Sydney Funnel-web Spider
Atrax robustus
Sydney Funnel-Web: The Grumpy Burrow Boss
Australia's glossy backyard brawler that mostly minds its own silk-lined business—until love makes the boys wander.
- Range
- 160 km radius around Sydney
- Size
- Females to 35 mm, males 25 mm
- Fangs
- Can pierce a fingernail
- Habitat Hack
- Rockeries, compost, under houses
- Silk Side Gig
- Once used in optical crosshairs
Home & Hunting
Sticks to moist Sydney spots within 160 km of the city. Silk funnel burrows with trip-lines catch beetles, roaches, and the odd frog for a quick ambush dinner.
Venom & Antivenom Win
Males pack the serious toxin during summer mate hunts. Thanks to the Reptile Park's milking program, no deaths since 1981—humans win, spiders keep their cool.
Fun facts about Sydney Funnel-web Spider
- Only bachelor males cause drama—females are the chill homeowners.
- They prefer fancy north-shore real estate over dry western suburbs.
- Silk so precise it once helped scientists aim lasers.
Funnel-Web Spider vs Bullet Ant
Funnel-web spider wins with faster ambush and potent neurotoxic venom.
In a damp forest floor burrow entrance, the funnel-web spider waits motionless. A foraging bullet ant wanders too close, its powerful mandibles and painful sting ready. The spider darts out in a blur, delivering a quick bite before the ant can react or sting effectively.
The ant's famous sting causes intense pain but acts slowly on small prey. The spider's venom, however, quickly disrupts the ant's nervous system, leaving it paralyzed within moments.
The spider drags its meal back into the silk-lined burrow, showing why few forest invertebrates challenge this ambush specialist.
Arachnida · Forest · Cost 4
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