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

Why is a spider bite dangerous?

Spider (arachnoid) is a predatory insect, which nature has endowed with a special poisonous weapon. The secretion 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 without reason. They may bite only in self-defense or in cases of immediate danger. The bite of a poisonous spider itself is not fatal, and negative consequences can only occur in situations where:

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

According to statistics, 5% of the world's population suffers from a “fear of spiders” (arachnophobia), although there are no real reasons for such a phobia, since almost all poisonous species live in tropical climates or deserts. However, every traveler, going to another country, must imagine what animals or insects he may encounter and what needs to be done.

Brazilian wandering spider

The list of the most dangerous arachnids for humans opens with the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria - from the Greek “killer”). Sometimes it is also called “banana” because of the love for eating these fruits. Officially (according to the Guinness Book of Records) it 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 the respiratory system, sometimes leading to suffocation;
• poor muscle control;
• severe pain in the muscles and the bite site;
• In men, the poison can cause an erection for many hours, which causes very strong painful sensations.

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

These spiders often live close to human habitation, can hide in clothing, and love to climb into fruit boxes, especially bananas. Therefore, the most common cases of people being bitten by them occur among collectors.

It is also unusual and dangerous that Brazilian spiders can travel around in banana packages. to the globe. One of the latest accidents occurred in the UK in 2016 with a man who bought fruit in 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 bites of such a spider.

Sydney leucopaweb (funnel web) spider

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

In addition to this persistent nature, the Sydney funnel-web spider has very large fangs: long and sharp, like needles. It is believed that with such fangs he can easily 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 within a few seconds):

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

Without medical attention, death can occur within 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 Back Spider, and belong to the genus Loxosceles. 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 the houses of local residents (in clothes or shoes), and in South America(Chile and other countries).

The venom of these spiders is of a necrotic type that destroys tissue. A recluse spider bite can cause a condition called loxoscelism, which in some cases results in the death of tissue in the bite area and the formation of a non-healing open wound, which can even lead to amputation. To treat such wounds, skin grafting is necessary.

Black Widow

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

The North American black widow gets its name from the color of its body, but its abdomen has red or orange spots. The size of spiders is small: about 4 cm, but their poison is very toxic; a bite can end in disaster for a person.

Such spiders pose a danger to children, weakened 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 may last up to 7 days.

The redback spider is also a member of 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 live indoors and live in some areas of cities and suburbs in the tropical climate zone. They have recently been spotted in Japan.

The red-backed spider is small in size: 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 a bite from such a spider appear only after a day, and they are very toxic: acute pain and swelling of the bitten area, abdominal cramps, severe 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 living in Russia in Astrakhan region, in Asian and European regions and Africa. He is one of the members of the black widow family. Due to climate change, karakurts began to appear even in the Moscow region.

One 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 venom is 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake. They pose a danger to some domestic animals (horses, cows, with the exception of sheep) and people. They bite only when pressed, more often at night in the summer, and the bite is not painful, which is why they may not immediately pay attention to it.

The effect of the poison is manifested in muscle pain, paresthesia of the limbs, abdomen and chest. A strong fear of death appears, tears flow, the sick person cannot stand on his feet due to muscle weakness. Symptoms similar to those of an acute abdomen also occur: nausea, vomiting, fever. However, cramps and tremors of the limbs, breathing problems, confusion, and a sharp increase in blood pressure help determine an accurate diagnosis.

One of the effective ways to provide first aid is to cauterize the bitten area with a burning match, which has a destructive effect on the poison (if there is no medical help nearby), subsequent hospitalization is extremely necessary to prevent death.

Sand Spider

The six-eyed sand spider has 8 legs and 6 eyes and lives in the deserts of South Africa and western South America. His scientific Latin name Sicarius translates to "killer". By nature, he is a hunter who waits for a long time for his prey (other spiders and scorpions), buried in the sand. When prey runs past, it attacks - it bites it, and within a few hours the insect or animal dies. Its size is about 5 cm, its 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 the rupture of blood vessels and tissue decomposition. There are only 2 cases of such spiders biting people, but both were fatal.

