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| Massive funnel-web's spider venom to be milked in Australia | Massive funnel-web's spider venom to be milked in Australia |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A deadly funnel-web spider with a leg span of 10cm (4in) is the largest specimen ever handed in to Australia's only venom-milking programme. | A deadly funnel-web spider with a leg span of 10cm (4in) is the largest specimen ever handed in to Australia's only venom-milking programme. |
| The spider, which has been named Big Boy, was caught in bushland in Newcastle, NSW, last week and handed over to the Australia Reptile Park. | The spider, which has been named Big Boy, was caught in bushland in Newcastle, NSW, last week and handed over to the Australia Reptile Park. |
| The park encourages the public to catch and send in spiders so it can use them to produce anti-venom. | The park encourages the public to catch and send in spiders so it can use them to produce anti-venom. |
| Programme supervisor Billy Collett said he had not heard of a bigger specimen. | Programme supervisor Billy Collett said he had not heard of a bigger specimen. |
| "There might be one at a museum, but this is the biggest one we've had in our venom programme," Mr Collett said. | "There might be one at a museum, but this is the biggest one we've had in our venom programme," Mr Collett said. |
| A "good Samaritan" had handed the spider in at a local hospital, which acts as a collection point for the Australian Reptile Park's venom milking programme, he added. | |
| How anti-venom is created | How anti-venom is created |
| Desperately seeking deadly spiders | Desperately seeking deadly spiders |
| Find out more about spiders’ impressive skills - from BBC iWonder | |
| Big Boy is a male Sydney funnel-web spider, which is the deadliest spider in Australia and one of the most venomous in the world. | Big Boy is a male Sydney funnel-web spider, which is the deadliest spider in Australia and one of the most venomous in the world. |
| The average leg span of a funnel-web is between 6cm and 7cm. | The average leg span of a funnel-web is between 6cm and 7cm. |
| Mr Collett said earlier reports that Big Boy's size was 7.5cm were based on an incorrect measurement taken when the spider's legs were not fully extended. | Mr Collett said earlier reports that Big Boy's size was 7.5cm were based on an incorrect measurement taken when the spider's legs were not fully extended. |
| Big Boy will now become one of more than 500 funnel-webs that are milked for venom at the Australian Reptile Park. | Big Boy will now become one of more than 500 funnel-webs that are milked for venom at the Australian Reptile Park. |
| "We get them into a defence position and with a glass pipette we vacuum the venom right off their fangs," Mr Collett said. | "We get them into a defence position and with a glass pipette we vacuum the venom right off their fangs," Mr Collett said. |
| The small and deadly funnel-web spider | The small and deadly funnel-web spider |
| Sources: Australian Museum, US National Library of Medicine | Sources: Australian Museum, US National Library of Medicine |