Are Australian spiders really that big?

[Thaluikhain]

Funny, nobody seems to be frightened of not hairy ones for some reason.

 

[tokae]

I might be abit biased here but... May I just ask why people have such a problem with spiders? *looks over at my tarantulas*
Sure they are ugly buggers and sure, I grew up around scorpions and spiders ( my father is a zoologist ), but I honestly can't understand what the panic is all about.
FYI, my largest one is an Indian Ornamental spider. A legspan at about 7.1 inches, which is a bit more than a handful for me, granted I've got pretty small hands but... Hurts like a ***** when she gets stressad out and bites me, but she's starting to get used to me now I think. Only had her for a couple of weeks.

 

[SwagLordYoloson]

Big is the size of a foot isn't it?
The palmed sized ones are so bloody common its ridiculous, but then again if you leave them alone they leave you alone.

 

[pearcinator]

No, here in Australia the smaller spiders are the more dangerous ones. The only common spiders I would call 'big' are huntsmans and they are harmless.

Daddy Long Legs are probably the most common spiders...they are small spiders with long spindly legs, they are also harmless.

Red Back Spiders are tiny and are fairly common in dark areas outdoors...avoid these spiders cos they are dangerous (easy to tell because they are jet black with a bright red stripe on their back, hence the name...they also just LOOK evil).

If you're in Sydney, funnel-web spiders are really dangerous (possibly the most dangerous in the world)...fairly large...can get up to 3 inches long (7.5cm). However there have been no fatalities since the antivenom so you shouldnt be afraid...just stay clear because I have heard that they can be aggressive (territorial) and will 'chase' you. They are named cos they dig holes and wait inside until something touches the web and they snatch their prey from underneath.

I live on the gold coast...you shouldn't be worried about spiders, snakes on the other hand...don't walk through long grass during summer time if you value your life. Also don't reach into rock pools if on the Gold Coast...blue ringed octopus is extremely deadly (causing paralysis within minutes).

Spiders should be one of the least of your worries in Australia...and dont be deterred, Australia isn't nearly as dangerous as foreigners believe. 12" spiders...never heard of it and would unlikely be dangerous if such a monster exists. Snakes wont bite you if you're not stupid and try provoking them or wading through long grass like an idiot.

Come and enjoy our babes and beaches! No wait, don't! They are my babes!

 

[tokae]

the coconut crab, is actually a spider:

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

Not true. Coconut crabs are more closely related to hermit crabs. Sure they and arachnids are in the same phylum but completely different subphylums.

 

[Kyoufuu]

I might be abit biased here but... May I just ask why people have such a problem with spiders? *looks over at my tarantulas*
Sure they are ugly buggers and sure, I grew up around scorpions and spiders ( my father is a zoologist ), but I honestly can't understand what the panic is all about.
FYI, my largest one is an Indian Ornamental spider. A legspan at about 7.1 inches, which is a bit more than a handful for me, granted I've got pretty small hands but... Hurts like a ***** when she gets stressad out and bites me, but she's starting to get used to me now I think. Only had her for a couple of weeks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_funnel-web_spider

Imagine opening your desk, as a 10 year old, and finding one of them in it. Ok, so they aren't that big, about 4-5cm, but they are the deadliest in the world. And there was one inside my desk.

 

[RoyalSorceress]

the coconut crab, is actually a spider:

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

That thing's creepy. Is it trying to open the garbage can?

 

[RicoADF]

A big spider for me is roughly the size of my thumb above the second knuckle. (I'm talking about the body, not including the legs. Much.) Anything bigger that is given the description "bloody ginormous get it away GETITAWAY!" So once again my desire to never set foot in Australia has been enforced, thanks OP. *shudders*

Yeah huntsmans are often twice that size plus. On the upside, their harmless.

 

[Vivi22]

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 live on the eastern end of Canada, and have to say that we simply do not have spiders as big as your palm outside of tarantulas in a pet store. The biggest I've probably seen is stuff the size of my thumb, which given the size of my thumbs and my arachnophobia means they're generally enough to freak me the fuck out.

I might be abit biased here but... May I just ask why people have such a problem with spiders? *looks over at my tarantulas*
Sure they are ugly buggers and sure, I grew up around scorpions and spiders ( my father is a zoologist ), but I honestly can't understand what the panic is all about.

I honestly wish I could tell you. Most people who are afraid of spiders probably have a reason, whether that be some traumatic experience with them or sheer ignorance, but I honestly have no idea why I'm afraid of them. I know the majority, especially where I live, can't hurt me. I'm not even afraid of really small ones. But once they're big enough to easily make out their physical features and know what they are from a distance I start to get freaked. Not so badly that I can't squash them (with an appropriately large wad of paper towel or toilet paper), but badly enough that I'll be checking the walls, floors and ceilings of every room I enter frequently for about an hour at least.