Golden spider

The sak spider, or golden spider (Cheiracanthium), has a size of only 10 mm, but with its bite it is capable of causing extensive tissue necrosis (necrosis), which is very painful. Its habitats: European countries, Australia and Canada.

Externally small, the spider is yellow or greenish in color and produces a strong cytotoxin poison. In the bite area, redness and sharp pain first appear, the area swells, gradually turning into a blister or wound.

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

Tarantulas

Tarantula spiders (Theraphosidae) are a whole family of arachnoids found in Africa, Australia and on the ocean 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 adults, although they can cause muscle pain and fever. However, the poison can be fatal for pets or children.

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

Pecilotheria (tarantula)

The same family includes tarantulas - large, hairy spiders whose name comes from the Spanish tarantella dance. 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 the forest-steppe zone of Eurasia.

Due to the small size and amount of poison released during a bite, the consequences for humans are not very toxic, but the poison acts on the nervous system, provoking minor convulsions and severe shortness of breath. Their toxicity is highest in July, when females reach sexual maturity 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 using venom.

Nature has endowed it with bright colors: males have a red head and a gray-blue belly, females are black. Size - from 1 to 3.5 cm.

The venom has a neuroparalytic effect similar to poison Sydney spider, however, they live far from human settlements. A serum has long been made for their venom, which is effective against many funnel-web spider species.

Conclusion

The types 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, the North Caucasus and Crimea. Knowledge appearance and species of spiders dangerous to humans, their habitat conditions will help prevent encounters with them, avoid being bitten, or learn about the degree of danger to humans.

One of the most dangerous spiders on our planet Brazilian wandering spider, or as people called him “banana” for his love for these fruits, and for the fact that he lives on banana palms. This species is very aggressive for humans. The animal's venom is extremely strong, because it contains large doses of the neurotoxin PhTx3.

In small quantities, this substance is used in medicine, but in large concentrations of this substance it causes loss of muscle control and cardiac arrest. So it’s better not to meet this species, and when you see it, don’t touch it nearby and hurry away.

Origin of the species and description

Phoneutria fera or the Brazilian wandering spider belongs to the genus Ctenidae (runners). This species was discovered by the famous Bavarian naturalist Maximilian Perti. He devoted many years to studying these spiders. The name of this species is taken from the ancient Greek φονεύτρια; this term means “killer”. This type of spider received its name for its deadly danger.

Video: Brazilian wandering spider

Maximilian Perty combined several species P. rufibarbis and P. fera into one genus. The first species is slightly different from the typical representatives of this genus, and is its dubious representative.

This genus includes several species:

• Phoneutria bahiensis Simó Brescovit, was discovered in 2001. Lives in and mainly in parks;
• Phoneutria eickstedtae Martins Bertani discovered in 2007, the habitat of this species is also the warm forests of Brazil;
• Phoneutria nigriventer was discovered back in 1987 and lives in Brazil and Northern; Phoneutria reidyi lives in warm forests and parks;
• Phoneutria pertyi was discovered in the same year and lives in tropical forests Brazil;
• Phoneutria boliviensis habitat Central and South America;
• P.fera lives mainly in the Amazon, and in the forests of Peru;
• P. keyserling is found in southern Brazil.

Like all spiders, it belongs to the type of arthropod arachnids. Family: Ctenidae Genus: Phoneutria.

Appearance and features

The Brazilian wandering spider is a fairly large arthropod. The length of an adult reaches 16 centimeters. Moreover, the body of the arthropod is about 7 centimeters. The distance from the beginning of the front legs to the end of the hind legs is approximately 17 cm. The color of this type of spider is slightly different, but in most cases it is dark brown. Although there are also spiders of yellowish and red shades. The entire body of the spider is covered with small, dense hairs

The spider's body is divided into a cephalothorax and an abdomen, which is connected by a bridge. It has 8 strong and long legs, which are not only a means of transportation, but also act as instruments of smell and touch. The legs often have black stripes and spots. The legs of this type of spider are quite massive, even somewhat similar to claws. There are as many as 8 eyes on the spider’s head; they provide the spider with a wide view.

