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I'm fairly 100% not sure the pictures at the bottom of this page are incorrect. They look to be of the Mouse Spider genus and are commonly misconstrued as Atrax Rubustus.
Does someone know how to negotiate with the copyright holder of the photo for the Sydney funnel-web spider? I looked at many images on the www and this was the only one I've found so far that is not a black blotch against a dark grey background. (Well, maybe that's a slight exaggeration.)
Does anyone know why the formatting of this page has changed? The first paragraph has been reduced to a strip about one inch wide.
Thanks.
Patrick0Moran 05:30, 29 Jul 2003 (UTC)
Re: the bibliography. "Apiders"??? And if these are separate books they should be on separate lines for legibility. Book titles should be italicized. P0M 02:37, 26 May 2004 (UTC)
What is the range of this spider? Is it just in Australia (or is it even in Australia?)
I second that question; as with other articles on spiders in wikipedia, the authors oddly don't seem to think it important to tell us something as basic as where the animals live!! So ok, we're supposed to just infer that these creatures live in Australia, somewhere, presumably Sydney? - just from the name? I think a basic rule for zoology articles should be, first indicate range!
What does this mean? That the spider dies after injecting venom, or what? Loganberry ( Talk) 00:18, 10 September 2005 (UTC)
Everybody is free to edit -- especially nonsensical things like the example quoted above.
These spiders must sometimes have given a human a fatal bite before ambling away to find a true mate. I chopped the offending sentence out and added a sketch map. "New South Wales and Southern Queensland" was not much to go on as a description of the range of these spiders, but I had a look at the climate of that part of Australia and made an educated guess that climate and temperature were more relevant than political subdivisions.
The article (and the main spider article) really should be fixed to account for the fact that Hadronyche is the deadlier of the genera. (75% of their bites are "serious" compared to 17% of Atrax bites.) The focus of the article should be on the two problem genera, not just on one species that is a frequent biter. P0M 21:47, 10 September 2005 (UTC)
What does this phrase mean: "may also cause fatal envomations"? - I cannot find any reference to 'envomations' anywhere. The text is spurious, as it says the spiders "may" cause this unknown term, but ends with the phrase "although none have been recorded". Jazy510 18:05, 28 March 2006 (UTC)
"Sydney" is not the only geographical nickname for these spiders, and actually the so called Sydney funnel-web spider is only one of several deadly spiders (from P0M's edit summary). Uncle Ed 22:37, 22 September 2005 (UTC)
I removed the comment about the spider "envonomat[ing] enthusiastically" it was redundant (after "may bite repeteadly) and read like personification. Zanerock 21:44, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
Is there a source for the claim that they get about 40 cm long? -- Yooden
I doubt there is. At 40 cm it would easily be the biggest spider in the world and no book I've ever seen references this species as the biggest. I'm quite sure it is a decimal point error and it should be 4.0 cm. Especially since it later on says that they are generally smaller than tarantulas. -- Matti Nuortio, Oulu, Finland
Sydney funnel-web spider | |
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Female Sydney funnel-web spider | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | |
Phylum: | |
Class: | |
Order: | |
Family: | |
Genus: | |
Species: | A. robustus
|
Binomial name | |
Atrax robustus |
This page should be combined with Australian venomous funnel-web spider - no purpose in having two pages for one spider.
The word venemous is superflous in the title. They are normally just called Funnel-web spider or Funnel web spider, but the word Australian may be necessary to distinguish them from certain other spiders from other countries.
btw - speaking as someone who has lived in Sydney most of my life, I have *never* heard them called tarantulas.
Singkong2005 14:42, 1 October 2005 (UTC)
This article has the right taxonomy box. There are two genera that need to be accounted for. P0M 10:06, 15 February 2006 (UTC)
I agree with every single point above. El T 04:32, 26 November 2005 (UTC)t
Until the antivenom was produced in 1980, the bite of a male Sydney funnel-web spider was usually fatal to humans; 14 deaths had been recorded.
The araneomorph funnel-web spider not to be confused with the funnel-web tarantula and the venomous funnel-web tarantula, both of which are members of the suborder Mygalomorphae.
The venomous funnel-web tarantulas include the infamous Sydney funnel-web spider.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Araneomorph_funnel-web_spider
---
The highly venomous genus Atrax used to be placed in this family, but is now in the Hexathelidae.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funnel-web_tarantula
---
The Sydney funnel-web spider (also incorrectly called a funnel-web tarantula)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_funnel-web_spider
---
So is it a Tarantula or not?
This article focuses only on the two genera (Atrax and Hadronyche) known to be problem biters in Australia and nearby regions. But there are several other genera in Hexathelidae. One notable one is Macrothele, which contains some rather venomous (to man) spiders in Taiwan, Vietnam, and China; as well as a few far-less-harmful species in Europe. Perhaps these should be included, or else a separate article on the family as a whole should be written?
-- EngineerScotty 19:14, 28 March 2006 (UTC)
I removed a claim that female Sydney funnel-webs are the "most deadly spiders in the world", or somesuch. For one thing, it is the male funnel-webs which are more dangerous to humans; they're bigger, and they go out wandering (placing them in more frequent contact with people). This is the opposite of the black widow, where it's the female that is dangerous.
