In the UK we don’t get dangerous spiders (well unless they are in a zoo or perhaps being kept as pets) but in Australia it is different. The pictures below where taken in my back garden in Perth, Western Australia.
Common Huntsman Spider
Huntsman spiders are large, long-legged spiders, measuring up to 15 cm across the legs. To you they may perhaps look like a tarantula but they are relatively harmless. Click here to look at some more pictures of Huntsman Spiders
The Redback Spider (Latrodectus Hasselti). is a close relative of the Black Widow found in the US and is found throughout Australia and can be found in dry habitats often in sheds, letter boxes, undersides of seats, and rubbish, such as empty cans.
You can spot a Red Back web (which is only woven by the female) as it is messy funnel-like web.
The bite of the female Red Back is dangerous and her bite can be fatal causing serious illness and death (especially in the young and the elderly). It only a small amount of venom to cause serious illness, as the poison attacks the nervous system. Medical attention should be sought immediatelty.
The Red Back bite is common during the summer months with more than 250 cases recieving the antivenom each year. (No deaths have occurred since its introduction).
Early symptoms are pain , sweating, muscular weakness, nausea and vomiting.
Should you be bitten by a Red Back apply an ice pack to the bitten area to relieve pain and do not apply a pressure bandage (pressure worsens pain). Collect the spider for positive identification and seek medical attention. Learn more about the Red Back Spider