An extraordinary discovery comes from Australia, where scientists have identified a new species of violin (or funnel) spidereven larger than the already well-known Sydney spider. Nicknamed “Big Boy“, this record-breaking arachnid has been classified as Atrax christenseni in honor of Kane Christensenthe spider enthusiast who first spotted it in the early 2000s near Newcastle.
“Big Boy”: a gentle giant?
Christensen, who worked for years at the Australian Reptile Park extracting venom from violin spiders to produce antiveninhe immediately noticed that some specimens coming from Newcastle were different. “This particular spider is much larger, its venom glands are much larger and its teeth are much longer,” he said.
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With its 9 centimeters in length“Big Boy” far exceeds the size of the Sydney funnel-web spider (Atrax robustus), which generally reaches 5 cm. Fortunately, the antidote developed in the 1980s for the venom of the Sydney spider it has also proven effective against the “Big Boy” bite.
“Sometimes you might find them in a garage, in a bedroom or somewhere in the house that they might have entered during the night,” Christensen said of the new species. “I wouldn’t recommend touching them, that’s for sure. They secrete large quantities of poison“.
A new piece of the biodiversity puzzle
The discovery of “Big Boy” was published in a study conducted by scientists atAustralian Museumfrom the Flinders University and of German Leibniz Institute. Thanks to DNA analysis, researchers confirmed that it is a distinct specieswith a common ancestor with the Sydney funnel-web spider dating back 17 million years.
“Big Boy” is distinguished not only by its size, but also by the shape of its reproductive organs. “The copulatory organ of the Newcastle funnel web looks totally different from everything else,” says Christensen. “It’s crazy, it’s so big… If it tried to mate with a female Sydney funnel web, it would basically go straight through it.”
An invitation to knowledge and respect
The discovery of “Big Boy” enriches knowledge about Australian biodiversity and underlines the importance of scientific research for the conservation of species.
The Australian Reptile Park, where Christensen has worked for years, urges citizens not to kill funnel-web spiders, but to capture them carefully and deliver them to the park. Venom from male spiders is used to produce the antivenin, helping to save lives.
“Collecting a spider can be simple and safe if done correctly,” he explains Emma Tenispider keeper at the Australian Reptile Park. “All you need is a smooth jar and a long-handled spoon. Place the jar in front of the spider and gently encourage it to enter the jar. Close the lid and take it to one of our nearest drop-off points.”
