What Spiders Are Poisonous?
All spiders are what people usually refer to as poisonous, although the correct term would be "venomous," since all spiders have venom they inject when biting their prey. "Poisonous" refers to something that you would eat that would make you sick or die. Although all spiders have venom, very few have bites that are considered serious and potentially fatal to humans. Here are five of the more dangerous types of spiders.
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Black Widow
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The black widow spider is probably the most famous type of venomous spider in the world. There actually are several species of black widows. They all have black bodies with a red shape on the abdomen, usually in an hourglass shape. The bites of the black widows can cause pain, swelling and muscle cramping. Severe cases will cause severe abdominal cramps and can cause death. Black widows can be found throughout North America.
Brown Widow
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The brown widow spider is related to the black widow. The main difference is that the brown widow is gray, light brown or dark brown to almost black in color. The top of the abdomen will have different markings that are black, white, red and yellow. The underside of the abdomen does have an hourglass shape, but it is orange in color. Brown widow bites are just as dangerous as those from black widows. The brown widows are found mainly in the southern part of the United States.
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Brown Recluse
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The brown recluse spider is also known as the violin spider or the fiddleback spider because of markings on its back that are similar to a violin. As its name suggests, it is a reclusive spider that likes to hide in dark, hidden places, which includes shoes. Many bites happen because people do not check their shoes before putting them on. Bites from a recluse are not often fatal, but the venom eats away at human tissue and can cause large and very painful wounds that take months to heal and often require reconstructive surgery. These spiders are mainly found in the Midwest and Southeastern United States.
Funnel Web Spiders
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There are about 40 different species of funnel web spiders. These spiders make burrows in the ground with webs forming a funnel over the entrance. They wait for prey to walk over the entrance to grab them. Funnel web spiders are found mainly in southern and eastern Australia. Their bites can kill a human within 15 minutes. Bites often happen because the males leave their burrows to seek out females and often end up in houses.
Brazilian Wandering Spider
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The Brazilian wandering spider is the most venomous spider in the world. Only .006mg of its venom is enough to kill a mouse. It is found in the tropical parts of South and Central America. It is the largest spider in South America with a leg span of up to 13cm. It does not use a web, but instead wanders the forest looking for prey. It is very fast and very aggressive. It is also known as the banana spider, because it has been found in boats taking bananas to the United States.
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