The Red-back
is found in all parts of Australia except in the hottest
deserts and on the
coldest mountains. It is the only dangerous spider
with an Australia-wide distribution.
Red-backs are very common in Summer.
The female Red-back has a spherical satin-black abdomen
with an orange-red stripe (or sometimes pink or even light
grey). The abdomen is usually about 1 cm in diameter. Eight
long delicate legs arise from the tiny front segment of
the body.
The male is only about one-third the size of the female
and is considered harmless to humans because his fangs are
so small. The male's markings are not as bright.
After mating, the female eats the male. The female spins
up to 8 round balls of web for her eggs. Some of these may
contain as many as 300 eggs. If the weather is warm, the
spiderlings hatch after about 2 weeks and will moult several
times as they grow before they reach full size.
Although this spider injects only a tiny amount of venom,
it can cause serious illness and deaths used to occur before
an antivenom became available in 1956. The action of the
venom is unique as it can attack all the nerves of the body
and in serious cases cause a paralysis which may lead to
death. At first the bite is only as painful as a minor insect
sting, but after a few minutes it becomes intense and spreads
to other parts of the body. A special feature seen only
with Red-back bites is that the bitten limb may sweat profusely
while the rest of the skin remains dry. Fortunately the
serious affects of the venom take several hours or even
days to develop and there is plenty of time for treatment
with antivenom. Remember that most bites can be avoided
if you keep your eyes open for that tell-tale red stripe.
The Brown Widow is of the same group as the Red-back and
the Black Widow but its toxin is about one-tenth the strength
of the Red-back toxin and does not cause the same severe
reaction. It can be a garden pest of plague proportions
1st Aid
Please note: The Pressure Immobilisation method is recommended
only for Funnel Web Spider bites and specifically recommended
against for Red Back Spiders. Please see the treatment for
Red Back bite below.
The old methods of treating bite and stings are now discouraged
by the medical profession as often they only increase and
spread pain. The pressure/immobilisation method is now widely
used as a simple and effective way of slowing the spread
of poison throughout the body. This method involves placing
a firm but not tight, bandage along the entire limb that
has been bitten or stung. This compresses the tissues, thus
reducing the flow of venom along the limbs. Quite often
the venom will be trapped exactly where it enters the body.
The patient should be kept calm and rested; all undue movement
should be avoided. The pressure/immobilisation bandage should
be applied. If the bite is on a limb, the bandage should
start at the bite site, work down to the fingers or toes,
then back to the armpit or groin.
If it is necessary to improvise for the bandages, strips
of clothing or pantyhose could be used. A splint should
then be applied to immobilise the limb. This is run along
the affected limb, and bandaged to it, after the pressure
bandages have been applied.
Medical aid should then be sought and it is better to send
for an ambulance rather than attempt to transport the victim.
RED
BACK SPIDER - 1st AID
As the venom of the Red Back Spider moves very slowly,
any attempt to restrict its progress would only serve to
increase the associated pain. No restrictive bandage should
be applied. The fangs of this spider are quite small and
its bite may often go unnoticed, but often a sharp pinprick
may be felt. This is followed by pain at the site of the
bite, leading to more general pain. Other symptoms include
nausea, dizziness and partial loss of muscle control.
Sweating occurs in varying degrees, and is sometimes apparent
around the site of the bite. Swelling of the affected area
is common, as is a quickening of the heartbeat
As with other bites, the victim should be kept calm and
reassured. The only first aid recommended is to apply a
cold compress to the wound, this may take the form of iced
water in a plastic bag. The wound should under no circumstances
be frozen. Where possible, take the spider to hospital for
identification. Medical aid should be sought immediately.
Most hospitals carry an effective antivenom for the Red
Back Spider. Latest news is that the male Red Back has now
hospitalised people after being bitten!!
FUNNEL WEB SPIDER - 1st AID
The Funnel-web Spider is the cause of much anxiety along
the east coast of new South Wales. Many people still believe
that a bite from this creature means death within minutes.
This is quite wrong. Many people also believe that the larger
female of the species is more deadly; in fact it is the
male that is more dangerous. But as long as the pressure/immobilisation
method is applied, in the same manner as for snake bite,
the chances of death are very slight.
Unlike snake bites, the casualty usually feels great pain
at the site of the bite. Nausea and abdominal pain follow.
The casualty will also experience difficulty in breathing
and a general weakness or numbness of the muscles.
The body also secretes heavily in several areas. Profuse
sweating is usually obvious, along with excessive saliva
production. Heavy coughing, producing secretions is common
Now that all major hospitals in 'funnel-web country' carry
an effective antivenom, there is little risk of death resulting
from a bite. Once pressure/immobilisation method has been
applied, medical aid should be sought immediately. A few
days in hospital is the usual outcome with no lasting damage.
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