10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Red Back Spider
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- Опубліковано 20 сер 2021
- Australia is famous for our venomous wildlife, but when it comes to spiders there isn’t many as infamous as the red back spider, so in this video we share ten weird and wonderful facts about the red backed spider
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Back in the 1990's one of my workers spotted a red back in my ear muffs I'm lucky because I'd been wearing them for 40 minutes prior to finding it
Was bitten by one of these cuties back in primary school but the teacher didn’t believe me when I told her and said that “it couldn’t have been a redback because otherwise I’d be laying on the floor dead.”😂. Wasn’t overly funny at the time but it is to think back on. Beautiful little creatures
The most interesting thing that I learnt today was the pre-European distribution of the redback. The most infamous thing about redbacks that you didn't mention is that they actually can be found under dunny seats, especially outside ones. I don't know how many people have been bitten on the arse in this fashion, but I always check under the outhouse seat.
I was told during a first aid course many years ago that a redback's bite is the only venomous bite that you don't use a pressure bandage with. Apparently, the pressure increases the pain. As you did say, ice and painkillers are the recommended first aid.
Im from England and all i knew of these spiders was that they lurked under the loo seat.
You have researched this thoroughly. I love spiders and this is an amazing video. Looking forward to more of your content.
She's a lot bigger than I thought they were. We have a false widow that we caught in the bathroom & she's thriving in a nice new spider enclosure 😊 She looks very much like the Red Back Spider just smaller. Fascinating creatures. Thank you Nick, awesome video once again 🦘🕷️🕸️🕷️
We grew up with so, so, sooo many red backs I can not believe I never got bitten.
Somehow our red backs have gotten used to being wet, because for over 30 years they live on the underside of the pool tiles, about 7 cm from the waters surface. They get soaked when we swim, and don’t seem to mind.
We just leave them there, and never an issue. That and the funnel webs, the brown snakes and everything else that used be in the pool, no ideas how 5 kids not once was bitten by anything.
As always, I didn’t know most of these facts! You never fail to teach me a ton of new things, your channel is second to none mate. Redback Spiders are absolute icons, such a cool species and I’m glad to have learned so many new things about them. Great work Nick!
- Harrison and Evan
Thanks guys! I hope you blokes are doing well over there!
Brilliant lecture on red backs !! Thanks again
Good up to date research mate !
You always teach us lots of new facts about the animals you interview
In the early to mid 1970s, my parents bought some land at Duncraig/Glengarry in Perth and had a house built. Our fence was a currogated fibro one with top capping. As a result, when I was about 8 or 10, I spent many hours playing with the Redbacks under the capping until I told my mum. She chastised me and proceeded to Mortein the entire fence.
My friend in the army got bitten twice by a redback. I got bitten by a spider and it effected my eyesight like looking threw broken glass . A tiny little black spider. Queensland
Appreciate your knowledge mate. You are my "Go To" man for all things we Ozzies might face out there. Cheers!!
I had a red back spider in my bedroom for about 2 years and it never moved from the 1 place ever, it became like my pet it used to eat the bugs that came in my room I still don't know what happened to it or where it disappeared to but I suspect it was eaten by a daddy long leg spider that took over it's territory. They are really chilled spiders, I don't mind spiders that won't crawl on my face when I'm sleeping red back spiders are contempt with living in 1 spot for it's whole life
I had 1 outside my window used to give her dinner called her e
ronda
it probably climbed into ur mouth when u where asleep. lol
@@madmick6275 nah my bed isn't close to the floor or near where it was, they don't like open exposed areas like my bed lol.
@@GrowingDownUnder it probably watched you getting changed and thought I'm going to wait for him to go to sleep and then I'm moving into that bum hole. Warm safe and a never ending food supply.
@@Gooie69 that must be a skilled spider if it could do that, I always sleep with a b*tt plug in so no spiders can crawl inside
My Uncle has been Bitten by 2 brown snakes and 1 Redback. From a big girl right in his armpit! 1 dry bite one venomous bite from the snakes. He said the Redback bite was much worse! He required Anti venom for both bites. The redback did actually bite him a few times and he went Yeoouch n wacked it probably shoving more venom into the bite. I reckon most Aussies get a bite in their life and probably get a red mark n a few sweats. But the one my uncle got was no little nip! Was a big girl like the one shown here. Only worse place i could think of would be the groin! Lol. The males working out how to get away without getting eaten is remarkable.
Awesome video as usual 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks mate!
Went for a walk in my backyard at night to put some tools away in the shed and seen 4 of them in the space of 2 minutes. Hate to think how many I'd find if I looked around for them properly.
great video. Love arachnids!
