Boasting fangs capable of piercing a human fingernail, the largest male specimen of the world’s most venomous arachnid has found a new home at the Australian Reptile Park, where he will help save lives after a member of the public discovered by chance.
The Sydney funnel-web spider, nicknamed “Hercules”, was found on the Central Coast, about 80km north of Sydney, and was initially taken to a local hospital, the Australian Reptile Park said on Thursday in a press release.
Spider experts from the nearby park collected it and quickly realized it was the largest male specimen ever received from the public in Australia.
The spider measured 3.1 inches from foot to foot, surpassing the previous park record holder from 2018, the male named “Colossus.”
Funnel-web spiders typically measure between one and five centimeters in length, with females generally larger than their male counterparts, but less deadly. They are found mainly in wooded areas and suburban gardens from Sydney, Australia’s most populous city, to the coastal city of Newcastle in the north and the Blue Mountains in the west.
“Hercules” will contribute to the reptile park’s antivenom program. Spiders safely captured and handed over by the public are “milked” to extract the venom, essential for the production of life-saving antivenom.
“We are used to receiving donations of fairly large funnel-web spiders at the park, but receiving a male this large is like hitting the jackpot,” spider keeper Emma Teni told The Australian Reptile Park.
“Although female funnel-web spiders are venomous, males have been found to be more deadly,” she said.
Since the program began in 1981, there have been no recorded deaths from funnel-web spider bites in Australia.
The rainy and humid weather along the east coast of Australia provided the ideal conditions for these spiders to thrive.