Red Back Spiders

Howard · #1 18-04-08, 03:30

This one is for Jiff, and also any other Canuks visiting this wide brown land...
...An office receptionist got the shock of her life earlier this week when she found a 14cm long snake entangled in the web of a deadly spider. Tania Robertson, a receptionist at an electrical firm , came in to work on Tuesday and spotted the strange sight next to a desk in her office. The snake, which had obviously died from the spider's poisonous bite, was off the ground and caught up in the web.
... It is believed the snake got caught in the web on Monday night. But it did not take the spider long to bite it. A red mark on the snake's stomach was evidence of where the spider had started eating it.
Throughout Tuesday, the spider checked on her prey, but on Wednesday she rolled it up and started spinning a web around it. She also kept lifting it higher off the ground, while continually snacking on it. Even a fly that accidentally landed on the snake was chased off aggressively...
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#2 18-04-08, 06:18

Oh you are so BAD Howard

That spider is going to explode. Doesn't know when to stop eating!

Paul Singleton · #3 18-04-08, 07:10

That spider looks like the black widow spiders that we have on this side of the world!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_widow_spider

Paul

Tony Smith · #4 06-02-10, 09:39

The F60L was looking a bit "Webby" (no aspersions on Keith!), so I thought I'd clean it up a bit. Beside the usual cast of less-venomous spiders, I found 6 Redbacks, and 2 egg-nests (these can be posted to Canada if anyone's interested in starting their own colony). Certainly explains why there's no snakes around!

PS: There was 6, but only 5 are photogenic enough for the camera. The first one became a victim to my lightning fast reflexes.

Ganmain Tony · #5 07-02-10, 00:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

The F60L was looking a bit "Webby" (no aspersions on Keith!), so I thought I'd clean it up a bit. Beside the usual cast of less-venomous spiders, I found 6 Redbacks, and 2 egg-nests (these can be posted to Canada if anyone's interested in starting their own colony). Certainly explains why there's no snakes around!

PS: There was 6, but only 5 are photogenic enough for the camera. The first one became a victim to my lightning fast reflexes.

Was that a teaser photo for the rest of the truck Tony??

Tony Smith · #6 07-02-10, 07:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ganmain Tony

Was that a teaser photo for the rest of the truck Tony??

Yep!

Keith Webb · #7 21-02-10, 12:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

The F60L was looking a bit "Webby" (no aspersions on Keith!), so I thought I'd clean it up a bit. Beside the usual cast of less-venomous spiders, I found 6 Redbacks, and 2 egg-nests (these can be posted to Canada if anyone's interested in starting their own colony). Certainly explains why there's no snakes around!

PS: There was 6, but only 5 are photogenic enough for the camera. The first one became a victim to my lightning fast reflexes.

I think Jiff is interested in acquiring a redback spider colony, and I know he takes a keen interest in our deadly reptile population - seems we can give him what he's hankering after so go on, Tony, send him a parcel and Andrew can send the rest of the brood he found.

Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP) · #8 21-02-10, 23:11

Tony Smith · #9 22-02-10, 16:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

I think Jiff is interested in acquiring a Redback spider colony, and I know he takes a keen interest in our deadly reptile population - seems we can give him what he's hankering after so go on, Tony, send him a parcel and Andrew can send the rest of the brood he found.

Oh, good idea! I hadn't thought of Geoff!

Geoff, please be very careful putting you hand in your letterbox over the next few weeks. The eggs could hatch in the time it takes to deliver them, and you wouldn't want to accidentally crush the poor things. If they haven't hatched and Springtime weather hasn't kicked in yet over there, you might need to incubate them by keeping the eggs at body temp. In a shirt pocket would be fine, that way you wouldn't lose any hatchlings. Do let us know how they get on.