SPIDERS REDBACKS !!!!!!

(LATRODECTUS HASSELTI)

Renee

Description

Mature female redbacks are jet black spiders with a red stripe on the back of their round abdomen. Young females are smaller, usually brown with whitish markings.

• Male redback spiders are rarely seen. They are small and brown with red and white markings.

Food• Redback spiders eat mainly insects

that stumble into their webs, but small creatures like lizards and even mice can be eaten also.

• Female redbacks will eat the tiny male redbacks after mating.

Habitat• Redback

spiders live in most parts of Australia.

Web• The female redback

builds a sticky, tangled web in dry, sheltered places. She hides in a funnel-shaped part at the top of the web. Inside logs, under rubble and rubbish, among rocks and in sheds are places where redback spiders can be found. Male redbacks do not build webs.

Life cycle

• A female redback spider can produce eggs for up to two years after a single mating. Eggs are enclosed in 3-5 dirty-white, woolly, spherical egg sacs suspended in the web and guarded by the female.

• Spiderlings emerge after about 14 days and disperse on the wind as soon as conditions are right.

Spider Bites

• Care is advised as the red backs bite is very poisonous and potentially fatal for children or the elderly.

Bite symptoms

• After a bite, pain may be delayed for five minutes then increase. Symptoms vary but have included:

nausea vomiting abdominal or generalised pain sweating restlessness palpitationsweaknessmuscle spasm fever.

Treatment

• Anyone bitten by a redback spider should seek medical attention.

• Do not bandage the bite

• Apply iced water and take simple painkillers.

• An antivenene is available and very effective.

Websites• www.geocities.com/brisbane_weavers/

Red_Back.htfliptopbin.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.html

• davidkphotography.com/index.php?showimage=459• www.usq.edu.au/spider/find/spiders/302.htm• www.reptilepark.com.au/animals.asp?catID=17...• : www.maps-pacific.com/australia.html• www.oztrek.com.au• flickr.com/photos/lowerlighter/1631025035/