The Australian Reptile Park has shown off its biggest ever funnel-web spider, appropriately named Hemsworth after another huge Aussie specimen, Chris Hemsworth.
Hemsworth was captured near Newcastle, north of Sydney, and donated to The Australian Reptile Park.
The male specimen measured in at a whopping 9.2cm foot-to-foot, and it is believed to be the largest male funnel-web spider ever recorded.
In a statement shared by the park, spider keep Emma Teni explained how Hemsworth earnt his name.
“This spider was just so big in comparison to his peers it reminded me of Chris Hemsworth and his brothers, and how they tower over the average person,” Teni said.
“We thought for sure he had to be a female because of his size, but upon closer inspection, he’s a boy.
“This means Hemsworth is going to be able to join our lifesaving anti-venom program, we can only milk the male funnel web spiders because of the presence of the atracotoxin in their venom.”
The Australian Reptile Park relies on spider donations to create life-saving anti-venom from its male funnel-webs, which are milked for venom extracted when they strike and bite. It can take up to 150-200 milkings to create a single vial of anti-venom.
If you ever stumble upon one of these specimens and want to help the park out, Teni explained how you can safely do so.
“All you need is a smooth jar and a long-handled spoon. Place the jar in front of the spider and gently encourage it into the jar. Pop the lid on and get it to one of our nearest drop-off locations.”
