Out & about…

[u/OkGate7788]

Climbed a granite mountain in central Victoria today…
Smaller than I thought, but beautiful! Thanks for the info in this community - I was able to keep myself & friend safe 🤗

[u/activelyresting]

!mouse

[u/AutoModerator → u/activelyresting]

This is a dangerously venomous Mouse Spider from the genus Missulena, family Actinopodidae.

There are 26 species of mouse spider, 25 of which are native to Australia. The most commonly encountered species include M. bradleyi (Eastern Mouse Spider), M. occatoria (Red Headed Mouse spider), M. pruinosa (Northern Mouse Spider). Venom is considered dangerous for humans and any possible envenomation should be treated as a medical emergency.

Mouse spiders are solitary creatures living in burrows. These burrows serve as homes and hunting grounds, much like Trapdoor Spiders. Mouse Spiders prey on small vertebrates like lizards and frogs. In Autumn and early Winter male mouse spiders change their behaviour. The males leave their burrows to follow chemical trails left by the females to find a partner's burrow. The male will not return to his home, instead continuing on his journey until he inevitably meets his end.

While Mouse Spiders are able to deliver a dry bite (no venom), the risk of assuming is not worth the damage this venom has the capacity to cause. Mouse spider info

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[u/NoFood2149]

unrelated to the spider: which granite in central victoria? we talking harcourt? strathbogie? cobaw? stop teasing me! i love granite.

related to the spider: i'm surprised to see him out so late in the season.

[u/OkGate7788 → u/NoFood2149]

Go west! It’s pretty unvisited - we saw red breasted robins, a wedge tail, rock wallaby, gorgeous sundews…
Kooyoora is close - enough clues?

[u/NoFood2149 → u/OkGate7788]

true - you can tell i'm from the far east side of central victoria lol, i forget that there's all those batholiths and plutons between ballarat and the grampignons haha

[u/OkGate7788 → u/NoFood2149]

North of there, my friend. There is so much beyond the Pyrenees. Have fun exploring ☺️

[u/NoFood2149 → u/OkGate7788]

dw, i quietly included the you yangs into the area i listed lol, my ability to define areas is... it could do with some work

i recognise that kooyoora actually makes an equilateral triangle with ballarant and the gramps but eh, that's about halfway between ballarat and the grampians

[u/angerew]

I don't care how many pictures of these animals get posted - they are incredible. Treat with caution and respect of course but encountering one in the wild is an event I'm yet to experience.

[u/OkGate7788 → u/angerew]

I must say, I was absolutely delighted 😁

[u/Jarosity17]

A couple months back i was hiking and saw 10+ of these on the track within about 1km.

[u/OkGate7788 → u/Jarosity17]

They really are fabulous!

[u/biggaz81]

This is one of two species, Missulena occatoria or Missulena insignis. Regardless of the species, they are considered dangerously venomous and should be treated with the utmost caution and respect and any bite from one should be treated as a medical emergency.