The largest ever male specimen of a Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus) was recently discovered on the Central Coast, about 50 miles north of Sydney. The spider was first given to a local hospital before being taken to its new home at the Australian Reptile Park.
Experts from the park then realized it was the largest male specimen ever discovered by a member of the Australian public.
The spider, now named “Hercules”, measures 7.9 centimeters (3.1 inches) from foot to foot, surpassing the measurement of the park’s previous record holder—a male named “Colossus”---from 2018. The largest funnel-web spider ever found was a female named “Megaspider”. In 2021 she was discovered, measuring 8 centimeters from foot to foot (about the size of a tarantula).
“We’re used to having pretty big funnel-web spiders donated to the park, however receiving a male funnel-web this big is like hitting the jackpot,” said Emma Teni, a spider keeper at Australian Reptile Park.
Typically, funnel-web spiders measure anywhere between 1 and 5 centimeters in length with females usually being larger and less deadly. They can most often be found in forested areas as well as suburban gardens in cities, including Sidney, as well as the coastal city of Newcastle in the north and the Blue Mountains in the west of Australia.
They dwell in burrows and will rush out to catch meals which may include invertebrates such as small lizards and beetles. But unfortunately, those burrows can include one’s backyard garden.
The Sydney funnel-web spider is also among Australia’s most venomous species, and is capable of killing a person in as little as 15 minutes. Its fangs are also incredibly sharp, and can pierce a human fingernail.
Since the development of an antivenom in the early 1980s, no deaths from the spider have occurred. Previous to the development of the antivenom, though, the University of Melbourne recorded at least 13 deaths caused by these spiders.
"People can bring any collected funnel-web spiders to the Reptile Park itself," Teni explained. "However, if they can’t get to us, we have drop off zones around Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle and all facilities are provided with a spider safety kit to house the spiders until the Australian Reptile Park staff can come and pick them up each week.”
Hercules will be added to the park’s antivenom program, where the spider’s venom will be extracted and used to create an antidote. The park believes this practice could save up to 300 lives every year.
“With having a male funnel-web this size in our collection, his venom output could be enormous, proving incredibly valuable for the park’s venom program,” said Teni.