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Dangerous spiders: Do you know the world’s scariest spiders?

There are approximately 40,000 different spider species world wide. It’s good to know which ones are harmless, and which could be potentially dangerous.

These are a few of the dangerous spiders that made the list of world’s scariest spiders!

Brown Recluse Spider (Loxosceles reclusa)

Most often they live in southern and mid western states in the US. They’ll hide in ceilings, walls, and attics. Sometimes they’re even found in clothing, shoes, and bedding. Brown recluse bites can be very dangerous and damaging, and they can take months to heal. If you are bitten, bites should be treated immediately.  You can identify the Brown Recluse because it only has 6 eyes, while most spiders have 8. Another identifying mark is the violin shape on its back. This is why they’re sometimes referred to as “fiddle backs”. Brown Recluse spiders are also attracted to cardboard boxes. Keep on the lookout if you happen to be moving old boxes around the house.

Brazilian Wandering Spiders (Phoneutria fera andP. nigriventer)

This is a big brown spider and is similar to wolf spiders that are found in north america. Luckily, bites from this spider are not poisonous unless the spider feels threatened. Venomous bites can be very painful and even cause muscle shock. It has also been called a banana spider. One of the places it likes to live and hide is on banana plants. Sometimes they have been known to be shipped across the world on banana bundles.

Yellow sac spider (Cheiracanthium inclusum)

Also called the Black Footed Spider by some. Yellow Sac spiders get their name from their color but also, instead of webs, they create a sac that they live in during the day. Most often you will find a yellow sac spider active and hunting at night. On the bright side, yellow sac spiders have been known to eat other dangerous spiders, even ones that are larger than themselves. Most of the time these spiders live outdoors, however as the weather gets colder they tend to seek shelter, so during the end of fall, they can make their way into your home. The Yellow Sac spider also almost always lays their eggs indoors.  These spiders can lay around 150 or more eggs at a time get rid of them while you can before there are potentially hundreds.

Wolf spider (family Lycosidae)

There are almost 200 different species of Wolf spiders around the world. They can get up to around 2 inches in size,  and are usually dark brown with hairy bodies. They interestingly don’t create webs to capture prey. Wolf spiders are well know for their speed and aggressiveness. They have excellent eye site and speed which makes them a dangerous combo. Some species of male Wolf spiders attract a female through a special courtship dance, which is unique to each male spider.

Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus mactans)

Look for a colored hourglass shape on its abdomen to help identify if you have a Black Widow spider on your hands. One of their favorite hangouts used to be in old wooden outhouses, but since those don’t really exist much anymore, you shouldn’t have to worry much about checking the toilet area. They tend to also hang out in wood piles and among plants. Luckily fewer than 7 US deaths are attributed annually to a Black Widow bite, however a bite can cause severe pain, nausea, as well as trouble breathing.  Almost any of these dangerous spiders you will see are female because the males are almost always eaten by the female after mating.

Funnel-web Spiders (family Dipluridae)

This spider can get very large, up to 3 inches long. Luckily you won’t find many in your house unless you are in Australia. Even then most of the time they are found in trees. Keep your eyes out for them as well if you own a pool. These spiders are attracted to water and sometimes they end up getting trapped in people’s pools or lager areas of water. These spiders are extremely dangerous if you see one steer clear, these spider’s venom can kill a human in a matter of minutes.

Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus)

If you are bit be sure to go to a hospital and get treatment, without the anti-venom people can be in pain and weak for multiple weeks. All widow spiders as well as many spiders have poor vision so if you find one off it’s web, it will be far less dangerous and it will have a hard time getting around. This spider has neurotoxic venom like the Black Widow, and can cause similar symptoms if bitten. A Brown Widow spider’s venom is considered to be twice as powerful as Black Widow spider’s, however thankfully the Brown Widow spider is not the aggressive type. It is most often found in California, and the gulf coast states, among other places around the world.

Red Back spider (Latrodectus hasselti)

Only females of this species are suspected to bite. This spider often lives alongside humans in Australia. Red Back spiders don’t seek people out to bite them, but if a you get in contact with a web you may be at risk.  This spider is related to the black widow family of spiders, and what distinguishes it is it’s red stripe on its back. Only the female Red Back spiders build webs. This spider encases its prey in silk before it eats it. In most cases when a Red Back spider bites it doesn’t inject the poison; they mostly do that only when eating and trapping it’s prey. It has been over almost 50 years since the last confirmed death from a Red Back spider.

Red Widow Spider (Latrodectus bishopi)

This is another one of the dangerous spiders of the world and this spider is very rare but has been said to live around south and central Florida. The Red Widow spider gets it’s name from it’s red body and legs. It shares the same type of venom as the other widow spiders and pain from bites, if left untreated, can last around 5 days. Bites can be painful and also cause cramping, nausea, vomiting and sweating. It’s favorite food are beetles and it has been found to be the most common insect among the red widow’s diet.

 

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