Australian scientists have confirmed the discovery of a new species of funnel web spider that’s nearly twice the size of its already fearsome relatives. The Newcastle funnel web spider, scientifically named Atrax christenseni, has been found in a 25-kilometer radius around Newcastle, New South Wales. The spider, nicknamed “Big Boy,” measures up to 9.2 centimeters in leg span, dwarfing the typical 2.5-centimeter body length of regular male funnel webs. “They barely fit in the park’s holding jars. People mistook them for huntsmans. When one prowled across a benchtop, you could hear its footsteps,” says Kane Christensen, the spider expert at … Continue reading Newcastle Funnel-Web Spider ‘Big Boy’ Discovered: 9.2 cm Leg Span, Twice the Size of Relatives