Deadly Cousin: The Redback Spider | National Geographic

perched in its tangled web the Redback
spider lies in wait she is a relative of
the black widow only the red dorsal
stripe distinguishes them red backs are
found everywhere throughout the
Australian continent especially
alongside human habitation only females
build webs they’re smaller less
brilliantly colored male counterparts
often lurk to the side
females can live up to three years males
only for about six months when it comes
to mating males must approach cautiously
lest the object of their affections
mistake them for a snack humans too must
be careful the spider won’t seek out
people to sting but should a hand stray
into her web by accident
a trip to the emergency room may be in
order as the venom acts directly on the
nerves the read-back possesses a potent
neuro toxic venom only the female bite
is dangerous and their bites have caused
some human deaths it does not hunt its
prey but instead waits for a tasty
morsel to wander by and become entangled
in its web once the prey usually a
walking insect becomes enmeshed in the
Redbacks web it’s wrapped in silk when
it’s time to eat the spider bites down
on its intended victim injecting its
neurotoxic venom the venom paralyzes the
insect and digestive enzymes begin to
dissolve the preys insides