Animalscaretips
Redback Spiders are found Australia-wide and will live almost anywhere as long as there is adequate food, a sheltered web site and warm enough for breeding. They are especially common in disturbed and urban areas, in association with human habitation.
- Do redback spiders live in America?
- Do redback spiders live in houses?
- Do redback spiders live in the UK?
- What part of Australia does the red back spider live?
- Are Redbacks aggressive?
- How big can redback spiders get?
- Where do Redbacks hide?
- Where are Cardinal spiders found?
- Do male redback spiders have a red back?
- Why do redback spiders have red backs?
- How do redback spiders get in the house?
- What happens if you get bitten by a redback spider?
- Do female redbacks eat males?
Do redback spiders live in America?
Habitat and Distribution
The main difference between a redback spider and a black widow is their distribution worldwide. Black widows are mainly found in North America but also all over the world, while the redback spiders are only found in Australia and parts of Asia.
Do redback spiders live in houses?
A quick glance at the distribution of redbacks in Australia reveals it correlates well with populated areas. The spiders are most often found in or around human homes, with only a small proportion located outside urban areas.
Do redback spiders live in the UK?
Redback spiders - which are native to Australia - are highly adaptive nature and have even spread to the UK. "It has now spread all over the world, in Japan, England, Belgium, the UAE; it's one of our most successful exports."
What part of Australia does the red back spider live?
Likely originating in South or Western Australia, most redback spiders are the size of a large pea. Females are generally larger than males, as females tend to be 1 cm in length, while males are only 3 to 4 mm in length. A female is easily identified by her black body with a red or orange stripe on the upper abdomen.
Are Redbacks aggressive?
Redback Spiders (Latrodectus hasselti)
The spiders are very common throughout Australia, especially in urban areas. ... Redbacks are not aggressive.
How big can redback spiders get?
The female can grow up to 15mm long. Males are very small and usually only grow up to 5mm long. The female is the only one capable of harming humans as the male's fangs are incapable of penetrating human skin.
Where do Redbacks hide?
Redbacks are common in urban habitats such as garden sheds, under steps or logs and around swimming pools or piles of rubbish. They build webs in dry, sheltered sites, often with the upper part of the web hidden from sunlight. The spider hides in a funnel-shaped retreat at the top of the web.
Where are Cardinal spiders found?
Tegenaria parietina is a rather rare spider in Europe, with a distribution also including Northern Africa to Central Asia and Sri Lanka, and from the West Indies to Uruguay and Argentina, where it may have been introduced.
Do male redback spiders have a red back?
Male redback spider
The body is a light brown colour with white markings on the upper side of the abdomen and a pale hour-glass marking on the underside. The red marking are often not as obvious as those on the female. Males do not build webs and will go searching for a female to mate.
Why do redback spiders have red backs?
The cephalothorax is much smaller than the abdomen, and is black. Redback spiderlings are grey with dark spots, and become darker with each moult. Juvenile females have additional white markings on the abdomen. The bright scarlet red colours may serve as a warning to potential predators.
How do redback spiders get in the house?
Why? Redback spiders, found throughout Australia, love places that are dark, dry and warm. It's common to find them inside children's toys like Tonka trucks that are left out in the back yard and sand pits. Inside shoes or garden sheds, letterboxes and cubbies are also places redback spiders are found.
What happens if you get bitten by a redback spider?
The initial bite may only cause mild discomfort or irritation, and sometimes is not even noticed. Pain usually increases over an hour or two and may radiate up the limb. Abdominal or chest pain may develop, as may pain in other parts of the body.
Do female redbacks eat males?
For male widow spiders, mating is an infamously dangerous activity. In these species, which include the black widow and redback, the large females will often devour the smaller males during sex—hence the “widow” in their names.
