What spider is this?

[vlv8vic]

OK I'm leveling a section of the backyard for the new garage where a large rocky vegie garden used to be.

I came accross this spider. He's about 5cm end to end and when i upset him by trying to get him on the polishing pad for a photo he reared up and exposed his fangs which were approx 5mm in length (or double that if you include the sheath thing they come out of), then slammed them down into the pad. Very interesting and i've never had much to do with spiders.

Any idea what he is? I'm in south west Vic on the coast if that helps.


also... big metal thing x2 were dug up, any idea what they are? About 4 metres long each!

[88GreenVN]

It's scary no matter what it is. Glad it's in your yard and not mine.

[BANKS]

i think its a rare breed of keepitthe***awayfromme

[LeojVS]

Umm, looks like a funnel web, but your a little far south, so I thought mouse spider. Its not though. Differant body and head shape, plus differant bum. Both will rear up if threatened. Im guessing F.W. If you can catch it in a glass jar, take it to the chemist, so if it is a funnel web, there may be others, and if someone gets bit, they can have a source of anti venom.

[LeojVS]

i think its a rare breed of keepitthe***awayfromme

nice man, nice!

[coolvxss]

Looks like a funnelweb or somethin to me but never new they were down that way. But i think there are heaps of diff types of funnelwebs so yeah could be one.

[Garth]

that is a funnelweb john, wack it with a shovel, or those metal things you dug up

Spiderzrule

[vlv8vic]

I'd struggle to wack it with the metal things that came up! Crap though i never thought funnelwebs were down this far. Scares me to think there might be others... gloves tomorrow!
Did kill it, don't like killing things but i pictured the little bugger sinking the fangs in the mrs' cat, in turn she would kill me for not killing it so i'd be stuffed anyway.

[Grennan]

Man that thing is ****en nasty. I agree i think its a KEEPITTHE****AWAYFROMME!

[Bravotwozero]

Funnel Web for sure!!!

Funnel-web spiders

[vlv8vic]

I seriously thought they weren't down this way. I remember hearing about them but being told they don't like the VIc coast. Certainly never seen one. He was quite a way underground (digging out an iron dropper) and very very aggressive.

[crazyspoon05]

I seriously thought they weren't down this way. I remember hearing about them but being told they don't like the VIc coast. Certainly never seen one. He was quite a way underground (digging out an iron dropper) and very very aggressive.

I was aware of funnel webs in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria but ours aren't supposed to be as deadly or aggresive as their NSW counterparts but obviously this isn't the case (maybe it's a mongrel one that has both NSW and VIC funnel web genes in it).....

Spoonster makes a mental note not to go to vlv8vic's place for a BBQ...

[lxhatch]

have you been to NSW lately???? could have travelled back....

[minux]

I read an article not long ago about the migration of various spiders/insects etc to Victoria. As our climate changes these creatures move outward and adapt. I will see if i can find a link to it. As far as i knew though there were aggressive types of funnel web in Vic as we are made aware of any dangers before any op in various states.

[crazyspoon05]

have you been to NSW lately???? could have travelled back....

There goes the yearly trek to Bathurst.....

I'm really scared of spiders but especially nasty looking ones like those...

[Full Spectrum]

Spider's scare me bad!, I have always been an "Man Cans" with spiders.

I've had dogs chase me and i have turned on them and chased them, Snakes anything else, But Spiders i go chicken and call my mum for help. They really scare crap out of me.

[Kikki]

Eww Yucko hey! We used to get them on the Farm, that was 30kms out of Geelong in Bannockburn, so its possible for the buggers to be anywhere.

[mar-d-mac]

nice mother ****en pet you got there my friend...funnel web all the way...use to have heaps of them in our backyard when growing up as a kid in sydney - west ryde area... they love all areas covered by tin sheeting, wood planks, crap thrown in sheds/garages...

best idea is not to try and catch these buggers, but slaughtered them, cos' they can kill small pets and possibly very young children if bitten...

and they're quick on their legs too!!!

[greenfoam]

That's a Victorian funnel web, closely related to the Sydney one but it's not deadly, might make you feel slightly wonky if it bites you. That's about it, there are no deadly spiders in Victoria so don't kill the poor little buggers. There's also a trapdoor spider around here that looks much the same

edit:
Victorian Spiders - spider identification in Victoria, Australia - Spiders in Victoria

[Lumps of cheese]

We came across them quite often on the farm, very aggressive little buggers.

[Tasmaniak]

Jon, I never thought i would say this dude....but thats ulgier then you! LOL

[vlv8vic]

Jon, I never thought i would say this dude....but thats ulgier then you! LOL

We wont even start on you mate... there aren't words....


Thanks everyone for checking him out. first one i've seen and hopefully the last. For those who suggested a habitat of junk you'd be right about this one. Old veggie garden with rotting wood, bits of tin, rocks and various other bits of junk. took a whole lot of digging to move some of this stuff so i can get my precious garage up!

[Tasmaniak]

We wont even start on you mate... there aren't words....

oh snap!1!

[Troy711]

i would have said a mouse spider by first look but looking at the indentation on its head i now agree that it is a funnel web.

as for the metal thing you dug up...



its to uh... keep the uh... rabbits out...

[calaiscruzer]

Yeah was going to say funnel web/trapdoor spider.
We do get heaps of funnelwebs in VIC. Whether theyre the VIC variety or NSW tourists, we probably get them from heaps of logging trucks coming down.etc.