Maria Lukyanenko/ article author
Identification of pests, work with insect cultures, micrograph of insects, bibliographic studies.

Sydney Funnel Spider

The Sydney funnel spider belongs to the araneomorphic family. There are 516 species, uniting into 42 genera. Sydney spider is bright arachnid representative in Australia, lives in areas of Sydney, on the island of Fraser. It is found throughout the world as a pet.

Description of appearance

The Sydney funnel spider reaches a size of 7 cm along with the limbs. Males are half smaller.

  • The abdomen is smooth, convex, shiny, without hairs.
  • Cephalothorax flattened, wide, with strong carapace. Massive jaws are clearly visible.
  • To the cephalothorax, like everyone else species of spidersattached 4 pairs of legs, another pair - tentacles that perform the same functions.
  • The color is red-brown, brown, light rings on the legs.

A photo of the funnel spider is presented below.

On a note!

On the head there are 8 eyes - 4 in the front, 2 on the sides, another pair in the back. Such visual mechanism allows you to see the Sydney spider everything that happens around it. He sees shadows, silhouettes, responds well to movement.

Sydney Funnel Spider
Sydney Funnel Spider

Where dwells

A funnel spider lives in vivo in Sydney, Fraser Island. Due to the unusual appearance, large sizes, lovers of the exotic of the whole world keep the predator as a pet.

A grass spider lives in burrows underground. Labyrinths go inside 40 cm. Entrance is protected spider web, which looks like a funnel. He doesn’t build fishing nets; he hunts without leaving the shelter. The animal leads a nocturnal lifestyle, becomes active with the onset of the day.

Females spend almost their entire lives in a hole; males travel around the neighborhood. They are the frequent visitors to human lands. The leukoputin spider climbs into the house, hides in the corners, in things, shoes, among dishes. He cannot climb up the wall, he does not form cobwebs, therefore he does not betray his presence.

On a note!

A dangerous creature often builds its burrows on a golf course, under curbs, in flower beds, doorways, rotten trees. A predator is found swimming in pools.

Lifestyle

Sydney funnel spider goes hunting at night. The main diet consists of insects, smaller spiders, beetles, caterpillars, small birds, rodents, frogs. With powerful jaws, the predator gnaws at the skin, chitinous cover, carapace, even the human nail plate.

At the sight of the prey, the predator assumes a threatening position - rises upwards on the hind limbs, places the forelimbs upwards, and the sides. At first it freezes, at the right moment rushes to attack. Poisonously injects poison, which paralyzes the victim in seconds. It waits a few minutes until saliva turns the intestines of production into a liquid mass.

Females often await the prey, sitting on the web. By the fluctuations of the threads, he finds out that someone has got into the network. Slowly approaching, biting, entangling with cobwebs, dragging to his hole, waiting for a few minutes, and then proceeds to a meal.

Interesting!

After 3 weeks, when the web is clogged, the predator moves to a new place of residence, builds a new maze.

Sydney Funnel Spider
Sydney Funnel Spider

Breeding

The male seeks refuge for the female, approaches him, taps in a certain way, calling the mistress.If the "lady" reciprocates, mating occurs, the couple lives for several weeks together. After this, the “boyfriend” needs to have time to leave in a timely manner, since the female can eat it.

A fertilized female weaves a cocoon from the web, lays eggs, leaves in a hole. At one time, several hundred spiders develop, but about 50 are born. They creep in different directions, each begins its own independent life. In natural conditions, the arachnid lives about 3 years.

Danger to humans

Sydney as well as Australian funnel spider is one of the most poisonous representatives his huge family. The toxic substance of the bite, along with blood, spreads throughout the body, disrupting the functions of the nervous system. Muscle spasm occurs, difficulty breathing. In case of untimely provision of medical care, a person may die.

The Sydney funnel spider is aggressive in nature, hiding on the floor, in things, shoes, so it can be absolutely invisible to humans to bite. At the site of the attack, pain, swelling, redness, burning appears. Within 20 minutes, symptoms of intoxication develop:

  • abdominal pain;
  • weakness;
  • dizziness;
  • migraine;
  • vomiting
  • temperature rises;
  • blood pressure changes;
  • difficulty breathing.

Important!

Especially dangerous spider bite for young children, people with weakened immune systems, allergies. A baby can die in 15 minutes, an adult dies in half an hour. There is an antidote, if it is introduced in a timely manner, nothing threatens life.

In most representatives of arachnids, females are always more aggressive, more poisonous than males, in Sydney funnel spiders, everything is exactly the opposite. A great danger is wandering males.

Rating
( 2 grades average 5 of 5 )

Add a comment




Cockroaches

Mosquitoes

Fleas