Wandering spider, runner spider, banana spider - these are all names for the most dangerous arthropod killer on the planet.

The lethal outcome after the bite of this warrior occurs in less than an hour in 85% of cases, which gave him the first place in the Guinness Book of Records and the title of the most poisonous and dangerous of his family.

Description of the spider

Appearances can be undeceiving

This spider won first place in the list of the most dangerous spiders from itself, so let's find out what this intimidator of the animal world looks like South America.

To begin with, the Brazilian soldier spider never weaves webs and generally loves to constantly change its place of residence, which is why it is sometimes also called wandering.

The Brazilian soldier spider belongs to the genus Phoneutria, a family of running spiders that includes the most venomous members in the world. Fortunately, it has a rather limited distribution.

Due to the constant movement of the spider, its habitat also changes, which affects its color. The most common are sand-colored spiders, which allows them to easily camouflage themselves in the ground. To attract and intimidate the enemy, the area next to the chelicerae has a bright red tint.

The long hairy legs of the spider allow it to reach a size of 15 centimeters., and this is the length of the palm of an adult!

Thunderstorm of the Brazilian jungle

It has received the greatest distribution in tropical forests Central and South America, but often likes to climb into human habitation, therefore it is a frequent guest in the mansions of Rio de Janeiro.

The Brazilian Soldier Spider loves secluded places, so it is often found in boxes with things or in wardrobe closets.

And the wanderer has a family

Like all spiders, the Brazilian Soldier Spider is dioecious. Males are smaller than females, and often have a slightly brighter color. They are also characterized by the presence of pedipalps - an additional pair of limbs used in the process of fertilization of the female.

If the male spider is ready for the mating process, then he demonstrates this to the female by performing a dance.

Arthropod banana lovers

The basic diet of the Brazilian soldier spider differs little from the menu of other spiders from this family. They prefer to eat

  • small insects;
  • by their weaker relatives;
  • small lizards;
  • birds accidentally caught in the reach.

The Brazilian soldier spider has been seen to have a fondness for bananas, which is why it has often been found in boxes of the fruit. Because of this, it got its second name: the Brazilian banana spider.

Lethality worthy of a record

The Brazilian soldier spider gained its reputation as the most dangerous spider on the planet, not least thanks to its aggressive behavior. As soon as a situation arises that it identifies as dangerous, the spider assumes a special stance on its legs, threateningly stretching upwards and directing its front paws towards the enemy.

The exponential aggressiveness of the Brazilian soldier spider is associated with its focus on active hunting. During the pursuit of the victim, he can develop a decent running speed for a spider, and is also capable of jumping a considerable distance.

Since the spider loves to enter people's homes in search of a calm, quiet place, his meetings with man is a fairly common occurrence. Unfortunately, they often have a tragic outcome. Especially dangerous is the effect of the poison of the Brazilian wanderer spider on the elderly.

The content of the most powerful neurotoxin in the poison leads to the fact that the victim has a total paralysis of the muscles, leading to fatal suffocation. A person bitten by this spider feels terrible pains throughout the body and its complete stiffness. As a rule, the subsequent paralysis of the muscles causes death. From time of bite to death can take from 2 to 6 hours.

If you are bitten by a Brazilian soldier spider, you should immediately seek help from a medical facility. Currently, there is an antidote for the bite of this spider, although it also has great toxicity to the body.

Sand wasps are able to dig deep holes in the sand. Full description you will find the insect at this link.

Good from a killer

But the reputation of the killer did not prevent scientists from finding practical benefits for humanity in him, especially for the stronger half. The reason is that its poison contains the Th2-6 toxin, which contributes to the most powerful, albeit extremely painful erection. Experiments carried out to date have confirmed that the use of this toxin in medicine can provoke the development of a drug that cures erectile dysfunction.

So, perhaps, the Brazilian spider soldier will again fall into the Guinness Book of Records, but now for his contribution to the development of drugs for impotence.

Spiders are not very dangerous insects, but some of them pose a threat to humans because they can bite through the skin and inject a poisonous substance that causes non-fatal, but unpleasant toxic poisoning. human body. What is he - the most dangerous spider on the planet where it lives and how dangerous for human life?

How dangerous is a spider bite

Spider (arachnoid) - predatory insect, which nature endowed with a special poisonous weapon. The secret that insects secrete and then inject into their prey affects nervous system prey or contributes to the destruction of its tissues.

