One of the most dangerous spiders on our planet Brazilian wandering spider, or as people called him “banana” for his love for these fruits, and for the fact that he lives on banana palms. This species is very aggressive for humans. The animal's venom is extremely strong, because it contains large doses of the neurotoxin PhTx3.
In small quantities, this substance is used in medicine, but in large concentrations of this substance it causes loss of muscle control and cardiac arrest. So it’s better not to meet this species, and when you see it, don’t touch it nearby and hurry away.
Origin of the species and description
Phoneutria fera or the Brazilian wandering spider belongs to the genus Ctenidae (runners). This species was discovered by the famous Bavarian naturalist Maximilian Perti. He devoted many years to studying these spiders. The name of this species is taken from the ancient Greek φονεύτρια; this term means “killer”. This type of spider received its name for its deadly danger.
Video: Brazilian wandering spider
Maximilian Perty combined several species P. rufibarbis and P. fera into one genus. The first species is slightly different from the typical representatives of this genus, and is its dubious representative.
This genus includes several species:
- Phoneutria bahiensis Simó Brescovit, was discovered in 2001. Lives in and mainly in parks;
- Phoneutria eickstedtae Martins Bertani discovered in 2007, the habitat of this species is also the warm forests of Brazil;
- Phoneutria nigriventer was discovered back in 1987 and lives in Brazil and Northern; Phoneutria reidyi lives in warm forests and parks;
- Phoneutria pertyi discovered in the same year, lives in the tropical forests of Brazil;
- Phoneutria boliviensis habitat Central and South America;
- P.fera lives mainly in the Amazon, and in the forests of Peru;
- P. keyserling is found in southern Brazil.
Like all spiders, it belongs to the type of arthropod arachnids. Family: Ctenidae Genus: Phoneutria.
Appearance and features
The Brazilian wandering spider is a fairly large arthropod. The length of an adult reaches 16 centimeters. Moreover, the body of the arthropod is about 7 centimeters. The distance from the beginning of the front legs to the end of the hind legs is approximately 17 cm. The color of this type of spider is slightly different, but in most cases it is dark brown. Although there are also spiders of yellowish and red shades. The entire body of the spider is covered with small, dense hairs
The spider's body is divided into a cephalothorax and an abdomen, which is connected by a bridge. It has 8 strong and long legs, which are not only a means of transportation, but also act as instruments of smell and touch. The legs often have black stripes and spots. The legs of this type of spider are quite massive, even somewhat similar to claws. There are as many as 8 eyes on the spider’s head; they provide the spider with a wide view.
Interesting fact: Although the banana spider has so many eyes and can see in all directions, it does not see very well. He reacts more to the movement of objects, distinguishes the silhouettes of objects, but does not see them.
Also, when examining the spider, you can notice pronounced chewing; during an attack they are especially visible. When attacked, the spider demonstrates the lower part of its body, on which bright spots are visible, to scare away enemies.
Where does the Brazilian wandering spider live?
The main habitat of this species is America. Moreover, most often these arthropods are found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Representatives of this species can also be found in Brazil and northern Argentina, Venezuela, Peru and Havana.
Spiders are thermophilic; the jungle is considered the main habitat of these arthropods. There they are placed on the crowns of trees. Spiders do not build shelters or burrows for themselves; they constantly move from one habitat to another in search of food.
In Brazil, spiders of this species live everywhere, perhaps only in the northern part of the country. Both in Brazil and in America, spiders can crawl into houses, which terribly scare the local population.
They love warm and humid tropical climates. Spiders of this species do not live due to the climate. However, they can be found accidentally brought from warm countries in boxes with tropical fruits, or by spider lovers for breeding them in a terrarium.
In recent years, this dangerous animal is increasingly being kept at home as pets. At home, they can live all over the world, but keeping them is not recommended due to the extreme danger of this species. Spiders also don’t live well in captivity, so you need to think carefully before getting such a pet.
Now you know Where does the Brazilian wandering spider live?. Let's see what he eats.
What does the Brazilian wandering spider eat?
