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Sydney Funnel Web Spider

The Sydney Funnel Web Spider is one of the world’s most deadly spiders. Their venom, once in the bloodstream, attacks the human nervous system and, in the some cases, causes death. The male Sydney Funnel Web Spider venom is five times more toxic then the venom from a juvenile or a female. The Sydney Funnel Web Spider is not aggressive by nature, but will show aggression if threatened.

  • Sydney Funnel Web Spider males are smaller than females
  • Sydney Funnel Web Spiders are dark in color, ranging from black to brown
  • Sydney Funnel Web Spiders are medium-sized, getting up to about 1 to 2 inches
  • The Sydney Funnel Web Spiders have long skin piercing fangs that point straight down

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Sydney Funnel Web Spiders reside in moist (sandy clay, shale or basaltic soils) sheltered burrows in the ground, under rocks or logs, or in stumps, and tree trunks. The entrance to the burrow is surrounded by silk-lined tunnels, which act as trip lines, alerting the spider when prey is present. The Sydney Funnel Web Spider’s diet consists of frogs, lizards, millipedes, cockroaches, beetles, and snails.

  • Sydney Funnel Web Spiders prefer humid climates, if not they will dehydrate
  • Sydney Funnel Web Spiders are mostly nocturnal and extremely sensitive to sunlight
  • During the summer, males leave their burrows and seek females for mating
  • The male and the female spar until the female accepts the male
  • Female Sydney Funnel Web Spiders, in some cases, live up to 20 years
  • As for the males, their life expectancy is a few months after mating

Symptoms of a Sydney Funnel Web spider bite include rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, facial muscle twitching, nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating, breathing difficulty and numbness around the mouth. Death may occur within a period ranging from 15 minutes to 72 hours.