Even the largest and most dangerous spiders do not attack a person for no reason. They may bite only in self-defense or in case of imminent danger. By itself, the bite of a poisonous spider is not fatal, but Negative consequences this can only occur in situations where:

  • delay in providing medical care;
  • the human body is weakened due to illness;
  • an allergic reaction to the poison is manifested;
  • bitten Small child or an elderly person.

According to statistics, 5% of the world's population suffers from "fear of spiders" (arachnophobia), although there are no real reasons for such a phobia, since almost all poisonous individuals live in tropical climate or deserts. However, every traveler, going to another country, must imagine what animals or insects he can meet and what to do.

Brazilian wandering spider

Opens the list of the most dangerous arachnids for humans - the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria - from the Greek. "Killer"). Sometimes it is also called "banana" because of the love of eating these fruits. Officially (according to the Guinness Book of Records) he is the most poisonous spider on the planet.

The poison that he injects into the victim is a strong neurotoxin (they are 20 times more toxic than the toxin that the Black Widow secretes).

Signs of a brazilian spider bite:

  • problems with respiratory system sometimes leading to suffocation;
  • insufficient muscle control;
  • severe pain in the muscles and the bite site;
  • in men, the poison can cause many hours of erection, which causes very strong pain.

In nature, the Brazilian wandering spider lives in tropical jungle South America (most in Brazil). He spends his life wandering in search of food: he hunts other spiders, small birds and lizards. The size of his body is quite large (about 10 cm).

These spiders often live near human habitation, can hide in clothes, like to climb into fruit boxes, especially bananas. Therefore, the most frequent cases of human bites by them are found among pickers.

Also unusual and dangerous is that brazilian spiders can travel in banana packages all over the globe. One of the most recent accidents occurred in the UK in 2016 with a man who bought fruit at a nearby supermarket and was attacked by such a spider.

Fortunately, a very effective antidote was developed several years ago, which can reduce the number of deaths after being bitten by such a spider.

Sydney leukopautinous (funnel) spider

The second most dangerous and most unpleasant bully in the spider world is the Sydney funnel-web spider. He is considered a bully because when attacking a person, this insect tries to make as many bites as possible and introduce more poison, although its effect is much weaker than other toxins.

In addition to such a persistent character, the Sydney funnel-web spider has very large fangs: long and sharp, like needles. It is believed that with such fangs he may well bite through leather shoes and human nails. Moreover, males are 6 times more poisonous than females.

Signs of a bite that develop in a person (appear after a few seconds):

  • muscle spasms;
  • strong frequent heartbeat;
  • confusion or loss of consciousness;
  • brain tumor.

Without medical attention, death can occur in 15 minutes, but an effective antidote was created in 1981, so there have been no deaths since then.

brown recluse spider

Recluse spiders are also known by various names: "Violin Spider", "Violin on the back", refer to the Loxosceles variety. Their size is only 2 cm, outwardly they are completely inconspicuous. Such insects are found in different countries, are very common in the eastern United States, where they even settle in houses local residents(in clothes or shoes), and in South America (Chile and other countries).

The venom of these spiders is a necrotic species that destroys tissues. The bite of a recluse spider can cause a condition called "loxoscelism", which in some cases is expressed in the death of tissues in the bite area and the formation of a non-healing open wound, which can even lead to amputation. Skin grafting is needed to treat such wounds.

Black Widow

The black widow is a family of spiders and a separate species of them (Latrodectus mactans), in the United States is considered the most poisonous representative of arachnoids. He became famous for the fact that females sometimes eat their partners.

The North American black widow got its name from the color of its body, but on its abdomen there are red or orange spots. The size of the spiders is small: about 4 cm, however, they have a very toxic poison, a bite can end badly for a person.

Such spiders pose a danger to children, debilitated and elderly people, as well as allergy sufferers. Their poison causes severe muscle pain, increases blood pressure, pain in the lymph nodes, interrupted breathing, nausea and vomiting. Unpleasant symptoms can be felt for up to 7 days.

The redback spider also belongs to the black widow family and is considered an iconic spider in Australia, easily identified by the red stripe on its back. It is smaller in size than the black widow and is less common.

However, in Australia, such spiders can settle indoors, live in some areas of cities and suburbs in tropical zone climate. They have recently been seen in Japan as well.

The red-backed spider is small: females are up to 10 mm long, males are 3 mm smaller. These insects are nocturnal, hiding in old sheds or under stones, among plants. They hunt other insects and small animals (mice, birds, lizards, beetles, etc.).