The diet of this type of spider includes:
- various small insects and their larvae;
- snails;
- crickets;
- small;
- small caterpillars;
- various fruits and tree fruits.
Also, the spider is not averse to feasting on small birds and their young, small ones such as rats, hamsters. The wandering spider is a dangerous predator. He lies in wait for his victim in a shelter, and does everything so that the victim cannot notice him. When it sees the victim, the spider rises on its hind legs. The forelimbs are raised and the middle limbs are placed to the side. This is how the spider looks the most intimidating. From this position it attacks its prey.
Interesting fact: During a hunt, a wandering spider injects poison and its own saliva into its prey. The effect of the poison completely paralyzes the victim. The poison blocks muscle function, stops breathing and the heart. The spider's saliva turns the victim's insides into a slurry, which is then drunk by the spider.
For small animals and rodents, death occurs instantly. Snakes and larger animals suffer for about 10-15 minutes. The victim will no longer be able to escape after a spider bite; death in this case is already inevitable. The banana spider goes hunting at night, and during the day it hides from the sun under leaves on trees, in crevices and under stones. Hides in dark caves.
It can wrap its killed victim in a cocoon of cobwebs, leaving it for later. While hunting, spiders can hide in the leaves of trees in order to be invisible to the prey.
Features of character and lifestyle
Brazilian wandering spiders lead a solitary lifestyle. These spiders have a relatively calm disposition; they attack first only during a hunt. Spiders do not attack large animals and people if they feel safe. Phoneutria do not build houses, do not create shelters and shelters. They constantly move from one place to another. They hunt at night and rest during the day.
Banana spiders are aggressive towards their relatives. Cases of cannibalism occur frequently. Small spiders are eaten by older individuals; the female is able to eat the male after mating with him. Like all predators, they can attack any enemy. Moreover, most often he can defeat even a large victim thanks to his deadly poison.
Spiders of this species are very aggressive. They jealously guard their territory; males can even fight each other for territory and females. In captivity, spiders of this species feel unwell, experience severe stress, and live less than their relatives who live in the wild.
Brazilian wandering spiders run quickly, climb trees, and are constantly on the move. The main occupation of these spiders is to weave webs. And unlike ordinary spiders, this species uses the web not as a trap, but in order to wrap already caught prey in it and lay eggs at the time of mating.
The web is also used to quickly move through trees. This type of spider attacks people only for the purpose of self-defense. But a spider bite is fatal, so if you find a spider, do not touch it and try to take it away from your home.
Social structure and reproduction
As mentioned earlier, Brazilian spiders live alone and meet with a female only for reproduction. The male offers food to the female, appeasing her with it. By the way, this is also necessary so that he is alive and the female does not eat him. If the female has eaten enough, she may not want to feast on the male, and this will save his life.
When the fertilization process ends, the male quickly leaves so that the female does not eat him. Some time after fertilization, the female spider weaves a special cocoon from the web in which she lays eggs; sometimes eggs are also laid on bananas and leaves. But this happens rarely; most often, the female, in caring for the offspring, hides the eggs in the web.
After about 20-25 days, these eggs hatch into baby spiders. After birth, they spread out in different directions. Spiders of this species reproduce very quickly, as several hundred spiders are born in one litter. Adult spiders live for three years, and during their lifetime they can produce quite a large offspring. Neither the mother nor the father takes any part in raising the offspring.
The cubs grow up on their own, feeding on small larvae, worms and caterpillars. Spiderlings can hunt immediately after hatching from the egg. During their growth, spiders undergo molting and loss of exoskeleton several times. During the year, the spider molts from 6 to 10 times. Older individuals shed less. The composition of spider venom also changes as the arthropod grows. In small spiders, the poison is not so dangerous; over time, its composition undergoes changes, and the poison becomes deadly.
Natural enemies of Brazilian wandering spiders
Spiders of this species have few natural enemies, but they still exist. Called the Tarantula Hawk, it is one of the largest wasps on our planet. This is a very dangerous and scary insect.