Interesting fact: Although the banana spider has so many eyes and can see in all directions, it does not see very well. He reacts more to the movement of objects, distinguishes the silhouettes of objects, but does not see them.

Also, when examining the spider, you can notice pronounced chewing; during an attack they are especially visible. When attacked, the spider demonstrates the lower part of its body, on which bright spots are visible, to scare away enemies.

Where does the Brazilian wandering spider live?

The main habitat of this species is America. Moreover, most often these arthropods are found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. Representatives of this species can also be found in Brazil and northern Argentina, Venezuela, Peru and Havana.

Spiders are thermophilic; the jungle is considered the main habitat of these arthropods. There they are placed on the crowns of trees. Spiders do not build shelters or burrows for themselves; they constantly move from one habitat to another in search of food.

In Brazil, spiders of this species live everywhere, perhaps only in the northern part of the country. Both in Brazil and in America, spiders can crawl into houses, which terribly scare the local population.

They love warm and humid tropical climates. Spiders of this species do not live due to the climate. However, they can be found accidentally brought from warm countries in boxes with tropical fruits, or for spider lovers to breed them in a terrarium.

IN last years This dangerous animal is increasingly being kept at home as pets. At home, they can live all over the world, but keeping them is not recommended due to the extreme danger of this species. Spiders also don’t live well in captivity, so you need to think carefully before getting such a pet.

Now you know Where does the Brazilian wandering spider live?. Let's see what he eats.

What does the Brazilian wandering spider eat?

The diet of this type of spider includes:

• various small insects and their larvae;
• snails;
• crickets;
• small;
• small caterpillars;
• various fruits and tree fruits.

Also, the spider is not averse to feasting on small birds and their young, small ones such as rats, hamsters. The wandering spider is a dangerous predator. He lies in wait for his victim in a shelter, and does everything so that the victim cannot notice him. When it sees the victim, the spider rises on its hind legs. The forelimbs are raised and the middle limbs are placed to the side. This is how the spider looks the most intimidating. From this position it attacks its prey.

Interesting fact: During a hunt, a wandering spider injects poison and its own saliva into its prey. The effect of the poison completely paralyzes the victim. The poison blocks muscle function, stops breathing and the heart. The spider's saliva turns the victim's insides into a slurry, which is then drunk by the spider.

For small animals and rodents, death occurs instantly. Snakes and larger animals suffer for about 10-15 minutes. The victim will no longer be able to escape after a spider bite; death in this case is already inevitable. The banana spider goes hunting at night, and during the day it hides from the sun under leaves on trees, in crevices and under stones. Hides in dark caves.

It can wrap its killed victim in a cocoon of cobwebs, leaving it for later. While hunting, spiders can hide in the leaves of trees in order to be invisible to the prey.

Features of character and lifestyle

Brazilian wandering spiders lead a solitary lifestyle. These spiders have a relatively calm disposition; they attack first only during a hunt. Spiders do not attack large animals and people if they feel safe. Phoneutria do not build houses, do not create shelters and shelters. They constantly move from one place to another. They hunt at night and rest during the day.

Banana spiders are aggressive towards their relatives. Cases of cannibalism occur frequently. Small spiders are eaten by older individuals; the female is able to eat the male after mating with him. Like all predators, they can attack any enemy. Moreover, most often he can defeat even a large victim thanks to his deadly poison.

Spiders of this species are very aggressive. They jealously guard their territory; males can even fight each other for territory and females. In captivity, spiders of this species feel unwell, experience severe stress, and live less than their relatives who live in the wild.

Brazilian wandering spiders run quickly, climb trees, and are constantly on the move. The main occupation of these spiders is to weave webs. And unlike ordinary spiders, this species uses the web not as a trap, but in order to wrap already caught prey in it and lay eggs at the time of mating.

The web is also used to quickly move through trees. This type of spider attacks people only for the purpose of self-defense. But a spider bite is fatal, so if you find a spider, do not touch it and try to take it away from your home.

