Spider

Meet  Harry the Hairy Huntsman who has recently taken up residence in my bathroom!!!

HUNTSMAN

The Australian Huntsman spider is a large long legged spider famed as being hairy.  

Their usual habitat is under loose tree bark, in the crevices of walls and logs, under slabs of bark on the ground etc.... THIS  fellow however  has taken a fancy to life indoors and has decided to take up residence in my bathroom.  He is welcome to stay, as  he will keep the mozzies and other insects out.. 

The huntsman is a pretty large spider with long spindly legs, if you were to hold him in your hand he would pretty much fill it.   Huntsman Spiders are notorious for entering cars,  I think this fellows pals are in my car and let me tell you it is pretty scary to see them run across the dashboard!!   aaaah!!!!  Pretty nifty movers.

However having said that the Huntsman is not a dangerous spider (well unless he causes you to crash said car when he runs across the dash) their bite is not venomous, it is painful but put a little ice on it and she'll be right (as the auzzies say).  The huntsman is not an aggressive spider and doesn't usually bite.

RED BACK  SPIDER

This next spider may look cute and harmless..  He is only a little fellow, looks pretty snazzy, has a lovely hour glass shape with a vibrant red/orange stripe going through the middle.   I mean how dangerous can he be....  

Don't be fooled this is one of the few spider species that can be harmful to humans.

 He is the RedBack Spider, a venomous spider indigenous to Australia.

He commonly resides inside or near human residences.  Needless to say this one is NOT welcome to come stay at mine.. and not because they are messy,  their web is a tangle of messiness (is that a word) but a bite from this one is not only painful but deadly...  Seriously you can die from this little ones bite...

OK... its not soooo bad,  There have been no deaths from RedBack spider bites since the introduction of an anti venom which was made available in 1956.   Still,  I wouldn't mess with him..

RedBacks love to bask in warm sheltered locations,  your garden furniture, a log pile, metal gates etc... I found this one enjoying the sunshine on a shady part of a wall.

Wish me luck, I'm off to find my next model............................................

Next on the list is the most notorious and feared spider of all.......  The Australian Funnel Web Spider.  A bite from the funnel web is potentially DEADLY........