Scientists in Australia have named a deadly spider species “Big Boy” after it. It is larger and more venomous that its relatives.
Scientists from Australia’s Australian Museum, Flinders university and Germany’s Leibniz Institute released research on Monday. They discovered that there are actually three species of Sydney funnel web spiders, not just one. Scientists named the species Atrax Christenseni with a nickname “Big Boy.” The common Sydney funnel-web spiders can reach a size of nearly two inches.
Stephanie Loria, the lead researcher in this study, said that “our research revealed hidden diversity among funnel web spiders” in a press release. The Newcastle funnel-web spider, Atrax Christenseni – ‘Big Boy’ – is a completely new species.
Dark, glossy, and large spiders can be dangerous to humans. The current antivenom has already proven effective against many funnel-web spiders including the recently discovered “Big Boy.”
The venom of the male Sydney funnel web spider can kill adults. 13 deaths were attributed to this spider from 1927 until the early 1980s. Since the introduction of the antivenom in the 1980s, there have been no deaths.
A Sydney funnel-web Spider , found in Australia, set the record for the largest spider in the Australian Reptile Park. The spider measured 3.1 inches in length from head to tail, beating the previous record holder for the Australian Reptile Park from 2018.
