A new type of spider, nicknamed the ‘big boy’, has officially been discovered in Australia- and immediately became one of the deadliest arachnids in the world. The Sydney funnel-back spider has held the title of world’s most venomous spider for many years, and has been responsible for at least 13 recorded deaths.

There are several genera of funnel web spiders, but the most common ones in Australia are Atrax, Hadronyche, and Illawarra. They vary in size and color, usually black or brown, with shiny carapaces. The males are generally smaller and less robust than the females.