There simply is no rational reason for my fear that I know of, which bothers me quite a bit actually. A friend of mine actually commented years ago that it made no sense for me to be afraid of them if I wasn't traumatized because I'm essentially the most rational and logical person he knows.

snip

The only thing I took from this was stay the hell out of Australia.

 

[Joccaren]

Yes, anything that looks like a spider to me is a spider, no matter its size. Hell, the size of your palm isn't big, that's medium sized. But its not necessarily the big ones you want to watch out for - its the ones that can be found in certain parts of Australia who's fangs are that big that they have to stop and rear up onto their hind legs before they can bite you, and who's venom WILL kill you in a very short time (One 2 year old bitten died in 15 minutes) unless you get antivenom fast.

 

[Insanity72]

I might be abit biased here but... May I just ask why people have such a problem with spiders? *looks over at my tarantulas*
Sure they are ugly buggers and sure, I grew up around scorpions and spiders ( my father is a zoologist ), but I honestly can't understand what the panic is all about.
FYI, my largest one is an Indian Ornamental spider. A legspan at about 7.1 inches, which is a bit more than a handful for me, granted I've got pretty small hands but... Hurts like a ***** when she gets stressad out and bites me, but she's starting to get used to me now I think. Only had her for a couple of weeks.

I have nothing against Tarantula's and scorpions as pets, in fact their pretty cool

 

[khiliani]

biggest ones i have seen are huntsmen, which can get up to around 20-25 cm, though they are harmless. the ones that will kill you (white tails, red backs, funnel webs) are all only 3-5 cm, so size is not related to danger

 

[zombiekiller1907]

i just remembered a pic about austrailian spiders:

)

 

[Thaluikhain]

Oh...Australian spiders have evidently been watching too many crap horror movies, as they have mastered the art of the "murderer disappear". The moment you take your eyes off them, they will vanish.

They're like the Weeping Angels, except they don't lose their impact due to coming back after they've stopped being scary.

Come and enjoy our babes and beaches! No wait, don't! They are my babes!

Yeah, that'll do alot to stop female readers being frightened to come to Australia.

 

[tobi the good boy]

the coconut crab, is actually a spider:

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

It's soooooo cute. I want one, I legitimately want one!

 

[tokae]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_funnel-web_spider

Imagine opening your desk, as a 10 year old, and finding one of them in it. Ok, so they aren't that big, about 4-5cm, but they are the deadliest in the world. And there was one inside my desk.

I.. Really can't relate to that as traumatizing, I'm sorry. It might be deadly but so was exaxtly everything we had at home when I was a kid. I guess I'm abit off when it comes to these things but I really can't look at arachnids without going abit "d'awwww!".

 

[Axammar]

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 live on the eastern end of Canada, and have to say that we simply do not have spiders as big as your palm outside of tarantulas in a pet store. The biggest I've probably seen is stuff the size of my thumb, which given the size of my thumbs and my arachnophobia means they're generally enough to freak me the fuck out.

I might be abit biased here but... May I just ask why people have such a problem with spiders? *looks over at my tarantulas*
Sure they are ugly buggers and sure, I grew up around scorpions and spiders ( my father is a zoologist ), but I honestly can't understand what the panic is all about.

I honestly wish I could tell you. Most people who are afraid of spiders probably have a reason, whether that be some traumatic experience with them or sheer ignorance, but I honestly have no idea why I'm afraid of them. I know the majority, especially where I live, can't hurt me. I'm not even afraid of really small ones. But once they're big enough to easily make out their physical features and know what they are from a distance I start to get freaked. Not so badly that I can't squash them (with an appropriately large wad of paper towel or toilet paper), but badly enough that I'll be checking the walls, floors and ceilings of every room I enter frequently for about an hour at least.

There simply is no rational reason for my fear that I know of, which bothers me quite a bit actually. A friend of mine actually commented years ago that it made no sense for me to be afraid of them if I wasn't traumatized because I'm essentially the most rational and logical person he knows.

It's probably some instinct thing from when we were animals...."Big ass spider, evil looking snake, mother in law ;P That shit can kill meeee.

 

[Roxor]

I once had a huntsman living in my bedroom for a couple of months. I'm guessing it was living on the moths which were attracted to my computer monitor. Bit of a pity it left.

 

[Meestor Pickle]

Spiders should be one of the least of your worries in Australia...and dont be deterred, Australia isn't nearly as dangerous as foreigners believe. 12" spiders...never heard of it and would unlikely be dangerous if such a monster exists. Snakes wont bite you if you're not stupid and try provoking them or wading through long grass like an idiot.

Now why would you say that, fear of our creatures is our first line of defense!

 

[Robert Ewing]

Imagine all the spiders you've ever seen in your life.

Sew them together.

Result: Smallest Australian spider ever recorded.