Poisonous Spiders in Oklahoma

Despite its size, the tarantula's venom is relatively harmless.

Two types of spiders in Oklahoma possess venom toxic enough to be classified dangerous to humans, according to the Oklahoma State University Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. The brown recluse spider and the black widow are capable of delivering a toxic bite, although these spiders are not aggressive by nature and usually only bite when people handle or threaten them. The tarantula also has venom, but its bite is not nearly as dangerous.

Brown Recluse

The brown recluse takes its name from its light brown coloring and its shyness. The spider has a dark area resembling a violin or fiddle on the back of its head. This spider hunts only at night, and during the day hides in out-of-the-way places such as closets, basements or attics to avoid detection. The brown recluse sometimes takes shelter in shoes and old clothes, which can result in the spider biting people if someone starts to put those items on. The spider's bite creates a sensation much like a sting. Some individuals experience pain right away, and others having no feeling of discomfort for as long as three hours afterward. Eventually, a blister of pus forms at the site of the bite, and the region swells and becomes reddened. Pain, fever, restlessness and insomnia are common symptoms after a bite. The toxins of the brown recluse kill the surrounding tissue, and some people need as long as two months to heal from the bite---sometimes with the aid of skin grafts.

Black Widow

The female black widow has large enough fangs to deliver a dangerous dose of neurotoxin. The female has a shiny black abdomen and legs, with a red hued trademark hourglass marking on the abdomen's underside. The female will bite when you threaten her egg sac, which is paper-like and gray. While the black widow is the most toxic of all North American spiders, the mortality rate associated with its bites is less than 1 percent, as it does not inject large quantities of the venom during a bite. The pain from the bite will feel like that of a sharp pinprick, but symptoms such as horrible pain, chills, sweating, vomiting and trouble breathing may follow. Most deaths from a black widow bite occur among the elderly or in very young children and toddlers.

Tarantula

The tarantula grows to about 3 inches. The nocturnal tarantula spends the daylight hours under rocks or in abandoned animal burrows. Tarantulas crossing the road are a frequent sight in Oklahoma at night as they search for food. They are fond of insects, such as beetles, grasshoppers and crickets. The female tarantula can live 35 years, while the males can live 12 years. The tarantula will bite if threatened, using its fangs. However, the venom is no more potent than that of a wasp. The tarantula may first rub minute hairs off its abdomen with its legs, which can irritate the skin and precipitate a serious medical emergency called anaphylactic shock in particularly sensitive individuals.

References

• Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service: Spiders: Brown Recluse, Black Widow, and Other Common Spiders
• U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine: Widow Spiders
• University of Oklahoma Police Department: Tarantulas