Red-headed mouse spider

Missulena occatoria

Tarantulas & funnel-webs🦷 Bites

Danger to people: SeriousA bite or sting needs a doctor. Deaths are very rare.

Red-headed mouse spider belongs to the group: Tarantulas & funnel-webs. It lives in: Australia & Oceania.2

Lives in

Australia & Oceania2

Length

5 cm (2 in)2

typical adult size

Top speed

about 1.2 km/h (0.75 mph)

On land, rough guess

Venom power

Bites

Venom comes out through its fangs or teeth when it bites.

How dangerous is it to people?

Danger to people: SeriousA bite or sting needs a doctor. Deaths are very rare.

🚑 If it bites or stings

Wash the bite and cool it. Get medical help if the pain is strong or the person feels unwell.
In Australia, treat any big black spider bite as a funnel-web bite: Pressure immobilisation: wrap a firm elastic bandage over the bite and then up the whole limb, splint it, and keep the person completely still until help arrives.

Always call your emergency number first (112, 000, 911). This is general first aid guidance, not medical advice. First aid basics

⛑️ Stay safe

Never touch, catch or tease a wild animal, even a small one, and even if it looks asleep or dead.
Give it space. If you meet one, stay calm, step back slowly and let it go its own way.
If one bites or stings you: stay calm, keep still, call your emergency number (112, 000, 911) or get to a hospital fast. Remember what it looked like, a photo helps.

It is not out to get you. It uses its venom to catch food or to protect itself, and it would much rather hide. More about staying safe

Where in the world?

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Australia & Oceania The oceans

How big is it?

How long is it?

shorter than your little fingercould cover 100 metres in 300 seconds (the fastest human needs 9.6)

How big is Red-headed mouse spider compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

A garden snail about 0.05 km/h (0.03 mph)

A tortoise about 0.3 km/h (0.19 mph)

Red-headed mouse spider about 1.2 km/h (0.75 mph)

A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)

A kid on a bike about 12 km/h (7.5 mph)

For venom experts

Scientific name: Missulena occatoria
Group: Tarantulas & funnel-webs
Family: Actinopodidae1
Order: Araneae
Continents: Australia & Oceania
Danger to people: 3 / 5: Serious2

Where the facts come from

Missulena occatoria (iNaturalist): names and classification.
Venom Wiki: the danger level, the typical size and the speed guess are our own. See how we work them out: How we rate danger.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are animal fans, not a science journal. Tell us at hello@venomwiki.app and we will fix it.

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