Did you know there are approximately 40,000 species of spiders crawling the face of the earth? When confronted with a number so big, how do you know which eight-legged critter you need to be worried about and which one is harmless? Whether you are out roaming in the wilderness or enjoying the comfort of your home, you are never really away from them. So, it stands to reason that you get your facts in place before these mean scuttles take you down. Here are 5 venomous spiders that you need to be wary of.
Brazilian Wandering Spider
Also popularly termed as Banana spider, you better watch out for these nasty bugs because they like to play dirty. They come out during the night and during the day they keep a low profile by hiding under piles of stones or logs; banana plants are their favorite hideouts. Their venom contains neurotoxin, which is noted to be the deadliest till date. It produces 1.069 mg of venom a day and it takes just a fraction of that amount to kill a human. To be fair, they like to mind their business and only attack when provoked.
Six-Eyed Sand Spider
These critters are definitely not the one you would want to mess with. There is a reason why they are called “assassin” spiders. Their venom won’t kill you. No, but just cause enough pain that you would wish you were dead 100 times over. Their bite will cause you to leak blood from every open pore of your skin (just like they show in those gory movies) and destruct skin tissues. What’s more? There is no antivenom found for it yet and no one is sure exactly how toxic their venom could be. We recommended steering clear!
Brown Recluse Spider
Do not judge these spiders by their name, as they do not always live in solitude. They are infamous for inflicting all kinds of havoc on unsuspecting humans. They like to stay burrowed in dark places – under the furniture or amidst piles of books. They are far from being aggressive and only attack when threatened. If you do cross their path, let god save you, for they won’t stop until they hunt you down. And when they do, you will be sorry. Their bite is known to cause retinal failure, fever, vomiting and even death. Our suggestion to you – run for your life!
Funnel-Web Spiders
If this is not deadly, don’t know what is. Their bite can cause a series of symptoms, all in less than 15 minutes. Wondering what these symptoms are? Well, nothing major, just numbness of your mouth and lips, drooping eyelids, difficulty in breathing and even coma. When you spot one, don’t fight. You don’t know how many of their “mates” are lurking about. Just stay quiet and don’t move, maybe they won’t pay you any heed.
Red-Back Spider
Yes, if it is making it on this list, then it has to be deadly. The Red- Back Spider is just like any other eight-legged critter, only they like to snack on kids and old people. Their venom contains a neurotoxin, which can cause morbidity and even death.
We are just getting started with the scary story here. There are many species, even more horrifying than the aforementioned ones that can easily make it to this list.