They are certainly interesting critters!
I’ve actually got the red back stamp, bought a set of dangerous Australians through auspost.
Love ya videos mate
Thankyou!
Fascinating video sir
Great video! Very very informative! Most of these were new knowledge to me.
Good to see you had at least one spider that played a long ahaha. 😉
Yeah a good feed got her sitting still for me 😅😂
@@WickedWildlife we not gonna discuss what that feed was? Ahaahahahahaahaah
@@tamaradodge9481 invertebrates
Howdy, Tamara! It’s so nice to see you here!
Red back spiders are my favourite spiders of all time
This is the best wildlife show in Australia for sure. 👍
Interesting bit of information
New Zealand also now share the white tail with Aussie.
But when I was growing up our only venomous spider was the katipo, so I’m not sure when the whitetail was introduced to Nz but I’m definitely interested in learning more,❤️
The White Tail was rare in Melbourne when growing up, but is now common in certain seasons/breeding dominance.
This is one cool spider
I've never been bitten by a redback, despite an adventurous childhood. They aren't aggressive unless their web is invaded, but I exterminate them whenever I see them.
These are all through my garden shed and around the house, fence, second car here in Canberra. I have never been bitten but my mobile mechanic has plenty of times under old cars etc. I don't feel threatened at all though.
Yes, it's true, there is an established population of Red backs in New Zealand, although bites are rare, and the concern is that someone could be bitten, and not realise it. Katipo, although common, aren't really seen that often, and most bites occur, if a spider is hiding in clothing. By far the most common, and in my experience painful bites, are the whitetail spiders. Quite common in NZ.
I actually like spiders, even had some 'pet' red backs years ago, fascinating little creatures! But I literally got the "heebee-jeebees" when you mentioned getting bitten on the head / face when putting a helmet on.. I'll be checking mine from now on!!
In England we have a crossbreed we call then false widow spiders
You're either an incredibly small chap, or that is one of the biggest redbacks I've seen and I see them on an almost daily basis. They can be an incredibly fast mover. I've witnessed one jumping up and bitting on a fly that was flying past it. That's a warning to those who get lured into a false sense of security when seeing how relaxed their movements are.
Often their favourite habitats are under or in metal. Lift w sheet of iron off the ground and you are almost guaranteed to fit at least a couple of them. Or under metal structures or machinery. I've also noticed many cars that are parked on Sydney's streets for long periods end up with multitudes of stringy webs from the edge of the car to the ground. These appear to be redback webs. Once you start driving the car again, they tend to disappear pretty quickly though.
Redbacks are easily spotted by their webs. They have a distinctive messy web. One look and you know, don't even have to see the spider which is usually hiding.
I've had them crawling across my hands, never bitten. Once spotted, I let them continue on themselves to get off my hand, so I don't make them nervous.
I once heard that their venom only really affect those who are allergic to it. People often get bitten without any real effects, although that's one theory I'm not prepared to test.
Some problems do arise with the anti venom if the victim has any allergy to horse related products. One other issue would be the Tetanus vaccine here, which comes (or did) from horses.
Anyway, another fascinating video.
A story I heard years ago about a bloke in Brisbane with Dread locks (hair style) This guy couldn’t work out why he was getting sick until a hairdresser found a redback nest in his hair. Love your site watched about 20 videos in one sitting . We are so lucky to live in such a unique country with unique animals , retiles ect. Scott ( Qld )
That story was going around when I was at school in the 1970s lol.
Jesus!
I heard similar in 80s but it was dreads and he got bit going into a pool. Think it was just giving people with dirty dreadlocks shit
Maybe the story of the homeless guy who kept getting sick, when they looked in his matted hair was full of redbacks
Love this guy !!! Has a great way about him. Reminds me a little of Steve Irwin ( RIP ).
I had no idea they had spread throughout the world or were a threat to the Katipo. Many Aussies would know most of the other facts because they are so pervasive. Fortunately, their egg sacs and ragged webs are nicely visible indicators that they are present. We still take care though. I always check the tractor seat and canopy before taking a seat and I still check under toilet seats in outdoor dunnies.
I was bitten one noght when i was about 18, went to hospital the next morning. I was in a bit of pain all night but had come good by the morning, they said if anything bad was going to happen, i would have already. Next 4 days i swetted constantly, non stop, couldn't sleep. Went back to another hospital and they gave me 2 doses. They said that could have continued for another 2 weeks
The Red Backs around my house are jet black and candy red.
Yep...
