I'm lucky the Funnel-web spider isn't found in Perth. Their venom can kill a person within an hour. I will, however, have the chance to meet the Red Back.
The Red Back Spider.
It's a close relative of the Black Widow Spider. Red Backs carry in their bite a Neurotoxin (nerve poison). Bites may cause a person to suffer anything from headaches to nausea to paralysis. Pretty cool, huh? Fortunately, an effective antivenom exists. The inconvenient part is that they love to be below seats and inside shoes. So I have to be careful where I place my butt and feet.
Next, the Mouse Spider, which looks nothing like a timid mouse.
Mouse? You're kidding me!
The Mouse up there is famous for it's very, very, very painful bite. Just look at the size of those fangs. However, fierce as they may seem, word is that they're pretty shy, and will only bite when provoked.
Moving on, the White-tail Spider. Notice the white section at the spider's butt.
It only looks big here. It's size is only 15 to 20mm.
This spider often runs into bathrooms (gasp!) to hide from the heat outside. Check your bathrooms before you do your business! It's bite ain't lethal, but may cause severe allergic reactions. It seems that the bite makes your skin look like it's rotting or something. Ewww... One interesting fact here is that the White-tail preys on other spiders.
Our next eight-legged friend is the Black House Spider.
Black house? Where?
This spider may wonder near window frames and brickwork, where it's dry. It's bite is poisonous, but not lethal. Seems the bite will cause you muscular aches and giddiness, besides making you puke. This one's another shy spider, so bites are rare. They often get eaten by the White-tails. Poor Black Houses...
There are other spiders too, like the Wolf Spider and the Huntsman, but I'll leave that research to you. I'm off to bed, hoping for some spider-free dreams!
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