The largest male of the most poisonous spider in the world was found in Australia. PHOTO
[ad_1]
A giant male of the most poisonous spider in the world was found on the central coast of Australia.
This is a 7.9 cm Sydney funnel-web spider, which has already been nicknamed Hercules.
The unique arthropod was transferred to the Australian Reptile Park, The Guardian reports.
“Meet Hercules! At 7.9cm, he is the largest male funnel-web spider. Males are usually much smaller than females, but Hercules is as large as the largest female spider we’ve ever received.” – the park’s social networks say.
Now Hercules will help save people’s lives, because in the park spiders are “milked” for the production of antidote.
Read also: Spider venom – the new Viagra? Scientists are investigating an unusual way to treat impotence
| Photo: australianreptilepark |
Sydney watering can spiders (Atrax robustus) usually have a length of 1 to 5 cm.
They live mainly in forest areas and suburban gardens from Sydney to the coastal city of Newcastle in the north and the Blue Mountains in the west.
Hercules was found 80 km north of Sydney. At first, a local resident took him to the hospital, and later experts realized that it was the largest male Atrax robustuswhich was once seen in Australia.
The spider measures 7.9cm from leg to leg and is larger than the park’s previous record-holding male named Colossus, who has lived in the park since 2018.
In general, the largest spider donated to the Australian Reptile Park is a female measuring 8 cm. She was found in 2021 and named Megaspider.
Hercules is almost the same size as her, which is unusual for their species.
 |
| Hercules is 7.9 cm long, almost as large as the record-breaking female from the park |
The poison of this species has a neuroparalytic effect and leads to death if no antidote is administered. The Australian Reptile Park, in particular, is involved in the antidote production program.
“We are used to the fact that the park receives quite large funnel-web spiders, but to get such a male is like hitting the jackpot.
Although the females of this species are poisonous, the males are more deadly. A male spider of this size can produce an enormous amount of venom, which is incredibly valuable to the park’s program.” said spider keeper Emma Taney.
 |
| The poison of the giant male will help make an antidote |
In Australia, from 1927 to 1981, 13 people died from the bite of the Sydney spider.
But since the establishment of this program in 1981, when doctors had an antidote, there has not been a single fatal case.
Read also: Spiders on a high: NASA studied how different types of drugs affect web weaving. PHOTO
[ad_2]
Original Source Link
