How to Treat a Bite from a Funnel-Web Spider

Although known to have caused very few deaths, a bite from the Australasian (or Sydney) funnel-web spider can prove to be potentially dangerous. While the likelihood that the bite is life-threatening is minute, any such encounter should be treated both immediately and with great care.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bandages
• Splint
• Emergency contact information

1. Once bitten, apply firm and direct pressure at once to the affected area. If available, tightly wrap the wound with a bandage or other similar material.

2. Reduce or entirely eliminate any movement of the affected limb or appendage, as this will curtail blood flow to and from the wound, thereby decreasing the spread of the venom.

3. If at all possible, assemble a makeshift splint to further secure the area.

4. Immediately contact the nearest emergency hotline or poison control center. If you are calling on behalf of someone who has been bitten, provide pertinent information regarding the victim, such as their physical characteristics and the way in which they are reacting, if determinable, to the bite.

5. Most likely, you will be told to seek immediate medical attention. If it can be done practically and, more importantly, in a safe manner, attempt to capture and bring the spider along with you to the nearest medical center, so that the species can be verified and the proper anti-venom administered.

Tips & Warnings

• As with all venomous animals, try to avoid contact altogether. Funnel-web spiders commonly reside in cool, dark, low-lying areas, such as underneath rocks, logs and shrubbery, and often beneath the earth in burrows.