Australia's biggest spiders belong to the same family as the Goliath Spider. They are the whistling spiders. The northern species Selenocosmia crassipes can grow to 6 cm in body length with a leg span of 16 cm.
Australian Huntsman spiders belong to the Family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae) and are famed as being the hairy so-called 'tarantulas' on house walls that terrify people by scuttling out from behind curtains.
Sydney Funnel Web Spider
Found nearly exclusively in Sydney, this spider is often considered the most deadly in the world. With fangs that can pierce through fingernails, and one specimen reaching 10cm stretched out, this spider is serious business. A single bite can kill a human in 15 minutes.
The species name crassipes is Latin for "fat leg" referring to the relatively fat front legs. Selenocosmia crassipes can attain legspans of up to 22 cm (8.7 in). Its body length, from eyes to the rear of its abdomen, measures between 6 and 9 cm (2.4 and 3.5 in), making it the largest Australian tarantula.
The Goliath birdeater is the king of spiders. Weighing up to six ounces and with a leg span of nearly a foot, this tarantula is the largest arachnid on the planet. Goliaths don't usually eat birds, but they are big enough to be able to—and occasionally they do.
The largest known spider in the world by leg span is the giant huntsman spider, which can be found in Laos. A full-grown giant huntsman adult has a leg span of 12 inches. Giant huntsman spiders do not build a web to catch prey; instead, they hunt for prey.
The Australian funnel-web spiders are among the deadliest spiders in the world in the effect their bites have on humans and our primate relations (although the bite has little effect on dogs and cats). There are many species of funnel-web spiders in Australia but only male Sydney Funnel-webs have caused human deaths.
Huntsman spiders are probably one of the most common (and scariest!) spiders in Australia. Their size, fast movement and ability to “jump”, coupled with their habit of finding their way into houses and cars, has frightened many an Australian! However, in reality huntsman spiders do more good than harm.
The South American Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) is the world's largest spider, according to Guinness World Records. Itslegs can reach up to one foot (30 centimeters) and it can weight up to 6 oz. (170 grams).
Use natural oils such as peppermint or citrus spray
Spiders dislike the scent of peppermint, eucalyptus oil, tea-tree, or citrus. Thus, regularly spraying them down likely entrances deters them from coming in. Simply fill a standard spray bottle with water.
In Australia they are only found in the southeastern part of the country, from South Australia to Queensland via Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. You won't find them in the dry and arid zones. On the other hand, huntsman and wolf-spiders are found all over the country.
Animals which feed directly on spiders include birds, reptiles, mammals and many arthropods, including other spiders, centipedes, scorpions and even some insects.
Whistling Spider (Selenocosmia crassipes)
As the largest spider in Australia, whistling spiders can grow a leg span of up to 16 cm (6.2 inches) and a body size of around 6 cm (2.3 inches).
Sydney funnel-web spider. According to the Guinness World Records, the Sydney funnel-web spider, Atrax robustus, is the most dangerous spider to humans in the world.
“It's probably because of the urban heat-island effect and prey availability,” says Lowe. “Most invertebrates will grow to larger sizes if they are warmer. They are very sensitive to temperatures.” Urbanisation probably benefits these spiders in several ways, she says.
Adanson's Jumping Spider (Hasarius adansoni)
It's not restricted to Australia, but present in many regions around the world where it successfully cohabitates with humans. Females Adanson's Jumpers are also very different to the male, generally brown to orange and with a duller pattern.
Spiders in the family Uloboridae are the only truly non-venomous spiders in Australia. This is one of them – the Grey House Spider (Zosis geniculatus) . Most spiders have mild venom that can kill their prey, but has little effect on humans.
Researchers in Australia discovered a rare, giant species of trapdoor spider found only in Central Queensland. Its name, Euoplos dignitas, comes from the Latin word meaning dignity or greatness, "reflecting the impressive size and nature of the spider," the Queensland Museum said in a statement.
Do huntsman spiders intentionally chase you? No. If you try to catch a huntsman and it runs towards you, it isn't attacking. It is trying to get to a safe place, away from the giant human thing looming over it.
The Sydney Funnel-web spider is generally regarded as the most dangerous spider in Australia. It is also considered one of the most dangerous spiders in the world. One in 6 bites from a Sydney Funnel-web causes a severe reaction.
An estimated 5 per cent of Australians have arachnophobia, but there are plenty of others happy to get close to the creepy crawlies.
Patu marplesi is a species of small spiders, endemic to Samoa. It is considered the smallest spider in the world, as male legspan is 0.46 mm (0.018 in).
The Australian funnel-web spiders (families Hexathelidae, Atracidae, Macrothelidae and Porrhothelidae), such as the Sydney funnel-web spider Atrax robustus (a mygalomorph spider not to be confused with the araneomorph funnel-weaver or grass spiders) are regarded as among the most venomous in the world.