The consequences of the bite of such a spider appear only after a day, and they are very toxic: acute pain and swelling of the bitten place, colic in the abdomen, heavy sweating. The most severe systemic condition, called "latrodectism" (50% of cases), can be fatal if an antidote injection is not used in time.

Karakurt

Karakurt is the most poisonous and most dangerous spider that lives on the territory of Russia in the Astrakhan region, in Asian and European regions and Africa. He is one of the representatives of the black widow family. Due to climatic changes, karakurts began to appear even in the suburbs.

One of the species, called the steppe widow, is black and decorated with 13 bright red spots on top. Its size is small: females are 1-2 cm long (more poisonous), males - up to 7 mm.

The most dangerous are sexually mature females of karakurt, whose poison is 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake. They pose a danger to some domestic animals (horses, cows, sheep are considered an exception) and people. They bite only in case of pressure, more often at night. summer time, and the bite is not painful, which is why they often do not immediately pay attention to it.

The action of the poison is manifested in muscle pain, paresthesia of the limbs, abdomen and chest. There is a strong fear of death, tears flow, a sick person cannot stand on his feet due to muscle weakness. Also, there are symptoms similar to the picture of an acute abdomen: nausea, vomiting, fever. However, convulsions and tremors of the limbs, respiratory failure, confusion, a sharp increase in pressure help to determine the exact diagnosis.

One of effective ways first aid: cauterization of the bitten place with a burning match, which acts destructively on the poison (if there is no medical assistance nearby), subsequent hospitalization is essential so that there is no death.

sand spider

The six-eyed sand spider has 8 legs and 6 eyes and lives in deserts. South Africa and western South America. Its scientific Latin name Sicarius translates to "killer". By nature, he is a hunter who waits a long time for his prey (other spiders and scorpions), buried in the sand. When prey runs past, it attacks - bites it, and within a few hours the insect or animal dies. Its size is about 5 cm, the abdomen is light brown or red-brown.

The venom of the six-eyed spider is a strong cytotoxin (similar to the effects of sulfuric acid), producing a hemolytic and necrotic effect, which means rupture of blood vessels and tissue decomposition. There are only 2 cases when such spiders have bitten people, but both are fatal.

golden spider

Spider sack, or golden spider (Cheiracanthium), has a size of only 10 mm, but is able to cause extensive necrosis (necrosis) of tissues with its bite, which is very painful. His habitats: European countries, Australia and Canada.

Outwardly small, yellow or greenish spider produces a strong cytotoxin poison. In the bite area, redness and sharp pain first appear, the place swells, gradually turning into a bubble or wound.

According to experts, it is these spiders that cause the most trouble to people compared to other types of arachnoids.

tarantulas

Tarantula spiders (Theraphosidae) are a whole family of arachnoids found in Africa, Australia and on oceanic islands in South America. These are the largest spiders (up to 20 cm), which some exotic lovers are fond of and even keep them at home in terrariums.

Tarantulas do not pose a danger to an adult, although they can cause pain in muscles and fever. However, for pets or children, the poison can be fatal.

Their bright beautiful fur is actually poisonous hairs. The spider combs hairs from the abdomen and throws them at its prey. If it comes into contact with the skin or eyes, the poison causes pain, itching, severe visual impairment.

Pecilotheria (tarantula)

This family also includes tarantulas - large hairy spiders, whose name comes from the Spanish dance tarantella. The spider has double fangs with which it pierces its prey. Tarantula is the most dangerous spider and one of the largest living in Russia (5 cm). The most famous is the South Russian tarantula, common in forest-steppe zone Eurasia.

Due to the small size and the amount of poison released when bitten, the consequences for a person are not very toxic, but the poison acts on the nervous system, causing minor convulsions and severe shortness of breath. Their toxicity is highest in July, when the females are sexually mature and mating.

mouse spider

The red-headed mouse spider is Australia's most dangerous spider, with 12 species. Its name comes from its soft, furry abdomen, and its bite is very dangerous to humans, although it is not very aggressive and often bites without the use of venom.

Nature endowed him with bright coloring: males have a red head and a gray-blue abdomen, females are black. Size - from 1 to 3.5 cm.

The poison has a neuroparalytic effect similar to that of the Sydney spider, but they live far from human settlements. A serum has long been made for their venom, acting against many funnel-web spider species.

