The infamous Aussie Redback Spider

This big girl is under my back verandah but wont be for long. She's a big one. Her abdomen was about 1.5 cm dia.

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Excellent capture,
I got so wound up about these on a brief visit to Os land a few years ago I was actually checking under the toilet seats for them
Brian V.

Thanks Brian

You don't hear about bites anymore. Not since the antivenom was deveolped. Still a nasty bite to get. For anyone who might venture south and get bitten the first aid is immerse bit under the hottest water you can stand. The heat breaks down the protien in the venom.

Always see a doctor or hospital after a bite though.

Beautiful shot Peter. I take it these are less than desirable to have around?
-Bruce

Bruce, The Redback and your Black Widow are very similar. I'm not sure which is more venomous. But these have killed adults in the past and will still kill a child if medial treatment is not sort.

She will go soon.

Thanks too

Sounds like Her venom may be a bit stronger than our Black Widows.
Ours can make you sick, and in rare cases, I suppose they can kill, but I think that's pretty rare. At least I have not heard of anyone being killed by one of these. I was bit by one quite a while back, and only felt a bit sick. It was enough to miss one day of work though.
-Bruce

Wow 1.5cm diameter body! Our button spiders (which look similar) are only about 2cm long, including the legs! Also nowhere near as dangerous. They are also very sedentary - I normally leave them be - unless they end up under the garden chairs

Excellent capture, I wouldnt let it hang around too long either, it may want to have babies, and that would not be good, at all.

Thanks BE. She's been hiding in her web since i got here but today heat bought her out in the open. 38.3 deg C at 3pm. That's 100 deg F

It has egg sacks already so they will be going tomorrow. The last thing i want is a few hundred baby redbacks.

A very good idea, man, they work fast on putting out babies,.

Nice pic.

reminds me of when i lived in outskirts of brisbane for 6 months when i was about 8 or 9 and i remember when my little cousin (3 or 4 yrs old) came in from the verandah saying a spider bit his finger.

we went out there and found one of these in a web, cue massive panic (we lived out in the suburbs so doctors were a long drive away) we all piled into the car and rushed him to the doctors, when we arrived the verdict was... it was a wasp sting, the spider hadnt been anywhere near him. i dont think we'd ever been so relieved in our lives.

Nice shot. In this case I like the shadow, makes it look more ominous.

KAC

The shadow makes it look quite creepy! Great shot Desertraptor!

Nice capture of a deadly spider. That black body must make it almost impossible to get details of head region. Well done.

That is a beautiful spider. I love all the new things we learn here! Thanks for sharing.