Red Back Spiders are found Australia wide and common in urban areas. They usual prey on insects but are capable of capturing large animals, such as king crickets, small lizards if they become entangled in the web. It is also common for large females to take stored food of other webs.
Female Red back Spiders are black with a red or orange stripe on the upper body. The strip can resemble an hourglass shaped. Females can live for two to three years.
Male Red back Spiders live around six month and do not construct any webs, but may be found around a female's web, especially during the summer mating season.
Red Back Spider Bites and Symptoms
Over 250 Red back Spiders bits occur per year and frequently over the summer months. The most common symptoms are local pain and sweating, nausea and vomiting. Since the introduction of antivenom for Red back Spiders no deaths have occurred.
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