Social structure and reproduction

As mentioned earlier, Brazilian spiders live alone and meet with a female only for reproduction. The male offers food to the female, appeasing her with it. By the way, this is also necessary so that he is alive and the female does not eat him. If the female has eaten enough, she may not want to feast on the male, and this will save his life.

When the fertilization process ends, the male quickly leaves so that the female does not eat him. Some time after fertilization, the female spider weaves a special cocoon from the web in which she lays eggs; sometimes eggs are also laid on bananas and leaves. But this happens rarely; most often, the female, in caring for the offspring, hides the eggs in the web.

After about 20-25 days, these eggs hatch into baby spiders. After birth, they spread out in different directions. Spiders of this species reproduce very quickly, as several hundred spiders are born in one litter. Adult spiders live for three years, and during their lifetime they can produce quite a large offspring. Neither the mother nor the father takes any part in raising the offspring.

The cubs grow up on their own, feeding on small larvae, worms and caterpillars. Spiderlings can hunt immediately after hatching from the egg. During their growth, spiders undergo molting and loss of exoskeleton several times. During the year, the spider molts from 6 to 10 times. Older individuals shed less. The composition of spider venom also changes as the arthropod grows. In small spiders, the poison is not so dangerous; over time, its composition undergoes changes, and the poison becomes deadly.

Natural enemies of Brazilian wandering spiders

Spiders of this species have few natural enemies, but they still exist. Called the Tarantula Hawk, it is one of the largest wasps on our planet. This is a very dangerous and scary insect.

Female wasps of this species are capable of stinging a Brazilian spider; the venom completely paralyzes the arthropod. After this, the wasp drags the spider into its hole. The most amazing thing is that the wasp needs the spider not for food, but to care for its offspring. The female wasp lays an egg in the belly of the paralyzed spider, after some time the baby hatches from it and eats the belly of the spider. The spider dies a terrible death from being eaten from the inside.

Interesting fact: Some species of this genus use a so-called “dry bite,” in which no poison is injected, and such a bite is relatively safe.

Birds and other animals in their natural environment avoid them, knowing how dangerous these spiders are. Due to their poisonous nature, Brazilian spiders have very few enemies. However, spiders of this kind do not attack on their own; before the fight, they warn their enemy about the attack with their stance, and if the enemy retreats, the spider will not attack him if he feels safe and decides that nothing threatens him.

Spiders often suffer death from other animals during fights with large animals, or during fights with their relatives. Many males die during mating because they are eaten by females.

People are just as dangerous to spiders; they are often hunted for their poison. After all, poison in small quantities is used as a means to restore potency in men. In addition, people are cutting down the forests in which spiders live, so the population of one of the species of this genus is under threat of extinction.

Population and species status

The Brazilian wandering spider is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest spider on planet earth. This type of spider is very dangerous for humans, and sometimes spiders enter people’s homes. Insects can often enter the house in boxes of fruit or simply crawl in hiding from the midday heat. When bitten, these spiders inject a dangerous substance, the neurotoxin PhTx3. It blocks muscle function. Breathing slows and stops, and cardiac activity is blocked. The person quickly becomes ill.

After a bite, the dangerous poison very quickly penetrates the blood and lymph nodes. The blood carries it throughout the body. The person begins to choke, dizziness and vomiting appear. Cramps. Death occurs within a few hours. Bites from Brazilian wandering spiders are especially dangerous for children and people with low immunity. If you are bitten by a Brazilian wandering spider, you must immediately administer an antidote, although it does not always help.

The population of this genus of spiders is not threatened. They reproduce quickly and survive changes well external environment. As for other species of this genus, they live quietly and reproduce, flooding the forests and jungles of Brazil, America and Peru. Phoneutria fera and Phoneutria nigriventer are the two most dangerous species. Their poison is the most toxic. After their bites, painful conditions are observed in their victims due to the high content of serotonin. The bite provokes hallucinations, shortness of breath, and delirium.