Female wasps of this species are capable of stinging a Brazilian spider; the venom completely paralyzes the arthropod. After this, the wasp drags the spider into its hole. The most amazing thing is that the wasp needs the spider not for food, but to care for its offspring. The female wasp lays an egg in the belly of the paralyzed spider, after some time the baby hatches from it and eats the belly of the spider. The spider dies a terrible death from being eaten from the inside.
Interesting fact: Some species of this genus use a so-called “dry bite,” in which no poison is injected, and such a bite is relatively safe.
Birds and other animals in their natural environment avoid them, knowing how dangerous these spiders are. Due to their poisonous nature, Brazilian spiders have very few enemies. However, spiders of this kind do not attack on their own; before the fight, they warn their enemy about the attack with their stance, and if the enemy retreats, the spider will not attack him if he feels safe and decides that nothing threatens him.
Spiders often suffer death from other animals during fights with large animals, or during fights with their relatives. Many males die during mating because they are eaten by females.
People are just as dangerous to spiders; they are often hunted for their poison. After all, poison in small quantities is used as a means to restore potency in men. In addition, people are cutting down the forests in which spiders live, so the population of one of the species of this genus is under threat of extinction.
Population and species status
The Brazilian wandering spider is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest spider on planet earth. This type of spider is very dangerous for humans, and sometimes spiders enter people’s homes. Insects can often enter the house in boxes of fruit or simply crawl in hiding from the midday heat. When bitten, these spiders inject a dangerous substance, the neurotoxin PhTx3. It blocks muscle function. Breathing slows and stops, and cardiac activity is blocked. The person quickly becomes ill.
After a bite, the dangerous poison very quickly penetrates the blood and lymph nodes. The blood carries it throughout the body. The person begins to choke, dizziness and vomiting appear. Cramps. Death occurs within a few hours. Bites from Brazilian wandering spiders are especially dangerous for children and people with low immunity. If you are bitten by a Brazilian wandering spider, you must immediately administer an antidote, although it does not always help.
The population of this genus of spiders is not threatened. They reproduce quickly and survive changes in the external environment well. As for other species of this genus, they live quietly and reproduce, flooding the forests and jungles of Brazil, America and Peru. Phoneutria fera and Phoneutria nigriventer are the two most dangerous species. Their poison is the most toxic. After their bites, painful conditions are observed in their victims due to the high content of serotonin. The bite provokes hallucinations, shortness of breath, and delirium.
Interesting fact: The venom of this type of spider can kill a child in just 10 minutes. An adult, depending on his state of health, can last from 20 minutes to several hours. Symptoms appear instantly and develop rapidly. Death occurs quickly as a result of suffocation.
Therefore, when visiting tropical countries, be extremely vigilant; when you see this arthropod, under no circumstances approach it or touch it with your hands. Brazilian spiders do not attack humans, but upon noticing danger and saving, they can bite their own lives. In America, there are many cases of people being bitten by Brazilian spiders, and unfortunately in 60% of cases the bites were fatal. Modern medicine has an effective antidote, but unfortunately, the doctor is not always able to get to the patient in time. Young children are especially susceptible to bites from these arthropods, and they are the most dangerous for them. Often children cannot be saved after being bitten by a wandering spider.
Brazilian wandering spider dangerous but calm animal. It reproduces quickly, lives for about three years and is capable of giving birth to several hundred cubs during its life. When living in their natural habitat, they obtain their food by hunting. Young spiders are not very dangerous, but adults, thanks to their poison, are deadly to humans. The danger of the poison depends on its quantity. In recent years, more and more people are keeping these dangerous spiders at home in terrariums, thereby endangering themselves and their loved ones. These spiders are dangerous, remember this and better avoid them.
The Brazilian wandering spider lives in South and Central America. This large hairy spider is considered the most poisonous spider in the whole world. Brazilian wandering spiders sometimes wander into populated areas and are caught among cargo of tropical fruits, so it is useful to know their appearance and habits, especially if you find yourself in their range. If bitten by this spider, immediate medical attention is required. However, don't panic! Brazilian wandering spider bites are almost always treatable.
