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"Beware the Redback"

Posted by "Marie" :-) (perth, Australia) on 8 April 2009 in Animal & Insect and Portfolio.

The great Aussie Redback..... found this one living in the corner of my garage. Arghhhhhhhhhhh.......

Redbacks are Australia's best-known spider. They appear in songs and even have a beer named after them. Redbacks live all over Australia but are less common in colder regions like Tasmania. They thrive in populated areas. Hundreds of bites are reported each year but less than 30 percent require antivenom treatment. Before an antivenom was available, Redback bites caused about a dozen known deaths. Only female Redbacks usually bite people - the males are generally too small.

About Marie Lee

I have lived in Perth Western Australia for the past 15 years, prior to that I lived in Birmingham UK.

I am a people person who loves being slightly nosey..... well I am just interested. I love taking photos, but have so much to learn, I only just found out what DOF was...... I am also teaching myself (very slowly) photoshop. So I have lots on my plate at the moment...... But I am loving it.

I have been on here for a few months now and cannot get away with saying I am new to AM3 anylonger. I have met some really interesting and funny people, and am loving it.

Please feel free to comment on my photos, and please, please, please leave any help, tips or suggestions, they will be greatfully recieved. I am soaking up all the information you give, and welcome your input.

The more help I can get the better.

Hope to enjoy your photos and hope you like some of mine. Have a great day............. Marie :)

vfxy Photoblogs

Comments (32)

Didier DE ZAN from somewhere, France

Nice macro

8 Apr 2009 6:16am

@Didier DE ZAN: Thank you.

The Dark Dude from Maestoso, United Kingdom

hey dudess
man, you got pretty close
id gave run a mile, lady!
nice shot

8 Apr 2009 7:02am

@The Dark Dude: Thank you, I did not let it live.......... ouch.

yongkai from Singapore, Singapore

it looks quite like a dangerous species. thank you for your comment on my site.

8 Apr 2009 7:09am

@yongkai: Thank you.

Sarito from Basingstoke, United Kingdom

Great shot..

8 Apr 2009 8:12am

@Sarito: Cheers.

P J W Miller from Chase Terrace, United Kingdom

Once again the males are good boys and the females snappy, the same throughout the animal kingdom. What a sexist I am LOL. Personally I am a wimp and do not like spiders in general although I have snapped as few myself. I would not like one of these in my garage, a good close up image

8 Apr 2009 10:22am

@P J W Miller: I too did not like this in my garage....... so she is there no more....
Thank you for your comments and your continued support.

Linerberry from Sumner, Christchurch, New Zealand

Ok well thats me not every coming to Oz again!!!!! I only just cope with the white tail spider we have here!!! A very brave shot!!!

8 Apr 2009 10:46am

@Linerberry: Hi Liner, I hate hate hate all spiders, and this one was only photographed so I could prove to my husband it was time he cleared the garage out. Horrible aren't they. My niece was bitten by the white tail spider about 5 years ago....... not nice. It all blistered and went quite nasty.......... good job Australia has so many nice things to offer us as well eh!

Manola from Bassens (73), France

re-ARGGGGGGGG!!! mais belle macro..

8 Apr 2009 11:40am

@Manola: I agree........ yuk.

Vachel from Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

amazing closeup... it's my first time to the Redback spider... thanks for sharing

8 Apr 2009 11:59am

@Vachel: Thank you for you comment, not nice looking spiders are they.

Lee from Fort Frances Ontario, Canada

Very evil looking. Thanks for the information. Great shot.

8 Apr 2009 12:12pm

@Lee: Not a nice thing to greet you in the garage............. Thanks again for your reviews.

EYES WIDE SHUT from The library of my soul, United Kingdom

I am running from the room screaming like a fool as I type thisssssssss..........

8 Apr 2009 12:26pm

@EYES WIDE SHUT: I wanted to run from the garage screaming like a girl....... but needed the evidence so that my husband would clear out the garage.

Jean-François from Les Issambres, France

fantastic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8 Apr 2009 12:48pm

@Jean-François: Thank you

Esmeralda from Lisbon, Portugal

marieee!!
Even the spiders are "gender" unkind!! ahahahahah gosh!!
Nice macro!!

8 Apr 2009 12:51pm

@Esmeralda: Nasty little suckers eh! Thank you for your comments and looking at my photos.

Jason Kravitz from Brussels, Belgium

you are brave to get close-up to take this photo! Is the redback the same as what they call the black widow in North America or a different species?

8 Apr 2009 1:04pm

@Jason Kravitz: Hi, yes I think it is the same, only the appearance is different. Thank you for you comment.

Tracy from La Selva Beach, United States

Brave shot! I wonder if this is a similar spider to the "Black Widow" spider we have here in the US--Your description sounds like it might be...UUUUGGGG!

8 Apr 2009 1:12pm

@Tracy: Hi Tracy, yes it is the same as the Black Widow, apart from appearance. Yul aren't they. Thank you for your comments.