Conclusion

The species of poisonous spiders discussed in this article differ in their habitats and in their toxicity. In Russia, such insects are found in the southern part of the country, in the North Caucasus and in the Crimea. Knowledge appearance and dangerous species of spiders for humans, their habitat conditions will help prevent meeting them, avoiding a bite or learning about the degree of danger to humans.

Let's talk about the Brazilian spider. He is in the top dangerous insects planets. The word wandering is added to its name, and for good reason. This spider, unlike the others, does not weave a web, but is on a constant journey, that is, it wanders.

You can meet him only in America, where he lives not only in the tropics, but can often be a resident of houses and outbuildings. Why is it special and what threat does it pose to a person?

The killer spider (phoneutria) is a very fast and aggressive arthropod of its kind.

The Brazilian has two species: jumping and running, but they are all equally poisonous. What does he look like?

Spider appearance

An individual of this species of spiders is very large, sometimes its dimensions reach a length of 10 cm. The size of the head and chest are small, in contrast to its belly, which is very thick, since the spider feeds a lot.

The legs are very massive, covered with hair, which makes it look the most menacing. The color changes depending on the habitat. Sometimes it can be dark brown, sometimes with the addition of green speckles or brown with reddish hues.

Another feature by which you can easily determine that this particular spider is in front of you is a method of protection that also determines its appearance. During a threat from the environment, he takes a very interesting position, stands on its hind legs, and raises its front legs up. During such a ritual, he sways from side to side, his chelicerae (jaw apparatus) become crimson red.

Reproduction and life cycle

It is often found in nature that female insects are larger than the male, and this is the case with spiders. After mating, the female can eat the male, but some species live in families in the same nest, and since the Brazilian is constantly wandering, it sometimes happens that the male spider is a victim.

In adult representatives mating dance looks very interesting. The male offers the food he has caught to the female, who cannot resist and freezes. At this time, mating takes place.

After a few weeks, the female lays her eggs in a cocoon and guards it until the appearance of young nymphs, which then independently disperse through the tropics and roam in search of food in order to grow to large sizes.

Diet

During constant movement, the spider is looking for prey, which can be insects, small spiders, and even attacks tropical frogs, birds and lizards.

The arthropod got its name "banana" for a special passion for fruits. Because of this, the spider can often be found in boxes of bananas prepared for export. Thus, it can be imported to another country.

But the basis of the diet is still meat food. Once inside, the poison turns the insides into a broth, which is subsequently sucked out by the insect.

Lifestyle

The soldier spider, as it is called for the way it raises its front legs up, is a nocturnal resident, that is, during the daytime it hides in a cool place. Such a place can be a snag or a stone (on the ground). Seeing the prey, the spider instantly makes itself felt. The insect wanders at night.

During an attack on small animals, he plunges his jaws and injects poison into the body, which paralyzes the animal in a couple of seconds. If the insect managed to get into the house, then it immediately hides.

Its storage can be shoes, clothes, hats. And therefore, people can suffer due to their illiteracy, that is, not checking the items of clothing before putting them on.

Habitat

Its habitat is the tropics and subtropics of South America. They prefer an earthly location, but often climb tree trunks, hide in dense wet foliage.

In Russia, such a representative of wildlife has not been recorded, but still you should not be careful. He has a replacement that is not inferior in danger - this is a black widow.

Human danger

The poison of the Brazilian representative of arthropods for humans carries a mortal danger.

It contains a neurotoxin that, when released into the human bloodstream, causes the following symptoms:

  • dizziness;
  • increased blood pressure;
  • increased body temperature and fever;
  • asthma attacks followed by respiratory arrest;
  • stiffness of the limbs;
  • complete atrophy of muscle mass.

Poison is most dangerous for males, the reasons for this are unclear. They have a painful erection that lasts for a long time.

If you managed to meet with a banana spider, then after biting once, he does not try to escape, but strives to do it again. Once in the child's blood, the neurotoxin causes a severe allergic reaction, in which in some cases the child cannot be saved without even being taken to the nearest ambulance station.

And since the South American countries are not very rich in experienced medical workers, and some settlements do not see them at all, an antidote that is not introduced in time takes a person's life.

Important! Independently, the insect does not attack the victim. This is what happens in self-defense. For example, if you put on a shoe that has a spider in it and thereby crushed it, then it is not surprising that it will bite you. Therefore, caution is needed here.

An interesting fact of a wandering American that describes the symptoms of a spider bite. The incident happened in 1998. While sorting bananas into boxes, he was accidentally bitten by a soldier spider. It looked like this: as if a long sharp dagger was stuck in the hand.