I live in My Van (4 wheels + engine) & I have lots of redbacks in it. They originally came from a house I rented years ago, through another car I had, to the Van. Some massive, with big nests. They eat the small amounts of cockroaches that moved in too, somehow. I've cleaned it out a fair few times but I can't completely get rid of them. Not keen on sprays. Just found your channel today. 👌
I can tell you all about Katipos. I live in NZ and had one chase my fingers around a paint pot lid!
I've been bitten by one! A few years back I was bitten on the hand as I reached to turn off a garden tap in the dark. Worst pain I've ever felt; like someone hit my hand with a sledge-hammer! Went to hospital for observation, but didn't need the anti-venin.
I didn't know any of those facts. So I now know ten things about the Red Back Spider lol 🕷️
Great video mate. I’m glade you put the Red Back to bed.
BUT what about the Myths and Truth about the White Tail Spider?
White tails would make a great video
I did not know about the ice for treatment .What about the white tail spider ?
Nice! Subbed!
They’re quite beautiful redbacks
Good video 😊
I live in the US and in Southern Louisiana spiders that have that bright red stripe have been popping up from time to time. Not sure if our black widows have those too, but the fact that these guys are being found in various places is still interesting
The smartest web design I’ve ever seen. Delightful engineering, looks like it’s been chucked together from scraps till you have a good look and find out it’s a spring loaded snare attached to the ground capable of lifting creatures many times its size into an inescapable tangle.
There’s plenty of photos of small snakes in red back webs around with the big girl snacking on it. I spotted a big scorpion from a distance along the corner of a roof and as I got closer found it was in the middle of a red back web, the red back perched on one of its legs, like a mouse on an elephant, having lunch.
All was new that’s why I needing to watch.
The red backs web is very strong. I once rescued a small eastern brown snake that become entangled in the web.
Hey mate .you should talk about the white tail spider. My brother inlaw got bitten.
There's an anti venom? I just ice the limb and drink more beer.
Thanks for that - excellent information. A list of supporting papers would be of use to anyone who might want to use this information to teach. Not that I don't believe you, all sounded sound and logical, but wouldn't want to pass it on without due diligence. Of course I could do my own research, but lazy.
I knew about the horses used for antivenom. All the others are I didn't know.
Great, informative video. This seems to be an unusual looking redback (at least in my experience). In the video it looks brown with a yellow stripe, but all of the ones I've seen (all in WA) have been black with a bright red stripe. Are there colour variations, or maybe just a trick of the light/camera?
It’s very much the result of poor lighting (and not intentionallly)
While I should say her stripe is as bright as others it was very much still red
@@WickedWildlife Thanks for the reply! No problem, didn't think it was intentional, just thought there might be colour variations. Have been enjoying the channel - love the intelligent and considered way you talk about these animals, rather than sensationalising and playing up the danger the way some others do. Cheers!
I thought New Zealand was full of the dreaded rock spider
Do a wolf spider video
I love wolf spiders. I have lots of them of all sizes in my house. They just stay still while I step over them.
Moved to Auz back in 2010 when Honda left F1... Now, I was terrified of spiders here in the UK. The first day we moved into our new home in Auz, a friend grabbed a spatula from the kitchen and started smacking something in the corner of the wall. She said, it was a red back spider. (This based on the Gold Coast).... Our second home, sat in the lounge, pitch black with just the light coming from the TV... Out of the corner of my eye, could see a moving object. A huntsman spider... biggest thing I had ever seen... almost shit myself... Chucking my boot at it, it then doing a 180 degree turn... Was like a spaghetti western between myself and the spider... Moving on to another property, had two baby brown snakes in my pool, in which I removed via a pool skimmer and my daughter saying, what are you final words daddy. Reason being, the baby snakes do not know how to distribute their venom to the size of the prey, so they give it all.... Now back in the UK, my wife screams at a spider, I say, unless it's about 2 inches big, Im not interested.... LOL....
Very interesting…while on holiday in Melbourne back in December 2019, something bit my left ankle, I did not feel the bite, but several hours later, I woke up from sleep, feeling awful, very dry mouth, splitting headache, felt sick, had pain down left side of body, and the bite area was both painful red and itchy….I applied after giving my wife a pep talk on first aid, she applied a pressure bandage from my toes up to my knee…the hotel, Park Hyatt, then stepped in and called for Paramedics….they came, all the while I was prone, with leg raised, keeping calm, the paramedic was on the phone all the time to me…their colleagues arrived, checked me over, said it was not a snake bit, gave me some antihistamine, and one rude paramedic hoped I had medical insurance, I did….they left and that was that….I felt awful for about two days, sick feeling etc….anyway few days later flew back to the UK and to my home in Jersey….felt better, but that bite area took about six weeks to clear up….to this day, no idea what bit me, earlier that day I had been walking in the Botanical Gardens, had a walk around St.Kilda, but…yes, but decided to wear my thongs and go for a walk and sit down on the grass in Fitzroy Gardens in Melbourne……so who knows…but I know I was bitten……but no idea what did it….I bear no grudges, it is just unfortunate, glad I carried with me two pressure bandages with me, having trail walks in the Dandenongs earlier on our holiday….returning down under in 2025, I’ll not wear those things mind…
How does a Trap Door field spider dig such a perfect hole in the ground which is usually rock hard soil. That always amazes me.
