PREVIEW

The largest male specimen of the world's most venomous spider has been found in Australia. With fangs that could pierce a human fingernail, the venomous arachnid was discovered by a member of the public on the Central Coast, approximately 80km north of Sydney. The potentially lethal Sydney funnel-web spider, affectionately named "Hercules," was handed over to a local hospital before finding a new home at the Australian Reptile Park where it will help save lives. Spider specialists recognised it as the largest male specimen ever received from the public in Australia. This spider measures 7.9cm (3.1 inches) from one foot to the other, surpassing the park's previous record-holder from 2018. ”Hercules" will now contribute to the reptile park's antivenom programme. Safely captured spiders turned in by the public undergo "milking" to extract venom, which is crucial for producing life-saving antivenom. ”We're accustomed to receiving fairly large funnel-web spiders at the park, but getting a male funnel-web of this size is akin to winning the lottery," said Emma Teni, a spider keeper at the Australian Reptile Park. Since the program's inception in 1981, there has not been a single fatality in Australia due to a funnel-web spider bite.