Steps
Appearance and habits of the Brazilian wandering spider
- Don't try to catch the spider. If you suspect a Brazilian wandering spider has wandered into your home or utility room, call wildlife control and leave the building until experts arrive.
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Be careful in dark places. The Brazilian wandering spider is nocturnal and skillfully hides in the forest floor of the tropical jungle. This “wandering” lifestyle sometimes leads to the fact that the spider wanders into populated areas, where it tries to hide from sunlight in secluded places, for example:
- in dark closets, closets, etc.;
- under sheds and in garages;
- in cars;
- in unused clothing, shoes, gloves;
- in kitchen cabinets;
- in boxes and crates in the attic or garage;
- in firewood.
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Be careful when opening fruit packages. This spider is also called a banana spider, as it loves to crawl into bananas and may end up in a package with these fruits. Although it is quite rare, be careful when unpacking fruits shipped from regions where the Brazilian wandering spider is found.
The length of the spider including its legs is approximately 15 centimeters. An adult Brazilian wandering spider has a body about 5 centimeters long. At a glance, it is easier to determine the total length, that is, the distance from the end of the hind legs to the end of the front legs, which reaches about 15 centimeters. Be careful if you come across such a large spider.
The spider will most likely be brown and hairy. Although the color of Brazilian wandering spiders varies, most are dirty brown in color and some have a black spot on their abdomen. The body of all Brazilian wandering spiders is covered with hair.
Brazilian wandering spiders move quickly. They get their name from the fact that they move quickly on the ground of the rainforest. Spiders are capable of attacking their victims with lightning speed, so be careful if you come across a fast-moving spider in the range of the Brazilian wandering spider.
If the spider shows its red jaws, back away slowly. When the Brazilian wandering spider is frightened, it rises up on its hind legs. In this fearsome pose, some species of the Brazilian wandering spider display red hairs around their fangs. Such a defensive stance indicates that the spider is angry, in which case you should retreat carefully and slowly.
Don't hesitate trying to get a better look at the spider. If you're traveling in South and Central America or live where Brazilian wandering spiders are found, don't hesitate if you spot a large spider. If in any doubt, do not try to make sure that it is a Brazilian wandering spider, but slowly move away to avoid angering the animal.
Preventing Bites
- Don't panic if a spider falls out of your clothes or shoes. Slowly step aside and leave the room.
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Check them before entering dark areas such as closets. Turn on the light. If there is no light in the room, take a flashlight with you and look in corners and cluttered areas.
Install mosquito nets and doors that close tightly to prevent spiders from entering your home. The best way to avoid getting bitten in your own home is to keep spiders out of it! Check all mosquito nets and doors for any cracks or holes that could allow spiders to enter your home. Replace any broken or loose screens and doors.
- To prevent uninvited guests from getting into your home, you can also spray insect and spider repellent around doors and windows.
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Do not keep firewood near the house. Spiders love to hide among firewood, so don't keep them close to your home. Keep firewood and dead branches in the yard and handle them carefully.
Wear protective gloves when working in dark areas or carrying firewood. If you live in the range of the Brazilian wandering spider, wear long sleeves, a hat and gloves, and tuck your pants legs into your socks when working in the garage or near firewood. It is advisable to use protective clothing also when working in the attic, utility room and basement.
If you haven't worn gloves, clothing or shoes in a while, shake them before use. The Brazilian wandering spider can hide in the folds of clothing and also crawl into cozy places such as gloves or boots. Shake clothing and shoes lightly before putting them on. However, don't shy away from them too much, or the hidden spider may become angry or scared.
The new service will provide the opportunity to order cargo transportation at two tariffs. It will also be possible to use the service of a loader. The first tariff allows you to order a passenger car (Citroen Berlingo and Lada Largus) with a cargo compartment with a total carrying capacity of no more than 1 ton. The second tariff includes light-duty vans with a carrying capacity of up to 3.5 tons, for example, Citroen Jumper and GAZelle NEXT. The cars will be no older than 2008, Kommersant reports.