For another, there isn't really a basis for proclaiming one spider the "most deadly"; fans of the Brazilian wandering spider or the Six-eyed sand spider might have reason to object; their bites can be as nasty as funnel-web bites. (And six-eyed sand spider bites have no antivenom). Of course, the various widow spiders, including the redback spider, still hold the record--by a longshot--for most people killed, even though their venom is less toxic than funnel-web venom. Within the genera Atrax and Hadronyche, there's ample evidence that several spiders in Hadronyche (such as H. infensa, the Fraser Island funnel-web) are at least as dangerous as A. robustus, if not more so. The various species of Hadronyche aren't found in a major metropolitan area like Sydney, however, and thus have less frequently bitten people.
-- EngineerScotty 16:51, 8 June 2006 (UTC)
The Sydney funnel web has a toxin fatal to all primates if not treated. Death takes some 1 to 2hrs after a bite. The spider is agressive and will stand its ground against intruders. The venom has little effect on other mammals such as dogs and cats. The further northwards in the country, the lower the toxicity. The north queensland funnel web is not regarded as venemous, although the bite is very painful. The last fatality I recall was in the Sydney area circa 1975 when a kid was bitten at a Scout jamboree. The spider was inside his sleeping bag, and several bites were inflicted. 61.68.160.141 ( talk) 13:39, 1 July 2017 (UTC)
I noticed there's been a lot of vandalism here - and currently, under the heading 'Range, habitat, and diet' there is a final sentence reading 'how about u suck my nuts ok'. I can't see how to remove this at all - it doesn't seem to be anywhere in the content. Someone with Admin privileges needs to deal with this. - Matt
The heading says "Australasian funnel-web spider", but the article does not explain why they are called "Australasian". In fact it says they are found in Oz and some Pacific islands which seems to me to rule out Asia. Also, the term "funnel-web" isn't defined either. 222.153.233.112 02:58, 15 June 2007 (UTC)
Is it acidic or basic? Can't be both at the same time! Donal Fellows 14:28, 1 November 2007 (UTC)
I think this spider has some how made its way to the U.S. do too me and a friend finding one in south alabama. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.226.14.241 ( talk) 07:02, 4 August 2008 (UTC)
Australasian funnel-web spider → Australian funnel-web spider — Rather then moving the article and finding out someone may disagree I'm going to request a move rather then move it. I've found very little backing of the name "Australasian funnel-web spider" and sites that use that name are mirroring Wikipedia's content however I've found that "Australian funnel-web spider" is widely used on a number of sites [1] therefore the Common name should be used. — Bidgee ( talk) 23:57, 1 March 2009 (UTC)
*'''Support'''
or *'''Oppose'''
, then sign your comment with ~~~~
. Since
polling is not a substitute for discussion, please explain your reasons, taking into account
Wikipedia's naming conventions.Is there any non-Australia funnel-web in "Australasia"? -- Merbabu ( talk) 14:18, 2 March 2009 (UTC)
Here's a citation for species of Atrax being found in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Cheers Bjenks ( talk) 16:09, 5 July 2009 (UTC)
I removed the taxobox: the article refers to species in two genera sharing a common name. As pointed out above, the name does not refer to the family or one its subfamilies. cygnis insignis 02:57, 6 March 2009 (UTC)
I was surprised to see such a detailed uncited list in the following statement:
Although extremely toxic to primates, the venom [of funnel-web spiders] appears to be fairly harmless to many other animals, including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, bears, ostriches, peafowl, leopards, turtles, snakes, elephants, giraffes, ducks, moose, tigers, donkeys, walruses, seals, lions, kangaroos, koalas, iguanas, wolves, weasels, guinea-pigs, chickens and even cane toads.
Has this come from Taronga Zoo--the only place where European, American, African, Asian and Antarctic species are likely to be (very rarely) envenomated by an Australian funnel-web spider?! Is this information a piece of original research, or has there been appropriate experimentation and documentation of such conclusions? Until there are good answers to that question, I believe it is reasonable to replace the statement with something that can be cited, even if not with a proper scientific source, e.g.,
...mammals such as mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs and cats are relatively immune and often survive 100 times the human lethal dosage... Dr Graham Nicholson, a funnel-web expert from the University of Technology in Sydney, puts our unusual sensitivity to the toxin down to "simple bad luck". He says there's no question humans and funnel webs evolved independently and our susceptibility probably has something to do with the wiring of our highly-evolved primate brains... [1]
Does anyone have any objections to this, or alternative suggestions? Cheers Bjenks ( talk) 18:28, 11 July 2009 (UTC)
But what most people think of as "the funnel web" is actually a collection of about 35 different species of spiders, most of which are dangerous. The one that gets most publicity is the Sydney funnel web (Atrax robustus)
This outlines the problem fairly well, the facts given in this piece are unspecified. Is it about Atrax robustus, or any spider that makes a funnel-like web. The RS for the taxa, and related articles like robustoxin, could provide facts to be included in Australian funnel-web spider. I don't think "For years scientists wondered whether funnel webs had some special grudge against people." will be verifiable :-) cygnis insignis 19:54, 11 July 2009 (UTC)
The primate toxicity is based on human deaths. i Heard these claims back in the late 70s. Common knowlegde amonst Sydney ventinarians that houshold dogs and cats do not appear to be victims of the spider. Cats and dogs are frequently the victims of snake bite, though, particulalry of tigers and browns. 61.68.160.141 ( talk) 13:47, 1 July 2017 (UTC)
What exactly are the "Australian funnel-web spiders"? Googling academic sources gives me members of the genus Atrax and Hadronyche, but the way the article discusses it, it sounds like it's describing any hexathelid that just happens to be in Australia? Some of which aren't even venomous.
