Nature lover Robyn McLennan stumbled upon a frightening sight while taking pictures at a winery in Victoria, Australia, last week: a highly venomous redback spider taking on a deadly eastern brown snake — an extremely venomous creature known for its aggression.
McLennan, of Bright, Victoria, snapped high-resolution photos of the fierce wildlife battle and posted them to a Facebook group for the Australia-based conservation organization Field Naturalists Club of Victoria.
A series of three photos reveals the redback spider striking and trapping the huge snake in its web, though McLennan says that's not all the arachnid did.
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"The spider has now brought the entire snake off the ground and it is [suspended] mid-air, just under the lower lip of the tank," McLennan described in the post.
Wildlife enthusiasts said McLennan had a "once in a lifetime" view and urged the photographer to share more details.
Robyn McLennan snapped high-resolution photos of the fierce battle. (Courtesy Robyn McLennan)
"Amazing, I would love to see some sequences photos of what happened next," one Facebook user replied.
"That totally needs a time-lapse sequence of what happens next," another agreed.
"Her eyes are definitely bigger than her belly!" a third commented on the spider's size.
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"Amazing! That's a pretty big snack for a small spider," a user echoed.
The redback spider took on one of the most dangerous serpents in the world. (Courtesy Robyn McLennan)
The eastern brown snake is considered one of the most dangerous serpents in the world.
"Eastern brown snakes, together with other browns are responsible for more deaths every year in Australia than any other group of snakes. Not only is their venom ranked as the second most toxic of any land snake in the world (based on tests on mice), they thrive in populated areas, particularly on farms in rural areas with mice," Australian Geographic once described in a blog post.
While it may be horrifying sight, snake experts say it's not a terribly unusual occurrence.
"All animals are opportunistic feeders, as in they’ll eat what they can, to survive."
"All animals are opportunistic feeders, as in they’ll eat what they can, to survive," Brisbane Snake Catchers, a snake removal service in Queensland, explained on Facebook in reference to the recent incident.
Redback spiders typically feed on insects, other arachnids and small lizards but they can also prey on larger creatures thanks to their powerful venom.
Redback spiders use their powerful venom to paralyze their prey. (Courtesy Robyn McLennan)
"Redbacks will kill its prey by injecting a complex venom called alpha-latrotoxin from its two fangs, the spider then trusses its victim with silk, immobilizing the victim's limbs and appendages sticking itself to its own body. Once the prey is restrained, it is then bitten repeatedly on the head, body and legs, then hauled back to the spiders retreat to consume," the group explained.
According to the Australian Museum, "only the female bite is dangerous" and they become more aggressive during the summer.