Clients will also be able to order transport with loaders, but if the driver works alone, he will not receive such orders. Yandex.Taxi promises “special bonuses for some partners and drivers” who subscribe to the new tariff.
The most poisonous spider in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is considered “ Brazilian wandering pau To". This spider got its name because it does not sit in one place and does not weave webs, but actively moves in search of food. Another extremely dangerous spider is the Black Widow, which can be found in the Caucasus and Crimea.
Brazilian wandering spider ( Phoneutria) - fast, very active and most importantly - poisonous. Brazilian name of the animal: aranha armadeira, aranha de bananeira (aranha armadeira, aranha de bananeira) - armed spider or banana spider.
This spider deservedly received its self-explanatory name: it does not weave webs, like most spiders, because it does not need it. The wandering spider never lives in one place, but always wanders. What is unpleasant for a person is that sometimes he enters houses. In South America, these spiders are often found in clothes or in boxes with clothes and food.
The wandering spider is found only in America, and even then most often in tropical and subtropical regions. There are two types of Brazilian wandering spiders - jumping spiders, which pursue their prey with jerky jumps, and running spiders. The latter run very fast, but are nocturnal, and during the day they sit under stones or hide in some other place, including in people's houses.
The Brazilian wandering spider loves to feast on bananas and will not miss the opportunity to climb into a box with this fruit. For its addiction, this spider received another name - the banana spider. But the main food for him is still not fruits. It hunts mainly other spiders and insects, and it also happens that it attacks birds and lizards that are larger than it.
He himself is a rather small predator - only about 10 cm. But his small size does not prevent him from being an excellent hunter and a serious problem for people, and all because he is capable of releasing a solid dose of toxic poison when biting, which is formed at the ends of the chelicerae. in the channels of the poisonous glands.
Maybe it's poison wandering spider less dangerous than snake venom. It is unlikely to kill an adult healthy person - it will only cause a serious allergic reaction, which modern medicine can quickly cope with. But if a Brazilian wandering spider bites a sick person or a small child, the poison can take effect faster than an ambulance can arrive. Some specimens of this spider are so dangerous that human death can occur within 20-30 minutes if immediate help is not provided.
Fortunately for the people of Russia, wandering spiders they do not live here and are unlikely to ever appear: the climate is not entirely suitable. But you still need to remember to be careful when handling these arthropods, in case you still have to meet them.
By itself, the wandering spider does not attack humans. It bites only in self-defense. But the problem is that these spiders like to hide and are very difficult to notice. If you find a wandering spider, try to quickly take it out of the house and look through all the boxes and cabinets to see if there is another one in them. If possible, you need to be as careful as possible and under no circumstances pick up the spider.
Karaku?rt(from the Turkic “kara” - black and “kurt” - worm, insect; lat. Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) or steppe spider - a type of poisonous spider from the genus of black widows.
Karakurt- a medium-sized spider (female 10-20 mm, male 4-7 mm), black with red dots on the abdomen. Distributed in the desert and steppe zones of Central Asia, the Caucasus, Crimea, as well as in Iran, Afghanistan and along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Favorite habitats are virgin wormwood, wastelands, banks of ditches, slopes of ravines, etc.
Only female spiders are dangerous to humans and farm animals. The female's bites can be fatal to humans and animals such as camels and horses. The male, having a much smaller size, does not pose a danger to humans, since he cannot bite through the rather thick human skin. It does not pose a danger to animals to the same extent as the female. Mature females are the most poisonous. The poison of the karakurt is not only 15 times stronger than the poison of one of the most terrible snakes - the rattlesnake, but is generally one of the most poisonous substances of organic origin on Earth.
The frequency of bites in some years increases sharply due to the massive reproduction of karakurt. The number of victims increases during periods of migration of female spiders - in the summer months.
Karakurt poison neurotoxic, causes an extremely intense release of acetylcholine at neuromuscular synapses, as well as acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine and alpha-aminobutyrate at the synapses of the central nervous system, as well as intense release in the sympathetic-adrenal system.
