Comments on: Snake-Eating Spider

By: zazie

zazie — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 21:10:00 +0000

I’ve seen a redback eating a small lizard, about the same size as this snake, when i was 11.

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:27:53 +0000

Ah! I’m going to have nightmares for days now.

By: Micaman

Micaman — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:21:22 +0000

) WOW! Damn scary! Is that a spider from 300? It must be a spartan spider…

By: Thomas

Thomas — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:23:24 +0000

Just one more example of how Australia tries to kill everyone who goes there.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:07:35 +0000

@Katharine – redback looks like a black widow, but they’re different species.

By: DJR

DJR — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:55:20 +0000

I’m gonna have nightmares tonight…
Ewwwwwwww.

By: jodie

jodie — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:32:48 +0000

if you follow the link and take a look at the photos – in the 4th pic the snake has a fairly big wound. it doesn’t look like a spider caused it. it looks more like a stab hole.

By: bayamus

bayamus — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:10:38 +0000

Judging from what I see on that website I am never going to Cairns! Spider eating snakes! Gangs attacking firefighters! Pharmacists getting robbed by knifepoint! Toddler killing palmtrees! Hmm but they do have free flights….

By: Katharine

Katharine — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:26:46 +0000

The hourglass appears to be on the underside of the spider – although it’s probably a redback unless black widow spiders somehow got introduced to Australia.

By: Katharine

Katharine — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:24:01 +0000

Is ‘redback’ another name for ‘black widow’?

By: fz

fz — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 12:12:20 +0000

Tiny snake.

I remember seeing a video of a Sydney Funnel Web (I’m pretty sure that was the spider) vs. a poisonous snake. The spider won and proceeded to turn the snake’s head into a mushy syrup.

By: Monyet Miskin

Monyet Miskin — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:50:54 +0000

To give you an idea of scale, the biggest redbacks are about the size of a pea. So the snake is probably a hatchling.
Redbacks make their web in dark corners and are normally not aggressive unless provoked. So I guess the office workers were keeping it as a kind of pet.
The pain from the bite is extremely painful and causes massive swelling for days, but not lethal to adults unless the swelling causes an unfortunate blockage (such as the throat). Always check under the seat when using an outside toilet in Australia.

By: Larfin Jackarse

Larfin Jackarse — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 09:10:39 +0000

Redbacks are a bitch but usually hide outside under logs and things ie shy. Inside an office??? Bit a snake??? IMHO the snake was ill, dead or fed to it. I am not saying that a redback couldn’t bite a small snake but also in an office???? Also Redback webs are small or non-existent.

ps: how exotic is ‘Cairns’ hey? miles from anywhere in Oz. Bitch to know it is infested by something more dangerous than a redback, another Murdoch (‘Fox’) publication

By: jodie

jodie — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 07:19:57 +0000

wow. just…wow. i can’t believe that they let such a poisonous spider stay inside the office…and that must’ve been one helluva strong web to hold that relatively large snake. i have to say it was pretty generous of the workers to let it stay and finish off the snake. i suppose it was something to see. a (hopefully) once in a lifetime opporunity to watch ‘thing eat thing’. still…wow.

By: su.wei

su.wei — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 06:17:36 +0000

im going to have the heebie jeebies and nightmares. yuck.