The hand immediately swelled up, the head swirled sharply. His heartbeat increased to such an extent that it seemed to him that it would break out. Breath intercepted, there were spasms. The doctors were in the right place and on time, they injected him with an antidote, which made the American stand up on his feet the very next day.

Time from bite to death

This concept is very vague, since it is impossible to define this period of time with the same name, it all depends on the resistance of the human body and the immune system.

Video: Spider Danger

If you believe the stories of travelers, then this time can be 30 minutes if the bite fell on a small child. And a little longer if an adult was bitten. Not every time there is a doctor with an antidote nearby, so a meeting with a spider can end tragically.

lethal dose of poison

It is believed that one bite and the injected portion of the poisonous substance is enough for death to occur. During a bite, a person may not feel the introduction of poison, but after a second the skin begins to burn, the poison enters the lymph and blood. In 80% of cases, you are guaranteed cardiac arrest.

If you determine the amount of poison that is needed to kill your victim, then it is as follows: for little rodent enough 6 mcg directly into the blood and a little more, about 130 mcg under the skin. You can calculate the dose for humans, given that the average weight of a rodent is about 50 grams.

Antidote

Today, medical scientists have nevertheless developed an antidote against the action of the poison of the Brazilian wandering insect.

Getting it is a very difficult process, but still it helps many. Due to the presence of antivenom, mortality from bites is reduced. According to statistics, it is 3%.

Conclusion

Summing up the whole story, we note that the spider causes danger if he himself senses danger from environment, he himself will not attack first. This must be remembered whenever you encounter an arthropod, be it a Brazilian or other poisonous spider.

But there are real extremals for breeding exotics. And the Brazilian spider is their favorite pet, kept in glass terrariums.

Video: Brazilian Wandering Spider

In this topic, I would like to talk about a spider that has nothing to do with tarantulas, but it is very interesting. Phoneutria fera is one of the most venomous spiders on the planet, so I decided to post about it on my blog.

Wandering Soldier Spiders are one of the most venomous spiders on Earth.

It is correct to call: "Brazilian soldier spiders", or "Brazilian wandering spiders". In books, publications we often meet the "banana spider", a name denoting many of the most various spiders the genus Nephila (N. clavipes) and Phoneutria, which owns the Brazilian soldier spiders. It is the representatives of the genus Phoneutria that are the most poisonous spiders. Their favorite habitat is banana plantations. Latin America, so they have another name that the people gave them: "banana spider".
The genus of spiders Phoneutria Perty is common in the Americas. Habitats of species of this genus:

Phoneutria bahiensis - east of Brazil, forests on the coast;

Phoneutria boliviensis - South and Central America;

Phoneutria eickstedtae - Brazil;

Phoneutria fera - Suriname, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, Brazil;

Phoneutria keyserlingi - forests of the east coast of Brazil;

Phoneutria nigriventer - northern Argentina, eastern Brazil, Uruguay;

Phoneutria pertyi - East Coast Brazil;

· Phoneutria reidyi - Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana.