Mathilde Collot from Fontainebleau, France

A wonderful macro! very difficult to achieve! Bravo!

Back soon. Beyond the North Cape, the ship breaks the ice! Thank you for your nice comment!

8 Apr 2009 1:42pm

@Mathilde Collot: Thank you......

Monique from Koh Samui, Thailand

Arghhh ... I hate it when they bite! How large is this one? We've got some huge female spiders over here and it's funny to see the males are only a couple of millimeters :) Beautiful photo and the red spot on her back is a huge warning sign ... don't mess with me!

8 Apr 2009 2:00pm

@Monique: Thank you Monique, this is not that huge a spider, but all the same its not very nice. Thank you for your comments. Much appreciated.

Ajay from Pune, India

It actually looks dangerous. The last dangerous spider I knew was Black Widow. I remember there was a short film also named Red Black. I checked at IMDB... it was an Australian movie.

8 Apr 2009 2:05pm

@Ajay: This is actually the same as the Black Widow.... just the appearance is different. Yuk......... thank you for commenting.

Terri from Portland, United States

Fabulous macro, Marie. It looks like our black widow spider, with the red hourglass belly. I love spiders, but I'd steer clear of this one!!!

Thanks for visiting my page so regularly!

8 Apr 2009 2:25pm

@Terri: Thank you, I myself hate spiders...... This is the same as the Black widow, just differs in appearance. Not a nice spider... if there is such a thing.

jpla from st barth, France

jolie macro !
JP

8 Apr 2009 2:33pm

@jpla: Thank you.

Stunner from Kingston, Jamaica

Oh yes, I'll stay far! Great capture of his dangerous spider!

8 Apr 2009 3:08pm

@Stunner: Thank you.

JanW from Rotterdam, Netherlands

Beautiful macro. You're very brave!

8 Apr 2009 3:11pm

@JanW: Thank you Jan, not brave at all, hate spiders...... needed the photo to show my husband so he would clear out the garage.

john4jack from Corvallis, Oregon, United States

Terrific macro. Spiders aren't the only females that are deadly!!

8 Apr 2009 3:40pm

@john4jack: Hi Jack, I don't know what you mean.............. thanks for your comments. Have a nice day.

dobbino from Cape Town, South Africa

Looks a real vicious little bugger - similar to our button spider. You seem to have gotten close enough to check - I presume this one's male? :)

8 Apr 2009 4:01pm

@dobbino: Hi I have just looked it up and they are the same spider, however this is female the male are all black not red on the back. Thank you for your comments.

Steve Rice from Olympia, United States

I think this must be similar to what we call the "Black Widow". I've not seen any here in the cool and rainy Pacific Northwest but have seen news reports indicating they are around. I'm glad most seem to be down your way. :-)

8 Apr 2009 4:06pm

@Steve Rice: Hi Steve, this is the same spider as the Black Widow only the appearance is lacking in the red markings. I have seen a few here, fortunaltely they lurk in places where I would not usually go..... like the shed.

LauraS from Chico, United States

Yes, we have a blackwidow very similar to this one. Gives me shivers to see it up close.

8 Apr 2009 5:18pm

@LauraS: Nasty looking things eh! Thank you for your comment.

Suzanne from Huntington Bch, California, United States

Nice capture...looks just like our black widow

8 Apr 2009 6:34pm

@Suzanne: It is the same apart from the red markings. Thanks for commenting.

Veronelle from Lens, France

amazing capture

8 Apr 2009 9:20pm

@Veronelle: Thank you.

Photosanity from Folsom, United States

EEK! I would have run in the other direction - I HATE spiders especially ones that can poison you :-). You captured her well. Bravo!

9 Apr 2009 1:09am

@Photosanity: Thank you for your comment, and for the record....... I did run in the other direction........hahaha

Nicholas from Shah Alam, Malaysia

Nice macro! And what a scary find!

9 Apr 2009 2:14am

@Nicholas: Thank you Nicholas.

Scott Schilling from San Martin, United States

This must be a cousin spider to our "Black Widow" spider in California. They are all over the place in the summer months - you definitely don't want to get bit!! Great shot!

9 Apr 2009 3:57am

Apurva Ranjan from Lucknow, India

Whoa!! Scary but amazing.. !

9 Apr 2009 7:04am

@Apurva Ranjan: Cheers for your comment.

Pierre from Mâcon, France

Wouah ! is that one a male or a female ? Is it true thatthey are more agressive xhen the weather is warm ?
Nice shot !

9 Apr 2009 8:12pm

@Pierre: Hi Pierre, this one is female, the male is all black. I dont think they are more aggressive in the warmer weather, I think they are probably just more common. Redback spiders are not really aggressive they hardly ever leave their web. They normally only bite if threatened.

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Olympus E-520
1/180 second
F/5.6
ISO 100
42 mm