Jack hammer 🧐😂
I live in England, and I didn't know that there had been redbacks here? We have false widow spiders, but nothing else that can sting like that? I'd love to see some redbacks, but not in my garden!
I'm surprised no mention was made of the fact that the red patch on their back pulsates from pink to red when they are alarmed !
I got bitten by a White-Tailed Spider 🕷 twenty years ago whilst at work . I was carrying some scaffolding poles and felt it brush against my cheek . An hour later my cheek and teeth on that side went numb and my speech was affected , similar to a visit to the dentist . Took a couple of days before I felt back to normal .
What about the mouse spider
Love your work mate.
What's up with the big bulb / thorax / booty / thing going on on the female's back?
Is that just full of baby redbacks?
I knew most of them and that for many years the redback was considered the same as the black widow (Latrodectus mactans ??) then reclassified L. hasselti. I thought "hasselti" was a good name. I was bitten by one and it was a real hassle.
Just moved into a new house and put my things in the shed. Went on holiday for a few weeks then came home and my garage is riddled with them!! Aaaargh so angry lol. How do I clean out my stuff? I guess I just drop a big insect bomb in there. .
I've seen quite a few redbacks living in WA but OMG could you have found a bigger specimen :P
I've always wanted to visit Australia until I started watching these videos. Now I'm concerned that it's a terrifying spider infested nightmare.
Hello friend , Be Careful
Gday mate! Careful if my middle name
I recently had a brown snake in my kitchen. I barricaded it in and put dirt on the floor so I could tell if it had been out. That way I didn't have to keep checking under everything everywhere else in the house. I put bird netting all around the kitchen, not with the intention to kill it but to trap and release. The problem was he was so skinny he just slithered through it. I made several traps that I thought were ingenious except they didn't work. I still went into the kitchen and cooked but sometimes I got takeaway. It evaded 3 snake catchers for 3 weeks but finally it was caught. The next week I went and did a snake catching course which I absolutely loved. I haven't seen a snake since.
I have a question. I've lived on my 2 acres for around 25 years and there's nearly always been a resident snake, not the same snake but always just one. It seems to live in one of the big sheds and comes out several times during the season. I see it's tracks going out and crossing various places either towards water, rabbit burrows or swamp rat tunnels. Sometimes I can't track it and I figure it's left looking for the girls. It seems there is only ever one snake. Would this be because it's a male that goes off looking for females in the spring? If it was a female, logic tells me there'd be more snakes because males would visit and there'd also be babies. Over the years there have been about 4 or 5 individual snakes. Unfortunately I have fearful neighbours who have killed a couple and another accidentally got entangled in netting. I'm wondering if this is male snake territory? Maybe it's got the male pheromones plastered all over it and when one male dies another male moves in. Interested in your thoughts.
She big one.
I feel like you can tell a Redback's web when you find one because the silk seems so much stronger than other webs.
I would love to see if anyone has done research on this and if it is actually the case.
I spot them because they appear rather chaotic in design and are always in well sheltered areas. Their very round white or pale yellow egg sacs are a give away.
Hey Nick, been diving deep into spider research, wondering why you reckon only the Sydney funnel web (Atrax robustus) is the only species out of the funnel webs that poses any risk to humans? How about the other Atraxes and Hadronyches?
Hey mate, I certainly think several of the funnelwebs are very dangerous to people in terms of if they are bitten, and the northern tree funnelweb is potentially more toxic then the Sydney funnelweb
But when Im referring to dangerous rarther then venomous it often comes down to contact with people (eg I wouldn’t ever call the inland taipan one of the most dangerous snakes in the country as it’s very rarely encountered by people
@@WickedWildlife
That’s fair dinkum. Good argument.
@@boglenight1551 honestly I should have in this case said two families of spider rarther then two species but had let this spider go before I even thought of that 😂
@@WickedWildlife
Where’d you even get a redy? Wild capture? Shame mini beast doesn’t stock em anymore. Any thoughts on getting some peacocks (maratus)? I think people may enjoy a vid on them.
