Arachnaphobia

 

(Warning!!  Do not read any further if spiders give you the creeps!)

 

Australia is home to many spiders.  Some authorities say as many as 20,000, although not all have yet been scientifically identified.  It seems only just over 2000 have been classified so far.  But still that’s an awful lot of spiders.  Most of these are pretty harmless to humans and keep pretty much out of our way, and are actually beneficial because they eat insect pests.  There are a few however, that are seen often, and some actually share our houses with us.  Others live outside, but come inside from time to time, and generally scare the heck out of us. 

One that scares a lot of people is what we call a Huntsman spider.  It has several “nicknames”:  triantelope, triantiwontigong, and tarantulas (which are completely seperate).  They can grow to be large, up to 15 cm (about 6″) across their legs, and they can move really fast.  They normally live under the bark of trees, between rocks, etc, but occasionally they wander inside, and unless you actually try to pick one up, or something equally silly, they won’t bite you.  However I can remember, as a girl, my mother’s reaction to them….she would become a blithering idiot if they were in the same room as her.  I was constantly called on to remove the poor spider.  I might add that when Mum and Dad were on their honeymoon, while bushwalking, a brown snake ran over Mum’s foot while they were standing at a lookout.  She didn’t turn a hair, and Dad was very impressed at her coolness.  I can remember another time that a huntsman had come inside at home, and was descending the wall.  Felix, our cat at the time thought he was worth playing with, and started batting at him with his paw.  The huntsman changed his mind quick smart and stayed out of his reach. 

There are also plenty of spiders loosely called garden spiders.  These include jumping spiders, little guys who actually stalk their prey and leap great distances to catch them.  Their prey consists of insects so no need to worry.  Also money spiders, more properly called flower spiders;  these brightly coloured tiny little fellows are considered to bring good luck if they walk on you, particularly on your hands, in which case you’re supposed to come into money soon after….I’m still waiting…..  There are also orb spiders, a bit bigger, and they build beautiful webs where they catch their prey.  I did take exception to one, which decided to build her web in my daughter’s bedroom, across the door of the wardrobe.  I escorted her outside, and put her in a bush in the garden, from where she made a new web and strung it between the bush and the verandah post.  We watched her for months, as she grew, and eventually she laid an egg, which when it hatched, had housed miriads of spiderlings.  She died soon after….  There is also a leaf curling spider, which makes a nest, and attaches an old curled up leaf to it, and hides in it until something gets caught in the web.

There are many many more spiders, including wolf spiders, net casting spiders, St Andrew’s Cross spiders, house spiders (they make annoying yukky looking webs, but catch lots of flies), mouse spiders, trapdoor spiders, whitetailed spiders (previously considered dangerous, but since exonerated) and of course daddy long legs.  They seem to turn up everywhere.  I usually leave them alone unless their webs get annoying, because they too catch flies and mosquitoes, but I did wonder why I would only find them down to a certain level in any room I found them in.  One day I discovered the reason…..Max, the cat.  I actually caught him reaching up as high as he could go to catch them…..and eat them.  Problem solved…..

Of course we must mention probably the two most infamous:  the Redback, and the Funnel Web.  The redback is a very shy, and in my opinion pretty spider, related to the black widow.  She has a conspicuous red hour glass shape on her back, and spins an untidy web, and loves to hide in dark places, like the underside of the old fashioned pit toilet seat.  Her bite is painful, and can be fatal to small children, if no antitoxin is used.  However these days, it is available as a matter of course, but you’re probably going to be sick for a while.  The male spider is much smaller and insignificant looking, and quite often doesn’t survive the mating process….although I couldn’t imagine she’d consider him a hearty meal.  I’ve had a couple of experiences with redbacks. One was actually in a bunch of bananas, and as I broke a banana off, she dropped on to me.  Just from reaction I brushed her off me and onto the floor, yelling as I did.  All the kids came running to see what was wrong, and when they saw her on the floor, ran for the fly spray.  Half a tin later, they stopped….the poor spider was white with spray, and dead.  Another time I was outside feeding roos in the half dark.  I had sandals on my feet, and as I moved around I kicked what seemed like a little soft stone, and it got stuck under my toe.  I wasn’t too concerned, thinking it was just a piece of roo poo, and I could clean myself up easily enough later on, and just continued on feeding.  By the time I finished, the offending object had worked its way right under my toe, and I walked inside and started to remove my sandal to clean my foot up.  Imagine my surprise when I realised the “roo poo” had legs….and as I lifted my toe, a tell tale red stripe.  Well!  Talk about panic.  I don’t think I’ve ever taken my sandal off so fast, yet so carefully!   The spider just stayed there, legs curled up, while I tipped her out of my sandal, and despatched her.  I’m quite happy with redbacks outside, given their non aggressive nature….but inside….or about my person….no way!

And the Funnel Web.  There are several different varieties, but only the Sydney Funnel Web is dangerous to humans.  It is aggressive, and will bite if provoked.  It generally lives outside in web lined funnels in the ground, but will come inside, like most spiders, at certain times of the year.  Lots of stories abound about them chasing people, but they are just stories, but seeing one in an aggressive pose is rather awe inspiring.  Like the redback spider, since the introduction of an antitoxin, there have been no deaths, but I’m still not volunteering to be bitten.  By the way, we have funnel webs where I live, but not the Sydney funnel web….whew!