Scientists from Australia and Germany have classified a new, highly venomous species of spider, Atrax christenseni, known as Big Boy. It is very large and highly venomous, with bites that can be fatal.

“The Newcastle funnel-web, Atrax christenseni – ‘Big Boy’ – is a totally new species. The ‘true’ Sydney funnel-web, Atrax robustus, centres on the North Shore of Sydney and the Central Coast while the Southern Sydney funnel-web is a resurrected species name from 1914,” Dr Loria said.

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A larger and more venomous species of one of the world's deadliest spiders has been confirmed by Australian scientists. Nicknamed 'big boy', it can grow up to 9cm (3.54 inches) compared with 5cm (1.97 inches) for the more common Sydney funnel-web.

“Big boy” funnel-web was initially discovered in the early 2000s, but has now been officially confirmed by Australian scientists. The new huge variation was named Atrax christenseni in honour of the discovery of the creature in Newcastle - which is over 100 miles from Sydney.

A new species of funnel-web spider has been discovered in Newcastle, Australia - even larger and more venomous than common Sydney funnel-web spiders.

SYDNEY : Australian scientists have discovered a bigger, more venomous species of the Sydney funnel-web spider, one of the world’s deadliest.

The deadly 3.54-inch-long spider Atrax christenseni is among the most dangerously venomous spiders for humans.

Not everybody would be thrilled about having a newly discovered, plus-size species of deadly spider named after them—but not everybody is as big a fan of Sydney funnel-web spiders as Kane Christensen.

Australia's reputation for venomous spiders comes partly from the deadly Sydney funnel-web. It turns out there is not just one species, there are three.