Hi,
I found this spider under an old Melaluka Stump - What is it?
We are in East Gippsland, about 15 minutes outside of Bairnsdale. Its about 4cm long in the body, and about 6-7 cm with its legs stretched out. When its legs are touched, it immediately becomes aggressive, and raises its front legs with its fangs showing when disturbed.
Definitely not a funnel web spider - see http://www.arachnoserver.org/images/spiderimages/Atrax%20robustus%20female%2012%20mm-Volker%20Herzig.jpg for an image. Looks more like some type of trapdoor spider, but that doesn't seem to match with the habitat where you found it...
Why is it "Definitely not a funnel web spider".
Are there markings/colour etc... that I should be looking for if it was/is a funnel web spider.
Trapdoor spiders have short, blunt spinnerets.
and funnel web spiders have long pointy spinnerets (so I was told).
Trapdoor spiders are more timid, the one we caught is very aggressive and wants to attack, it will even come toward you to attack even if not threatened.
Although the pictures that I listed don't clearly show the spinnerets (due to angle of the Pics),
this one has long pointy spinnerets.
Maybe it is a Trapdoor spider, but I am not yet convinced (can't blame me:-)
In Australia funnel web spiders are now found also down the east coast of Victoria in the Gippsland mountains (where we live).
I should have said definitely does not appear to be a Sydney funnel web spider - compare the appearance of the cephalothorax and its size relative to the abdomen in your specimen vs. that of the image of Atrax robustus. Regardless, I would not fool around with it...
