The rain has disturbed the deadly spider.
While most Coasties have been hibernating in this wet weather, the rain has brought out another creature in full force.
Central Coast residents are being warned to keep an eye out for funnel web spiders after they were disturbed by the rainfall.
“They’re strictly nocturnal so they’re only going to be moving around at night,” the Australian Reptile Park’s Jake Meney told the ABC.
“Once the day rolls around that the spider had to find somewhere to hide and if it’s inside the house or even in your backyard and you’ve got a pile of clothes lying around or even a pair of shoes that’s exactly where they’re likely to go.”
The Australian Reptile Park is one of the only places that milks funnel web spiders, and with new research suggesting their venom could assist with managing tumours, the deadly insect is now extremely valuable to researchers.
The park is advising those brave enough to try to catch the spiders and to hand them in.
According to staff at the Australian Reptile Park, catching funnel webs is actually surprisingly easy.
“It’s absolutely not something that would seem natural for a person to see one of the world’s most dangerous spiders and reach for a jar instead of a shoe but that’s what we’re urging people to do.
“They are very easy spiders to catch – they can’t jump, they can’t climb smooth surfaces – so you quite literally put a jar in front of it and they will walk straight in.”
Written by Kate Stevens
Images: Pixabay
