Researchers say they used anatomical and DNA comparisons to study different populations of the Sydney funnel-web spider – one of the world’s deadliest spiders – and found there were three species, only two of which were previously known to science.

The new funnel-web species has earned the nickname "Big Boy" and was first discovered in the early 2000s near Newcastle, 105 miles north of Sydney, by Kane Christensen, a spider enthusiast and former head of spiders at the Australian Reptile Park.

An international team of scientists has revised the classification of Australia's most famous spider. With a bite more deadly to humans than that of any other spider, the iconic Sydney funnel-web has long been considered a single species,

Let's talk about the funnel web spider, one of the most notorious arachnids in the world. Known for their fast-acting venom, funnel web spiders are both fascinating and intimidating.

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

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

"If you are bitten by a funnel-web spider, call an ambulance and go straight to hospital," researcher Geoff Isbister said.

Scientists in Australia have discovered a larger, more venomous species of one of the world's deadliest spiders, the Sydney funnel-web spider.

A new bigger and more dangerous version of the world's deadliest spider, the funnel web, has been identified in the land down under – and it even has longer fangs and more venom

There are a staggering 43,000 species of spiders, and among them, the Sydney funnel-web is considered the most dangerous - with one bite able to kill a toddler