Reptile Park Wants To Know Where in Newcastle Monster Funnel Web Was Found

BY ISABEL EVERETT

The Australian Reptile Park is eager to found out which suburb a giant funnel web spider was found in, after it was dropped off at a collection point at John Hunter Hospital.

The huge arachnid was dubbed by keepers as "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson".

Keepers are hoping to find more of the large spiders for their antivenom program.

In January the Australian reptile park encouraged people to safely catch the venomous spiders, only after brushing up on the correct first aid should they be bitten, for their antivenom program.

The venom milked from the spiders saves up to 300 lives per year.

Recent rainy weather followed by intense heat has provided the perfect conditions for funnel web spiders to thrive.

Director of the Australian Reptile Park, Liz Gabriel, says "People can bring any collected spiders to the Reptile Park itself., however if they cant get to us we have drop of zones around the Central Coast and Newcastle."

"All facilities are provided with a spider safety kit to house the spiders until the Australian Reptile Park staff can come and pick them up."

                                        Image Credit: The Australian Reptile Park

                                                   Image Credit: The Australian Reptile Park

The stuff of nightmares... spiders are on the move in the Hunter

BY JESSICA ROUSE

It's the stuff of nightmares, spiders hiding in our shoes and creeping under our doors - but this time of the year in the Hunter is their favourite time of year.

Between December and through until even April, spiders are at their most active, out and about looking for a mate.

Funnel-web spiders, in particular, are most active now wandering into suburbia around the Hunter and south to Sydney. The most deadly is the Sydney funnel-web spider which is the one we're likely to stumble across from Newcastle and down south to the Illawarra region.

Dan Rumsey, Head of Reptiles, Spiders and Venom at the Australian Reptile Park said it's important to check in dark places, which are spiders favourite places.

Image reptilepark.com.au

"What grandma told you about not tapping your shoes out, it's so important because if you think about a male funnel-web spider who is venturing around, your shoe just looks like a dark hole to burrow in and people have been bitten when they've put their shoe on."

Huntsman and red-back spiders are also quite active. Huntsman spiders are good to have around because they eat other spiders that might be hiding around your house. Red-back spiders are tricky though, hiding in dark spaces and under chairs and tables.

Despite living in a country where we have some of the most deadly snakes and spiders, we are lucky that if you do get bitten, a hospital isn’t too far away.

"I think the advantage is that we are in Australia where hospitals aren't too far away and you know you've got really effective and efficient anti-venom so your chances compared to other countries around the world, Australia has a very very small amount of spider and snake bite deaths every ten years, let alone every year," said Dan.

If you are bitten by a spider the most important thing to do is stay calm. Then it's essentially the same process as when you're bitten by a snake, you need to put pressure and a bandage on the area you were bitten and around the whole limb to slow down the lymphatic system from pumping the venom around your body.

Dan said it's so important to stay calm, get an ambulance and get to a hospital as fast as you can where you’ll be treated and you will survive.

“It’s just about making sure everyone understands the first aid treatment, getting pressure and a mobilisation bandage on the bite wounds and the limb and you’ll just increase your time dramatically when it comes to how the venom affects your body,”

“The most important thing is just respecting the animal, leaving them alone, don’t touch them and if you don’t touch them you really reduce your chances of being bitten,” said Dan.

The Snakes Are Slithering in the Hunter

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Snakes have been slithering around Newcastle and the Hunter one month earlier than usual.

In the Hunter, brown snakes are the most common, and right now they're on the hunt for food and a mate.

It's prompted renewed calls for Hunter residents to be smart around snakes - 23 of the 35 people who died from a snake bite between 2000 and 2016 in Australia were bitten by a brown snake.

Image Australian Reptile Park

They've been seen in the most unusual of places, most recently a 1.5 metre brown turned up for breakfast at a cafe in Stockton. They've also been caught on camera in inner-city car parks and frequently in residential areas.

"It's coming into breeding season so that's why we're seeing a lot of male to male combat, more snakes in people's local areas than before and the activity level at the moment is just really really high for a number of reasons including food and mating season," said Dan Rumsey from the Australian Reptile Park.

While snakes will defend themselves if they have to, Dan says it's really a last resort and they'll only bite if they're provoked or hassled.

"The majority of snake bites in Australia come from one of two things and that's people trying to kill or catch them so the key thing is if you don't do either of those two you're going to limit your chances of being bitten by a snake dramatically."

He also said even the fastest snake in the world only gets to 14km/hr, so they're not coming out of hiding just to chase you.

"Granddad used to tell you brown snakes will chase you, try to bite through your car to get you. They don't operate like that at all. Most of the guys who work here have been catching snakes from since they were 7 or 8 years old - I've never had a snake chase me in my life so I promise you it won't happen," said Dan.

Snake and Spider Activity Increases with the Hunter's Warm Weather

BY GEORGIA LUPTON

The warmer weather has prompted an increase in spider and snake activity across the Hunter.

In the 12 months to the 31st of August 2016, paramedics attended 100 snake and spider incidents across the Hunter.

Last week, a 10 year old Upper Hunter boy was airlifted to the John Hunter Hospital after a suspected spider bite.

The Australian Reptile Park's snake and spider expert, Dan Rumsey says seasonal changes encourage the critters to come out and play.

“Once spring kicks in, as the temperature increases and we also get a little bit more rainfall that encourages animals to become a little bit more active, and also, its breeding season as well.”

Funnel Web Spider

Mr Rumsey says there are a few simple tips to follow to avoid having an unexpected visitor in your yard.

“Try and keep your backyard clear of clutter. If you have young children, it’s really important to educate them about the dangers relating to snakes and spiders.”

“If you ever do see a snake in your backyard the best thing to do is to simply go inside and leave the snake alone it’ll most likely move on anyway,” he says.

Dan Rumsey says in the worst case scenario of a snake or spider bite, the first aid process is simple.

“It’s really important to stay calm. Venom travels through the lymphatic system so if you stay still, the less the venoms going to circulate through your body. Apply your general first aid which will be applying a bandage across the white wound … then seek urgent medical assistance.”

Mr Rumsey says while we may not like to share our property with these creatures, they are a part of the natural environment.

“We have to accept that we have to live with them or alongside them.”

Brown Snake