AUSSIE ANIMALS
Dear HIW, I’m going to Australia soon, and someone told me that the smallest spiders are the deadliest. Is there any truth in this? Also, I know some larger animals are native to the country, but are there any insects that are just found in Australia?
Jennifer Hart
You can’t really tell how deadly a spider is from its size, and you shouldn’t assume that small spiders do no damage. Some of the deadliest spiders in the world are rather small, so before going to countries with dangerous animals it’s worth doing some research. In Australia, the deadliest is the Sydney funnel-web spider, with a 3.5-centimetre body length. The funnelweb spider’s bite can be life threatening, but only 10 to 15 per cent of these bites are actually venomous. Although Australia is home to some dangerous species and is
a concern for many people travelling there, it’s worth remembering that they aren’t as prevalent as you might imagine. There are more than 2,000 spider species in the country, and only a few are dangerous. If you do come across them, stay out of their way. They are unlikely to attack you unless you disturb them.
Being a large and isolated island, there are many animal and insect species that live solely in Australia. One example of an Australian insect is the Goliath stick insect. These live in the forests of Eastern Australia and grow to an impressive length of 25 centimetres. You will do well to spot one of these, though, as their green, leafy appearance makes them masters of camouflage.
LETTER of the MONTH
CRUISE SHIP QUESTION
Dear HIW, We’ve just completed a holiday on board an American cruise ship which visited ten ports in ten days in the Mediterranean. I wondered if you knew if US cruise ships had the equivalent of sky marshals – sea marshals? – or what sort of contingencies they had for defence against terrorist attacks.