A new species of spider has been discovered in Australia: the giant trapdoor spider.

This spider has a trapdoor above its abdomen that drops open when it detects pressure. The victim falls through the trapdoor, which snaps shut and allows the spider to consume its prey at its leisure.

For some reason the female trapdoor spiders are bigger than the male, having a trapdoor that is up to 1 metre square, which is enough for the average human to fall through.

Trapdoor spiders are only found in the Australian outback so they are easy to spot. For example, if you see what looks like a trapdoor in the middle of the desert then don't go and investigate it as it probably is not covering a disused mine shaft.

Scientists are excited about this new species not only because of the size of the trapdoor but also because some trapdoor spiders appear to have trapdoors that glow in the dark, designed to lure nocturnal animals.

The new species was discovered when a farmer spotted two feet sticking out of what appeared to be a trapdoor ibehind a pub in the outback and which turned out to belong to a drunk that had fallen in and been almost wholly consumed by the spider beneath.