Sydney homeowner finds the most dangerous spider in the WORLD in his apartment before chucking it into a container himself – as expert warns of the worst arachnid season ever
- A Sydney homeowner found a deadly funnel web spider in his garden
- The resident managed to place the spider in a container and took a video of it
- ‘Is this a garden spider or something more deadly?’ he asked on Facebook
- A spokesperson from Taronga Zoo confirmed it was a funnel web spider
A homeowner has been given the shock of his life after he picked up a spider and put it in a container, only to discover it was the world’s most dangerous arachnid.
Scott McGufficke, from Sydney’s north shore, posted a video of the spider to Facebook, which showed the arachnid crawling around in the container.
‘Hey guys, we just found this spider on Park Ave, Mosman, is this just a garden spider or something more deadly?’ Mr McGufficke asked on social media.
He later said a spokesman from Taronga Zoo confirmed it was not a garden variety spider but a deadly funnel-web.
A Sydney homeowner has found the most dangerous spider in the world in his apartment and placed it inside a container himself (pictured)
Mr McGufficke was also told it was the ‘worst season’ in years and residents should exercise caution this summer.
Funnel-web spiders, the most venomous spider in the world, can be found in eastern Australia.
There are at least 40 species of the funnel-web spider but the most dangerous is the Atrax robustus, also known as the Sydney funnel-web.
That species is said to be responsible for all 13 recorded deaths from funnel-web bites, according to the Australian Museum.
The funnel-web is often one centimetre to five centimetres in body length and can be either brown or black in colour.
While not all species are said to be life-threatening, the funnel-web spider’s venom is known to be highly toxic and fast acting.
While not all species are said to be life-threatening, the funnel-web spider’s venom is known to be highly toxic and fast acting (stock image)