"Wandering" spiders were also called because of their dietary preferences, which were reflected in their lifestyle. Soldier spiders do not weave webs. These fast creatures are very active. They constantly move, do not stay in one place for a long time. Do not use or weave a web. They spend their days searching for food. The most poisonous spider, oddly enough, loves to feast on bananas. Therefore, there are many of them on the banana plantations of the tropical part of America.
In search of food, a banana spider often enters residential buildings, turning into a formidable source of mortal danger. The poisonous spider whose photo you see meets a person not only in wild nature. Quite often, they enter people's homes directly with a bunch of bananas from the store. In the house, he can meet anywhere. They find temporary shelter in the folds of clothing, fruit boxes, inside furniture.
Although bananas are a delicacy for the most poisonous spiders, soldier spiders are still predators. Their main diet is insects and other types of spiders. The size of the spider is small, with elongated legs they reach about ten centimeters. But despite its modest size, the most poisonous spider is an excellent hunter. It attacks small reptiles: lizards, snakes, frogs. It can even attack small birds that are much larger than it.
Therefore, we can say that soldier spiders are aggressive and very dangerous creatures for humans. Death from a spider bite occurs after 2-6 hours. Although the banana spider is one of the most venomous spiders on Earth, fatalities from their bites are fortunately not the rule.
The fact is that the toxicity of its poison is inferior to poison, for example, poisonous snakes. And its effect is highly dependent on the body weight of the victim. The larger the mass, the weaker the action. The dose of poison in the human body of the spiders of the species Phoneutria fera can be quite decent. But this does not always lead to death.
The poison is produced by special glands located at the tips of the chelicerae. Getting under the skin, it causes a strong allergic reaction. If a person is healthy and adult, then usually the bite of the most poisonous spider does not lead to death. But when a child is bitten, or a sick person with a weakened immune system, death can occur quickly if medical assistance is not provided.
The most powerful neurotoxins contained in the poison, extremely aggressive, fearless behavior provided the banana spider with a reputation not only as the “most poisonous spider”, but also as the “most dangerous” to humans.
The bite of a spider is very painful. The poison causes symptoms of severe intoxication, then, after a certain period of time, the respiratory muscles are paralyzed. A few hours after the bite, the person dies.
But, if medical assistance is immediately provided, then fatality can be avoided. This is how the lucky ones who received such help on time describe the bite of the most poisonous spider. Doctors injected them with an antidote that saved their lives. The bite is compared to the prick of a sharp thorn that has penetrated very deep. Dizziness sets in. There is a strong pressure in the chest, which makes it difficult to breathe normally. The pressure in the vessels of the circulatory system rises sharply. There is a strong beating of the heart.
But in the countries of Latin America, tragedies still happen now. A case that occurred in Brazil: children played, climbed into the attic of their house, where they saw a spider. But they were not afraid, but decided to play with him. Spider soldier bit the girl. Her brother rushed to her aid. He wanted to throw it aside, but he was also bitten by the most poisonous spider. Parents of children immediately called ambulance which arrived in half an hour. But for the girl, this time turned out to be fatal. Only thirty minutes, but she could not be saved.
The behavior of the most poisonous spider is aggressive, but at the same time it does not attack large animals and humans. Bites occur more often due to the fact that a person simply does not notice a spider that is hiding in a shelter. Or out of ignorance that the spider is poisonous, they are caught, picked up.
It is well known that snake venoms are used in medicine. They make effective medicines. The banana spider has venom that has and interesting properties. According to the testimony of men who suffered from the bite of the most poisonous spider, during the action of the poison they felt a strong, painful erection (priapism). And after recovery, they claimed that the quality of their sexual life much improved.
This gave rise to scientists to start researching the poison of soldier spiders. Research is underway, it is assumed that the Tx2-6 spider toxin, which causes such a reaction in the body, can be used to create drugs to stimulate erections.

Brazilian wandering spiders are the most venomous spiders on the planet. They belong to the genus Phoneutria, which consists of several spider species. 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 poisonous species spiders found mainly in the South (especially in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, Peru and Guyana) and in Central America. They belong to the genus Phoneutria, which is a member of the venomous spider family Ctenidae.

The Brazilian wandering spider is a highly venomous 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 "roams" the ground in the jungle rather than living in a burrow or building a web.

Brazilian wandering spider species

According to the integrated taxonomic information system Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), the venomous spider genus Ctenidae contains the following Brazilian wandering spider species: Phoneutria fera, Phoneutria nigriventer, Phoneutria bahiensis, Phoneutria boliviensis, Phoneutria eickstedtae, Phoneutria keyserlingi, Phoneutria pertyi, and Phoneutria reidyi.

All types of Brazilian wandering spiders are mostly brown in color, hairy and have black spot on the stomach. 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.

The bite of a Brazilian wandering spider can cause full-blown poisoning or be limited to a few painful skin punctures. The two most famous and dangerous species wandering spiders are Phoneutria fera and Phoneutria nigriventer.

Brazilian wandering spiders are known for their aggressiveness as well as their strong bite venom. However, it is interesting that this behavior is actually a defense mechanism.

When threatened or attacked, they raise their first two pairs of legs, indicating to their predators that they are ready to attack. Their bites are thus an act of self-defense, and they only do so when provoked, either by accident 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 intense burning pain at the site of the bite.

Within 30 minutes or so, an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), high blood pressure, abdominal cramps, body temperature drops below normal, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, and seizures.

If you have been bitten by a wandering spider, you should seek immediate medical attention. medical care to an appropriate institution, 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 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 proven 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.

talking in simple terms, the venom of Brazilian wandering spiders affects brain function and disorients the victim.

Phoneutria is very interesting spiders, but to keep them in captivity, you need a lot of experience in keeping very fast and aggressive spiders. If not, then it is better to stay away from this species because of their dangerous poison. They are easy to keep and unpretentious in food, but require a reasonable and respectful attitude towards themselves.