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.

Read more about Bullet Ant.

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