Sydney I love the peacock spiders! They’re so beautiful-and cute, too!
My sister was allergic to horses serum she nearly slipped into a coma.
Gotta be careful around horse semen. I mean serum.
Only 2 to worry about? lol what about the Brown Recluse? Mouse Spider?
How about the Sothern black widow.
Wow
Very informative. However you didn't mention that Redback's mouthparts are very small, as compared to the funnel-web's big fangs. That still allowed one to bite a fold of skin in the palm of my hand. No serious reaction just a bit of local pain.
The Katipo, which as you said, is a close relative, is not so venomous, but it can deliver a nasty bite. The worst Katipo Spider story I have read concerns the fact that they tend to live on the beach. A young Canadian tourist decided to go skinny dipping on a deserted beach in Northland and did not check his underpants before putting them on. I don't need to go into detail as to where he was bitten! Fortunately he got prompt attention and after a few days everything came back to normal size and function, but it was not a pleasant experience for him.
Not confusing this with the dude got his dick bitten up on farewell spit?
How the heck do you not have more subscribers
Haha not sure mate! Doing the best I ca but I appreciate every single subscriber we have 😊
I caught my first red back spider at school
I found one out the front door of my house it has the red stripe but not that big back what is this one? Is it still venomous?
Red backs aren't always that big.
Jacks world of wildlife purposely let a Black widow spider bite him, then I told him to do a red back spider next and he said they're basically the same thing and same effect red back spider won't really kill you if you get bitten and the bite isn't that bad. Only if you are allergic or have health problems them maybe it can have a worse effect on you than other people but overall it's pretty safe to get bit by a red back spider. I also argued with this person online who told me that red back spiders haven't actually caused any deaths, their opinion was that they most likely died from an infection caused by the bite not from the red back spider itself
That's because it was supposedly found that the guy died from a secondary infection and not the venom from the spider. Though you could argue it was because of the bite because without the bite there wouldn't have been an infection in the first place.
@@MegaBumblebee666 yeah that's why they say died from a bite "caused by a red back spider" and they don't say they died from the venom of the red back spider. The spider caused the bite and then yeah complications happen like infections and such
A bit of a mute point if you're dead m8 .
@@johnniethepom7545 if you drink alcohol and get in a car crash, did you die from the alcohol or did you die from the car crash? you can say it's related but not cause of death, so you can say alcohol can lead to car crashes and you can say red back spider can lead to allergic reactions and infections. But yeah just highlighting the difference here
So I just had a look on google images at this pretty spider, and came to the startling realization that I'd caught and relocated a male redback a while back. We always catch and take outside any spider we find in the house, and I'll try to identify it to make sure it's not overly dangerous. I couldn't figure this one out. But now I know. At least the males aren't venomous like the females are. Yeesh.
Certainly didn’t know many. I hate spiders though. Please take care
For once facts I didn't know
I do try and stick to the more unusual facts! Of course some more common ones are so cool they have to be included but I try hard to make sure they are mostly facts your not likely to know, have you seen out other “ten facts” videos on cassowaries, echidnas, red belly black snakes ect?
I didn’t know red backs have been found in England🤔
Pardon me but did he say being transported in pot plants?
Yes
I found one in the yard and squashed it. Now feeling so guilty because I usualy love spiders. Any one know of a good deterrent? I am worried because I have a dog who could get stung!
How come that spider has a yellow back
Just when I was starting to think about visiting our long distance relatives in Sydney... a wuss Hungarian...
you forgot to check the toilet seat
England no chance we have black widow cousin the false widow does bite but not harmfull but no red bks much as I no.
Isn’t that one a male as it’s a brown colour?
No the male is much smaller and has a white stripe. Also the male body is more elongated rather than round pea shaped.
@@SamStone1964 Hey dam, never seen a female but had a male on outdoor clothes line....the portable ones. Reakon a female could be around? This was last month in Gold Coast outside, was humid before this cooler sweep
@@GoldCoast85 Yes if there's a male then there's going to be a female around. Are you familiar with their egg sacs? That's a sure sign of a female.
@@SamStone1964 yeah I know what they look like but can't see any, might check behind the outdoor fridge etc
Facts? - none of them - fabulous
Being raised in a libertarian family is a bit like being a red back spider...
We have a few Redbacks in central Otago newzealand (south is.) Found my first under a manhole cover, beautiful creatures. Wanaka, Cromwell, Queenstown etc. Very similar to katipo. Would rather these than dodgy sneaking whitetails...
Yeap enjoyed killing one today