Funnelweb spiders have very specific habitat requirements. Because of their book lungs,
these spiders dry out easily, so are dependent on cool, moist microhabitats in rotting logs, leaf litter, under rocks
and logs etc. In these
saproxylic (=decomposing wood) habitats, funnel web spiders can avoid desiccation
and feed on their invertebrate prey. The combination of specific habitat requirements and low mobility may result in
these creatures being very localized to small geographic areas, and populations only a few kilometres apart may be different
genetically and in function. Amber is working at our major study site centred on
Tallaganda State Forest,
NSW. 
