Australian woman issues warning after finding four highly-venomous spiders swimming in her pool
Yes, spiders can survive underwater for hours and this species has venom that can pack a punch.
Most people would think spiders would have met their maker if they're sitting at the bottom of a pool.
Considering they are land-dwelling horrors of the natural world, surely being submerged in water for a couple of minutes would mean they are no longer alive.
Well, sadly for you, you would be wrong.
One woman has revealed her shock and horror at finding not just one, not two, but four highly-venomous spiders sitting in her pool.
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Lynda Smith had a look around her property on the New South Wales north coast following a spate of rainy weather, according to News Corp.
She checked her pool and saw four eastern mouse spiders just chilling there and they were alive.
Smith wrote on Facebook: “Please always check your pools before jumping in especially after rain.
“We haven’t had any for a while, but all the rain we’ve had up here of late has obviously resurrected them.
“Not to be messed with.”
Eastern mouse spiders are certainly not to be messed with.
The females are large with terrifyingly big fangs and their venom packs a punch.
They are known to build burrows up to 50 centimetres deep in the earth where they leave their eggs.
The Australian Museum writes: "Some mouse spiders have a very toxic venom which is potentially as dangerous as that of the Sydney Funnel-web Spider.
"However, few cases of serious envenomation have been reported. Unlike funnel-web spiders, the mouse spider is believed to use less venom and possibly even 'dry bite'."
The Museum says funnel-web spider antivenom has proven effective in mouse spider bites, which is comforting.
What isn't comforting is knowing that spiders like these can live on the bottom of your pool and survive for hours.
Australian Museum arachnology collection manager Helen Smith told 7NEWS.com.au: "Spiders do not breathe in the same way as we do, so it takes much longer for them to drown.
“Also, hairs on the underside can trap an air bubble. They can survive for several hours and sometimes a thoroughly dead-looking spider can suddenly twitch or come back to life slowly.”
Males often go out searching for a female after a spate of rainy weather, so that's potentially what has happened in Lynda's case here.
Helen Smith warned spiders can and will bite you underwater so be very careful if you're scooping those bad boys out with your hands.
Stewart Perrie