The cause of the bite is most often the crushing of a spider that accidentally crawled into the victim’s clothing or bed. In most cases, people sleeping or resting in shaded areas are bitten. Lesions predominate in rural areas and field conditions. In cities, karakurt bites are extremely rare.
Karakurt often attacks a person unexpectedly. Particularly active in summer at night. The bite is not painful and is often not felt by the victim. The local reaction to the poison is absent or very weakly expressed - around the bite site there may be a zone of pale skin (several centimeters in diameter), surrounded by a rim of weak hypermia. In most cases, there are no local changes and it is extremely difficult to find the bite site. Sometimes the bite feels like a needle prick. Due to the low pain of the bite (unlike stings by scorpions and wasps), many victims, especially those bitten at night during sleep, do not associate their sudden illness with the bite of a poisonous insect, and seek medical help due to the general manifestation of intoxication.
General toxic phenomena are developing quickly, 5-30 minutes after the bite, and progress rapidly. The severity of poisoning varies from relatively mild, rapidly transient forms to extremely severe, sometimes fatal cases. Severe forms are characterized by excruciating muscle pain, combined with paresthesia in the limbs, lower back, abdomen and chest. Patients are excited, often covered in cold sweat, fear of death is expressed, the face is tense, hyperemic, sclera " poured"Blood, poor facial expressions, pained facial expression. Watery eyes are often observed. Soon after the bite, severe muscle weakness develops, especially in the lower extremities, as a result of which patients have difficulty moving or cannot stand on their feet at all. Excruciating pain syndrome (aching, pulling and tearing pains of different localization) is combined with severe muscle tension.
The abdominal muscles are often very tense, which, together with a dry tongue, intestinal paresis (weakened peristalsis, no gases), severe leukocytosis and an increase in body temperature to 38 C and above, imitate the picture of an acute abdomen (cases of erroneous surgical intervention for karakurt bites are possible). Nausea and vomiting may also occur. However, the correct diagnosis is easy to make when other symptoms are taken into account. Tension and dysfunction of the muscles of the limbs, back, occipital (thrown head back, positive Kernig syndrome), their tremors and convulsive twitching, dysfunction of the respiratory muscles (saccade breathing), spasm of the sphincters - narrow pupils, urinary retention with an overstretched bladder, increased blood pressure (toxogenic Karakurt hypertension) - create a very characteristic picture of the disease and allow you to make the correct diagnosis.
In extremely severe cases excitation gives way to apathy, depression, confusion (sometimes with psychotic reactions), collapse and progressive shortness of breath with symptoms of pulmonary edema (crepitus and moist rales, foamy sputum).
Some sick A rose-colored rash appears on the skin. The acute phase of intoxication is especially characterized by the phenomenon of layering of pain of different nature and localization on top of each other, combined with a feeling of fear, excitement, sharp muscle weakness and tension of various muscle groups, disturbances of peristalsis and urination, increased blood pressure and body temperature. In mild forms of poisoning, the painful phenomena stop by the end of the first day; in moderate and severe forms, they can last 3-4 days.
Immediately after the bite ( but no later than two minutes later) you can burn the bitten area with a flammable match - the heating destroys the poison that has not had time to be absorbed. This method is indispensable when away from medical care. In other cases, urgent hospitalization is required. Otherwise, the bite can lead to the most disastrous results.
Brazilian wandering spiders are the most venomous spiders on the planet. They belong to the genus Phoneutria, which consists of several species of spiders. Several of these species, including Phoneutria nigriventer, Phoneutria keyserlingi and Phoneutria fera are called Brazilian wandering spiders.
The term "Brazilian wandering spider" actually refers not only to one spider, but to a number of extremely venomous spider species found primarily in South (especially Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, Peru and Guyana) and Central America. They belong to the genus Phoneutria, which is a member of the venomous spider family Ctenidae.
The Brazilian wandering spider is a very poisonous and aggressive spider. It is also known as the "banana" spider (because these spiders are often found in bunches of bananas). The Brazilian wandering spider "wanders" on the ground in the jungle, rather than living in a burrow or building a web.
