Control a smart mouse
1st Nov 2011
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Red Back Spiders
21st Oct 2011
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All spiders in Australia are venomous but only two have reportedly caused deaths, the Funnel Web and Redback.
The Redback is the most well known Australian spider and found in all areas except the highest mountains and deep in the ocean.
She can store sperm up to two years then lay 10 egg sacs, each containing about 250 eggs, and can repeat this a week later.
The Redback is closely related to the Black Widow and identical except for the red dorsal stripe.
The Redback "venom is highly neurotoxic, which is to say that it attacks the central nervous system causing intense pain, profuse sweating, difficulty in breathing, loss of consciousness, violent convulsions and, finally...Death."
Prior to the introduction of specific anti venom in 1956, Redbacks had been responsible for thirteen deaths in Australia. None since!
