Linda was featured in an article on ABC National News about Funnel-Web spider’s behaviours and their gentle nature 🕷️
Dr. Linda Hernández Duran said the results suggested some funnel-web behavioural responses are flexible, providing insights into the link between their ecology and use of venom.
Dr. Hernández Duran said funnel-web spiders typically used venom as a last resort when threatened, as it could take them days or weeks to replenish the peptides they needed for hunting.
None of the recorded 13 human deaths from funnel-web bites have occurred since antivenom was first developed more than 40 years ago.
Dr. Hernández Duran said further research was under way into how the composition of funnel-web spider venom changes with their behaviour, diet and environmental conditions.
She said behavioural research could lead to more efficient production of antivenom and potentially even distinguish new species of funnel-web.
Thirty-five members of the family have been identified to date, but researchers say the true number could be as high as 100.
“From an ecological point of view, we think these animals are also really reliable bioindicators because they can’t just thrive inside buildings,” Dr. Linda Hernández Duran said.
“They depend on conditions and the environment so if we change conditions, these animals are going to go extinct.
“They are super vulnerable to disturbance.”
