Alice Springs Desert Park
ASDP ArachnidaAustralian Golden Orb-Weaving Spider Banded Garden Spider Desert Huntsman Spider Desert Scorpion Green Lynx Spider Longtailed Orb-weaving Spider Longtailed Orb-weaving Spider with Prey Running Crab Spider Three-pointed Novakiella Wrap-around Spider
Known as the Barking Spider (Selenocosmia stirlingi), it is one of the largest desert spiders, belonging to a group of arachnids commonly called the Australian Tarantula.
Selenocosmia stirling is a primitive spider known as mygalomorph (a mouse-like spider). It is a hairy tarantula, with eight legs, two body segments and two palps that are used for sensing and felling their prey. Whilst a common spider in parts of Central Australia, they have gill-like lungs that require humidity, which is why they create a burrow with a tunnel underground, enabling them to have their preferred underground microclimate.

With at least 17 desert mygalomorphs, that include trap door and funnel web spiders, and all being opportunistic feeders, most of these spiders spend time in the burrow or at their burrow entrance. The barking spider is one of the few that actively forages for food.
The barking spiders burrows are the shape of circular holes, that is approximately the size of a camera lens cap. Their burrows can often be found clustered in the leaf litter zones of trees. They are known to quite regularly clean out their burrows and apply a fresh lining of silk with radiating ‘trip wires’ that provide alerts to the spider of nearby potential prey.

The Barking Spider catch their prey, using their venom to liquefy the body of the prey, which allows them to ”suck” up their meal.
Whilst the Barking Spider is not usually aggressive, they will ‘rear up’ if provoked. Mildly venomous, the bite is painful, and severe illness can result, that include nausea and vomiting for several hours after the bite.
Common name
Other common names for the Barking Spider, include Bird-eating Spider, Australia Tarantula, Whistling Spider (as it makes an audible hiss if disturbed). Both the hissing or barking noise the spider creates is through an action known as stridulation (the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts).
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Chelicerata
- Class: Arachnida
- Order: Araneae
- Infraorder: Mygalomorphae
- Family: Theraphosidae
- Genus: Selenocosmia
- Species: Selenocosmia stirlingi
Footnote & References
- Australian tarantulas, Australian Museum, www.australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/australian-tarantulas/
- Fauna of the Mulga Country, Australia: The Land Where Time Began, Author M. H. Monroe, www.austhrutime.com/fauna_mulga_land.htm
- Barking Spiders, Land for Wildlife News, Alice Springs May 2012, Land for Wildlife, https://wildlife.lowecol.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/LfWnewsletter_May2012.pdf
- Australian desert tarantula ‘lost’ in outback Northern Territory dunny on hunt for partner, zoologist says, by Emma Haskin, 31 March 2021, www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-31/australian-desert-tarantula-spider-northern-territory-home/100040360
ASDP ArachnidaAustralian Golden Orb-Weaving Spider Banded Garden Spider Desert Huntsman Spider Desert Scorpion Green Lynx Spider Longtailed Orb-weaving Spider Longtailed Orb-weaving Spider with Prey Running Crab Spider Three-pointed Novakiella Wrap-around Spider
ASDP FaunaASDP Arachnida ASDP Spiders ASDP Birds ASDP Insects ASDP Marsupials ASDP Mammals ASDP Reptiles Monotreme – Short-beaked Echidna
Alice Springs Desert ParkFauna Flora Nature Theatre Nocturnal House