Interesting fact: The venom of this type of spider can kill a child in just 10 minutes. An adult, depending on his state of health, can last from 20 minutes to several hours. Symptoms appear instantly and develop rapidly. Death occurs quickly as a result of suffocation.

Therefore, when visiting tropical countries, be extremely vigilant; when you see this arthropod, under no circumstances approach it or touch it with your hands. Brazilian spiders do not attack humans, but upon noticing danger and saving, they can bite their own lives. In America, there are many cases of people being bitten by Brazilian spiders, and unfortunately in 60% of cases the bites were fatal. Modern medicine has an effective antidote, but unfortunately, the doctor is not always able to get to the patient in time. Young children are especially susceptible to bites from these arthropods, and they are the most dangerous for them. Often children cannot be saved after being bitten by a wandering spider.

Brazilian wandering spider dangerous but calm animal. Reproduces quickly, lives approximately three years and during its life is capable of producing several hundred cubs. When living in their natural habitat, they obtain their food by hunting. Young spiders are not very dangerous, but adults, thanks to their poison, are deadly to humans. The danger of the poison depends on its quantity. In recent years, more and more people are keeping these dangerous spiders at home in terrariums, thereby endangering themselves and their loved ones. These spiders are dangerous, remember this and better avoid them.

The Brazilian wandering spider is fast and very active. Everything would be fine, but it is also very poisonous. It is even considered one of the ten most dangerous spiders on Earth. This spider deservedly received its self-explanatory name: it does not weave webs, like most spiders, because it does not need it. The wandering spider never lives in one place, but always wanders. What is unpleasant for a person is that sometimes he enters houses. In South America, these spiders are often found in clothes or in boxes with clothes and food.

The wandering spider is found only in America, and even then most often in tropical and subtropical regions. There are two types of Brazilian wandering spiders - jumping spiders, which pursue their prey with jerky jumps, and running spiders. The latter run very fast, but are nocturnal, and during the day they sit under stones or hide in some other place, including in people's houses.

The Brazilian wandering spider loves to feast on bananas and will not miss the opportunity to climb into a box with this fruit. For its addiction, this spider received another name - the banana spider. But the main food for him is still not fruits. It hunts mainly other spiders and insects, and it also happens that it attacks birds and lizards that are larger than it.

He himself is a rather small predator - only about 10 cm. But his small size does not prevent him from being an excellent hunter and a serious problem for people, and all because he is capable of releasing a solid dose of toxic poison when biting, which is formed at the ends of the chelicerae, in channels of the poisonous glands.

Maybe the venom of the wandering spider is less dangerous than the venom of snakes. Adult healthy person it is unlikely to kill - it will only cause a serious allergic reaction, which modern medicine can quickly cope with. But if the Brazilian wandering spider bites a sick person or small child, the poison may act faster than it arrives ambulance.

In 1998, one of these spiders bit a 23-year-old American man who was sorting through a box of bananas. The spider was hiding in it. The spider, angry at being disturbed, bit the man on the hand. He immediately went to the hospital, where he received help. This is how the American describes his condition: “When the spider bit me, I felt a thorn penetrate very deeply into my hand. And my head immediately became like a balloon... My chest was so compressed that I could barely breathe. Blood pressure flew up almost to the ceiling, and my heart was beating so hard that I physically felt it beating my chest. Honestly, I thought I was going to die." Doctors administered an antidote to the victim and thus saved his life. The patient was discharged the next day.

But tragic encounters with stray spiders also happen. In the home of a Brazilian family, a wandering spider hid in the attic. The younger children found it and wanted to play. The spider grabbed the youngest daughter's hand. When the brother tried to throw it away, the spider bit the boy too. The parents immediately called an ambulance. The doctors arrived half an hour later, but by this time the three-year-old girl had died and could not be saved.

Fortunately for the residents of Russia, wandering spiders do not live here and are unlikely to

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The most poisonous spider in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is considered “ Brazilian wandering pau To". This spider got its name because it does not sit in one place and does not weave webs, but actively moves in search of food. Others are extremely dangerous spider counts Black Widow- which can be found in the Caucasus and Crimea.