So why exactly is this a separate article?-- Obsidi♠n Soul 18:49, 15 January 2012 (UTC)
The primary range of the Australasian funnel-web spiders is the eastern coast of Australia, with specimens found in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland.[1][4] Reports that these spiders occur in New Guinea and other islands in the south Pacific have been shown to be false (Platnick, 2008).
@ Obsidian Soul, Bidgee, and Patrick0Moran: This issue was never resolved, as far as I can see. The article is about the Atracinae, a subfamily that may belong to the Hexathelidae but may not – the latest evidence continues to associate it with the Actinopodidae. There are good sources for Hexathelidae being called "funnel-web spiders". All the sources I've seen use the phrase "Australian funnel-web spiders" not as a common name for Atracinae but to mean "funnel-web spiders (i.e. hexathelids) found in Australia". Given that the subfamily probably doesn't belong in Hexathelidae, "Australian funnel-web spiders" is both not the common name and potentially inaccurate. The article should be moved to the only reliably sourced name, Atracinae. Peter coxhead ( talk) 11:39, 21 March 2017 (UTC)
Somebody called attention to this problem a while back. The article currently says:
Envenomation symptoms observed following bites by these spiders are very similar. The bite is initially very painful, due to the acidity of the venom.
It has been suggested that these animals may be resistant to the venom's effects due to the presence of IgG, and possibly cross-linked IgG and IgM inactivating factors in their blood plasma that bind to the toxins responsible and neutralise them, or it may involve a non-specific reaction due to the highly basic nature of the toxins.
I don't have time right now to do fact checking, but it's hard to see how both of these statements could be true. P0M ( talk) 01:57, 16 January 2012 (UTC)
I've had a quick look through sources on line. It seems that the venom is neither particularly acidic nor particularly basic. I've seen mentions of salts in one place and "complex mixtures of neurotoxic peptides, proteins and low molecular mass organic molecules" in another. P0M ( talk) 06:04, 16 January 2012 (UTC)
I just found one source for the assertion that the venom is acidic: http://www.toxinology.com/generic_static_files/cslavh_antivenom_funweb.html I am not sure of the level of expertise of the people actually writing the summary articles that appear on this site. I do not have access to the cited article that supposedly asserts that the venom is a strong base. P0M ( talk) 19:28, 16 January 2012 (UTC)
I checked with a colleague who is a chemist. Since the venom is a polypeptide it would have essentially neutral PH. P0M ( talk) 02:48, 17 January 2012 (UTC)
Some sources say that Sydney funnel-webs have killed 13 people in recorded cases [2] although Funnel-web spider bite: a systematic review of recorded clinical cases does not appear to back this up and lists the 13 deaths simply as funnel-web bites. The antivenom introduced in 1981 was developed specifically for bites from the Sydney funnel-web, and the Australian Reptile Park says that "The only known killer is the Sydney funnel-web spider." [3]. However, other sourcing, and the article here, says that the Northern tree funnel-web Hadronyche formidabilis has also caused at least one death. [4] The sourcing on this issue is confusing and contradictory, and the problem is that not all spider bites result in the species and genus being identified reliably.-- ♦IanMacM♦ (talk to me) 19:43, 4 September 2012 (UTC)
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This is in the news today. May be worth adding.-- ♦IanMacM♦ (talk to me) 13:04, 21 March 2017 (UTC)
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Article says A number of the species produce venom which is dangerous to humans
Talk (#16 above 12Jul 2009) says about 35 different species of spiders, most of which are dangerous.
Anybody capable of stating (authoritatively) how many are dangerous... to humans? MBG02 ( talk) 10:26, 13 September 2018 (UTC)
A 38-year-old male bitten by Hadronyche cerberea had bradycardia, hypertension, miosis, generalised diaphoresis, hypersalivation, hyperlacrimation, oral paraesthesia and fasciculations.Sounds pretty dangerous to me!
The treatment information has many occurrences of "should", which seems to be against WP:NOTMANUAL. It needs re-writing to report advice, rather than give it. Peter coxhead ( talk) 09:44, 5 October 2018 (UTC)
If you found one of these things in your house how would you kill it? Somehow a can of Raid doesn't seem like it'd do the trick. The thing is big enough it looks like you'd need a gun. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 47.138.90.39 ( talk) 09:20, 27 March 2019 (UTC)
This information is incorrect. An early 20’s man died within an hour of being bitten in about 2016 119.18.1.15 ( talk) 14:28, 16 March 2022 (UTC)