Then she quickly snapped her head forward and down repeatedly with a force intended to propel the fangs through the exoskeletons of prey such as millipedes and cockroaches. The male of the species does roam, however. The female, which is thought to live more than 12 years, inhabits a burrow from which she rarely strays more than a yard. Males leave their burrows at maturity, probably between two and three years of age, to search for mates. He is thought not to eat during his reproductive sojourn and, as a result, dies between 6 and 12 months later.
Males are responsible for most bites, and probably all deaths, in humans.
No one knows why the roaming male needs such potent venom, particularly when he is presumed not to eat, but perhaps the venom is for defense. Usually the victims are residents of suburbia doing ordinary things. Ryan had lifted a board in the backyard of his home to clear the lawn for a game of cricket. Ryan recalls that the pain from the bite was so excruciating he was convinced he was going to die. Less than two decades earlier, a similar bite certainly would have been fatal.