Australia, you simply scare the sh*t out of me. Seriously, every time I see some freakishly terrifying creature pop up on the interwebs, it’s from down under. I know this is at least minus 2 man points, but Australia’s reputation for creepy critters has actually affected my travel plans. No joke, and really, no shame either.
I actually saw this a few days ago, but my severe arachnophobia prevented me from delving any deeper into the topic. After killing a fairly beastly spider at my house last night, I felt enough of a rush or courage to revisit what would surely give me nightmares. And, I have to say, it’s just as NOPE-y as I thought it would be.
According to Cairns.com, this terror-on-terror encounter was captured by kite surfer Ant Hadleigh in the rainforests of Cape York. He estimated that the snake was about half a meter long and that it resisted its inevitable demise for about an hour.
“A few times the snake managed to get up and attack the spider, and the spider would run back up the web,” he said.
Tricky little bugger.
“You could see the spider just chewing into it and the part which the spider was eating had gone all black and the insides were bubbling.”
God almighty.
The Golden orb spider (Golden silk orb-weaver) are known for their giant webs. They are also called banana spiders, or writing spiders in North America. They are smart little devils, as they are known to get rid of parts of their web on windy days to allow wind to pass through without ripping off the whole thing. Apparently, feasting on a snake or a bird is commonplace for the Australian variety. Their bite is venomous, as that snake can probably attest to. It’s a little less toxic than a black widow, but can still cause pain and blisters.
Alright, anyone else had enough spiders for the day? Yeah, me too.
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[Lead image courtesy Ant Hadeigh, obtained by Cairns Post]