Are Australian spiders really that big?

[General Twinkletoes]

yes, that would freak me out. Speaking of Australian animals, I heard about something called a drop bear. Is that a real thing, or something that's made up?

When ever I think of Australia, for some reason I think of Dylan Moran's description of Australia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_43-4xjnVA&feature=related

Yeah man, they're real. I was at a camp one time and the director got mauled by one. Pretty traumatising, i hate them.

 

[General Twinkletoes]

Sonnie, let me tell you of the war.

It was the day of '54, my squad was pushing dem Aussies back to their jungled base. We had the battle won, and victory was certain. When bam, outta da jungle came Aussies, riding tank-sized spiders, wielding their death spears, yodeling their death yodel.

That death yodel would paralyze you with fear, then their tank spiders would literally rip you in half.

I lost my entire squad to the death spiders, and have been suffering from severe alcoholism to cope with the horrible sight.

Hah, you sissy, we eat those things for lunch when we're not wrestling with them. I'm glad you lost the war, you would've been destroyed in seconds by our pot plants if you'd won.
Ya Bloody Bogan

 

[Powereaver]

ive seen some big spiders in the form of huntsman spiders but they are 100% totally harmless they just like being nocturnal and doing crazy things at night on the ceiling so its like.. STOP THAT IM TRYING TO SLEEP! they also seem to like my shower *shrugs*

 

[SongsOfDragons]

Coconut Crabs - are apparently very edible in the islands where they are found, as their diet of coconuts flavours their meat. Mmm.

Tarantulas - at least you can see them and they don't sneak around. If you drop one a few inches they shatter like glass. I've held one in my hands before, and it was cute, in a leggy kind of way.

Spiders - don't have to be big to kill you. Case in point: Funnel webs.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

IF there was ever a tiny chance of me going to Australia, it has been reduced to UNDER 0% after this thread.

If it makes you feel better our native bees don't have stings.

I considered myself the epitome of braveness when despite being arachnophobe i'd capture spiders in my house with a glass and let them free in a display of generosity. Those are spiders no bigger then my pinkie at its worst, legs included.

With the australian spiders... No fucking way. And large spider visits are common? Up to a dozen times a year? Fuck that!!!!!!

Bah, just find yourself a nice Aussie lass who thinks it's cute and endearing when you freak out and piss your pants at spiders and will gladly pick them up and toss them out the window.

 

[Eyclonus]

Interesting Fact: Australian Scientists have found what may in fact be the Human Soul, its a substance found only in the stomachs of spiders originating from the Australian continent after they have bitten a living human being.

 

[Jaythulhu]

*snippy*

Is it just me or is that thing rearing up to strike?

*snip snip*

Indeedy. I'm guessing it wasn't happy about me taking photos.

 

[Flabbagazta]

They don't have venom, It's a bacteria

 

[IndomitableSam]

How? How in the hell can you be more afraid of raccoons then a god damned bear? Is there something about Australian Raccoons that I should know about? Why is Australian wild life so damned scary?

Because I live in Canada. My family is in Australia. Raccoons are very pushy, testy things and don't scare as easily as bears. Plus they eat a lot of garbage, so even if they're not rabid, a bite is pretty dangerous. A bear will usually run if it sees you. A raccoon will attack or at the very least hold its ground.

The last one we had holed up on our deck and we had to hose him down for like 20 minutes because he rolled over, got up, and waddled away. One of our cats found him first, thankfully they didn't attack each other.

The thought of the spiders my family have in their homes (Brisbane) make me happy that where I live, you can usually see what's going to kill you and eat you. And being eaten by a lynx is so much more awesome than dying by spider bite.

 

[Bob_Dobb]

Worry about the king browns...

 

[Insanity72]

Ok so i'm pretty sure i can safely say that Australia is seen as a country that has some pretty damn big spiders.

But if i'm walking around my house and see a spider the size of my palm, i don't consider that a big spider. But to the non Aussies here, If you saw a spider the size of your palm, would you consider it big or not? what do you consider to be a large spider?

I heard about something called a drop bear. Is that a real thing, or something that's made up?

Hahaha, no there is no such thing as drop bears

Just something made up to scare visitors

 

[kurtzy23]

Just dont go into the outback or into a forest and you will be fine.
Although I've found Redback's in my Shoes before. Not big ones but still scared the heck out of me.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Ok so i'm pretty sure i can safely say that Australia is seen as a country that has some pretty damn big spiders.

But if i'm walking around my house and see a spider the size of my palm, i don't consider that a big spider. But to the non Aussies here, If you saw a spider the size of your palm, would you consider it big or not? what do you consider to be a large spider?

I heard about something called a drop bear. Is that a real thing, or something that's made up?

Hahaha, no there is no such thing as drop bears

Just something made up to scare visitors

Apparently it was to scare kids away from being underneath trees, in case branches fell on them.

Also, allegedly US soldiers in Australia were told to put Vegemite on the helmets to protect themselves, and could be tracked via the Vegemite during training exercises...

 

[bl4ckh4wk64]

Me before reading through this thread: I already know I'm not going to Australia just because of those demon spiders

Me after reading through this thread: Australia must be destroyed! Sink it into the ocean and let the sharks kill those eight legged bastards!

Damn it! If only the Escapist would let us have signatures, this would just be perfect.

OT: In California, the largest I've seen is a Tarantula that was maybe 2 inches in length. 3 tops. The deadliest was a black widow. You're telling me that Australia has deadly spiders (known fact) that can grow to be the size of your palm? Seriously. Fuck. That.

 

[Goldeneye1989]

Wait wait, why are you worried about spiders......

Enjoy.
http://www.cracked.com/funny-163-australia/

http://www.cracked.com/funny-5997-the-animals-that-make-australia-deathtrap-it-is/

http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/shorter/story.htm

Here is a good video, you know how are beaches are awesome

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_Cl_54Qh8

Have fun sleeping when you learn..... that they can travel the ocean.... all the way back up TO EXACTLY WHERE YOU LIVE.

Sleep tight.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I wouldn't wish an Irukandji sting upon my worst enemy. All you have to do is look at the list of symptoms to see how bad it is. Severe headache, backache, muscle pains, chest and abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, sweating, anxiety, hypertension, tachycardia, pulmonary edema and the impending feeling of doom.

That last one is not a joke by the way, that is really one of the symptoms.

Apparently, that's not an uncommon symptom of dangerous conditions. It might not be the effect of the venom as such, but the body's response to something mucking about with important things.

EDIT: Says I, who is not a Doctor of anything.

 

[The_R3d_Fury]

Its not the size, its the poison.

 

[Vhite]

the coconut crab, is actually a spider:

this is a medium sized one, btw, they can get bigger.

I heard about it under different name. I think it was mudcrab(morrowind).

 

[NrthBlood]

On the cost they get big, but in the country the get FUCKING MASSIVE, that goes with the snakes as well. My general rule of thumb is if its 2 sizes smaller than my size 13 steel cap boot i want fucking going anywhere near them , plus they are deadly poisons, one bite from a baby red back could kill u.

 

[GoddyofAus]

^^ Taken from a Friends Facebook wall, and yes, I'm an Aussie. Down here, the Spiders are the least of your worries.