Species of Brazilian wandering spiders
According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), the genus Ctenidae contains the following species of Brazilian wandering spiders: Phoneutria fera, Phoneutria nigriventer, Phoneutria bahiensis, Phoneutria boliviensis, Phoneutria eickstedtae, Phoneutria keyserlingi, Phoneutria pertyi and Phoneutria reidyi.
All species of Brazilian wandering spiders are primarily brown, hairy, and have a black spot on their abdomen. These spiders reach large sizes, with a leg span of about 15 cm and a body size of up to 5 cm.
These spiders are nocturnal hunters, so they spend most of the day hiding in crevices or under logs and come out at night to hunt. They feed on insects, small reptiles, amphibians, mice and other smaller spiders.
Brazilian wandering spider - bite and its consequences.
A Brazilian wandering spider bite can cause full-blown poisoning or be limited to a few painful punctures in the skin. The two most famous and dangerous species of wandering spiders are Phoneutria fera and Phoneutria nigriventer.
Brazilian wandering spiders are known for their aggressiveness, as well as their highly venomous bite. However, it is interesting that this behavior is actually a defense mechanism.
When threatened or attacked, they raise their first two pairs of legs, signaling to their predators that they are ready to attack. Their biting is thus an act of self-defense, and they only do so when provoked, either accidentally or intentionally.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are bitten by one of these spiders, you may experience symptoms such as sweating, goosebumps, and severe burning pain at the site of the bite.
Within 30 minutes or so, an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) occurs, blood pressure increases, abdominal cramps occur, body temperature drops below normal, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision and seizures begin.
If you are bitten by a wandering spider, you should immediately seek medical attention from an appropriate facility, regardless of whether there are initial symptoms. This is very important as the poison can threaten your life.
The venom of these spiders is a complex cocktail of toxins, peptides and proteins that affects ion channels and chemical receptors in the neuromuscular system of the victims.
It so happens that the venom that the Brazilian spider Phoneutria nigriventer injects into its prey contains several toxic polypeptide fractions. Some of them have been purified and shown to contain the very potent neurotoxin PhTx-3 and six neurotoxic peptides (Tx3-1-Tx3-6).
The experiment showed that PhTx3 and one of the named peptides, TX3-3, act as calcium channel blockers, reducing its amount. A decrease in the amount of calcium affects the entry of glutamate3 and acetylcholine2 into the rat brain.
In simple terms, the venom of Brazilian wandering spiders affects brain function and disorients the victim.
Phoneutria are very interesting spiders, but keeping them in captivity requires a lot of experience in keeping very fast and aggressive spiders. If not, then it is better to stay away from this species due to their dangerous poison. They are easy to keep and unpretentious in food, but require reasonable and respectful treatment.
Walking through the favelas (the so-called slums) of Rio de Janeiro at night is suicide! There are creatures here with whom you will be very uncomfortable. Look at this creature - this is an ominous Brazilian travel spider and it is not to be trifled with.
These spiders are very aggressive. When in danger, spiders raise their legs, exposing their fangs - this warning should be taken seriously. It is known to be one of the most poisonous spiders in the world. Its bite can be fatal, but its venom also has a strange effect on the human genital area.
If you are a man and if you are bitten by such a spider, you will suffer a very painful and prolonged erection. Scientists are still debating what effect it has on women, but a man's brain mistakes the chemicals in this spider's venom for the chemicals the brain produces to cause an erection.
Please note that this spider has been able to cause this effect for millions of years, and people have only recently developed drugs that cause a similar reaction.
This spider has successfully changed its habitat, moving from the jungle to the city, and it doesn't look like it's going to leave Rio anytime soon.
Reference:
The Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria, banana spider, Brazilian traveler spider) was included in the 2007 Guinness Book of Records for being responsible for the largest number of human deaths caused by spider bites. What is important is that these spiders are dangerous not only for their poison, but also for their behavior: they do not sit still and do not weave webs, they wander the earth, hiding in buildings, clothes, shoes, cars, anywhere; which significantly increases the risk of unexpectedly meeting them and being bitten.
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