweb spider Atrax robustus, is considered to be the world's most dangerous spider. It is found within a 100 km diameter circle around Sydney. No deaths have occurred since the advent of an antivenom in 1981.
Africa. Millions upon millions of wildlife species call Africa home, and it is no different with spiders. Comprising of different climates and landscapes, just like Australia (except 3x larger), Africa sees some of the world's most venomous spiders.
Black widow spider
The bite of a female black widow is thought to be 15 times more potent than that of a rattlesnake. A bite can cause severe muscle pain and spasms, as well as abdominal cramps, for up to a week.
With a leg span nearly a foot wide, the goliath bird-eater is the world's biggest spider. And it has a special defense mechanism to keep predators from considering it as a meal. In a world where even the smallest spiders can provoke a fearful shriek, Theraphosa blonditakes scare tactics to a whole new level.
The world's largest known spider is a male goliath bird-eating spider (Theraphosa blondi) collected by members of the Pablo San Martin Expedition at Rio Cavro, Venezuela in April 1965. It had a record leg-span of 28 cm (11 in) - sufficient to cover a dinner plate.
If a person gets bitten by a tarantula, the bite will probably feel a lot like a bee sting, with pain in the area of the bite. It will look like a bee sting, too, with redness and some swelling. Because the tarantula's venom (poison) is weak, it's unusual to have more severe reactions involving other parts of the body.
Generally, tarantulas respond to daily handling. They crawl freely when placed on an arm or shoulder, but they definitely are not a pet that an owner can cuddle. Tarantulas are very timid and bite only when provoked.
Like most spiders, this species has eight eyes but poor vision. The spider depends more on sensitive hairs on its legs and body to orient itself.