Mow it down!

Tom was out mowing when noticed a large black spider near his foot.

Yes, it was an Atracinae, commonly known as an Australian Funnel-web spider. We don't see them very often here at all (thank goodness). The spider is large, and this one was on the end of the scale for funnel-webs at approximately 5 cms long (not that I got out the ruler).

Australian funnel-webs are one of the most dangerous groups of spiders in the world and are regarded by some to be the most deadly, both in terms of clinical cases and venom toxicity. Their fangs are large and powerful, capable of penetrating fingernails and soft shoes.

If you are unlucky enough to get bitten, the bite is initially very painful, due to the size of the fangs penetrating the skin. Puncture marks and local bleeding are also usually visible.

Symptoms will generally occur within minutes and progress rapidly.

Early symptoms include goose bumps, sweating, tingling around the mouth and tongue, twitching (initially facial and intercostal), salivation, watery eyes, elevated heart rate and elevated blood pressure. As systemic envenomation progresses symptoms include nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath (caused by airway obstruction), agitation, confusion, writhing, grimacing, muscle spasms, pulmonary oedema (of neurogenic or hypertensive origin), metabolic acidosis and extreme hypertension. The final stages of severe envenomation include dilation of the pupils, uncontrolled generalised muscle twitching, unconsciousness, elevated intracranial pressure and death.

The onset of severe envenomation can be rapid. In one prospective study, the median time to onset of envenomation was 28 minutes, with only two cases having onset after 2 hours (both had pressure immobilisation bandages applied). Death may occur within a period ranging from 15 minute (this occurred when a small child was bitten) to three days.

The image is a little blurred due to the spider moving rapidly around, quite agitated. It was doing the rather scary rearing up, in warning posture.

Enough of that. Tom, Nicki, Alex and Sam here overnight. Dinner is duck curry, prawn curry and an eggplant curry with all the usual side dishes and trimmings. Sam and Alex are making a limoncello cocktail, the cheesy olives are in the oven and I'm thirsty!

Nicki leaves for work in Sydney at 5.45, Bob and Tom leave at 6am for Adelaide and Sam and Alex will wend their way home at a more leisurely pace to Newcastle as their south coast holiday comes to a close.

And then there was just one.