Brazilian wandering spider ( Phoneutria) - fast, very active and most importantly - poisonous. Brazilian name of the animal: aranha armadeira, aranha de bananeira (aranha armadeira, aranha de bananeira) - armed spider or banana spider.

This spider deservedly received its self-explanatory name: it does not weave webs, like most spiders, because it does not need it. The wandering spider never lives in one place, but always wanders. What is unpleasant for a person is that sometimes he enters houses. In South America, these spiders are often found in clothes or in boxes with clothes and food.

The wandering spider is found only in America, and even then most often in tropical and subtropical regions. There are two types of Brazilian wandering spiders - jumping spiders, which pursue their prey with jerky jumps, and running spiders. The latter run very fast, but are nocturnal, and during the day they sit under stones or hide in some other place, including in people's houses.

The Brazilian wandering spider loves to feast on bananas and will not miss the opportunity to climb into a box with this fruit. For its addiction, this spider received another name - the banana spider. But the main food for him is still not fruits. It hunts mainly other spiders and insects, and it also happens that it attacks birds and lizards that are larger than it.

He himself is a rather small predator - only about 10 cm. But his small size does not prevent him from being an excellent hunter and a serious problem for people, and all because he is capable of releasing a solid dose of toxic poison when biting, which is formed at the ends of the chelicerae. in the channels of the poisonous glands.

Maybe it's poison wandering spider less dangerous than snake venom. It is unlikely to kill an adult healthy person - it will only cause a serious allergic reaction, which modern medicine can quickly cope with. But if a Brazilian wandering spider bites a sick person or a small child, the poison can take effect faster than an ambulance can arrive. Some specimens of this spider are so dangerous that human death can occur within 20-30 minutes if immediate help is not provided.

Fortunately for the people of Russia, wandering spiders they do not live here and are unlikely to ever appear: the climate is not entirely suitable. But you still need to remember to be careful when handling these arthropods, in case you still have to meet them.

By itself, the wandering spider does not attack humans. It bites only in self-defense. But the problem is that these spiders like to hide and are very difficult to notice. If you find a wandering spider, try to quickly take it out of the house and look through all the boxes and cabinets to see if there is another one in them. If possible, you need to be as careful as possible and under no circumstances pick up the spider.

Karaku?rt(from the Turkic “kara” - black and “kurt” - worm, insect; lat. Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) or steppe spider - a type of poisonous spider from the genus of black widows.

Karakurt- a medium-sized spider (female 10-20 mm, male 4-7 mm), black with red dots on the abdomen. Distributed in the desert and steppe zone of Central Asia, the Caucasus, Crimea, as well as in Iran, Afghanistan and along the banks Mediterranean Sea. Favorite habitats are virgin wormwood, wastelands, banks of ditches, slopes of ravines, etc.

Only female spiders are dangerous to humans and farm animals. The female's bites can be fatal to humans and animals such as camels and horses. The male, having a much smaller size, does not pose a danger to humans, since he cannot bite through the rather thick human skin. It does not pose a danger to animals to the same extent as the female. Mature females are the most poisonous. Karakurt poison is not only 15 times stronger than poison one of the most terrible snakes - rattlesnake, but in general it is one of the most toxic substances of organic origin on Earth.

The frequency of bites in some years increases sharply due to the massive reproduction of karakurt. The number of victims increases during periods of migration of female spiders - in the summer months.

Karakurt poison neurotoxic, causes an extremely intense release of acetylcholine at neuromuscular synapses, as well as acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine and alpha-aminobutyrate at the synapses of the central nervous system, as well as intense release in the sympathetic-adrenal system.

The cause of the bite is most often the crushing of a spider that accidentally crawled into the victim’s clothing or bed. In most cases, people sleeping or resting in shaded areas are bitten. Lesions predominate in rural areas and field conditions. In cities, karakurt bites are extremely rare.

Karakurt often attacks a person unexpectedly. Particularly active in summer at night. The bite is not painful and is often not felt by the victim. The local reaction to the poison is absent or very weakly expressed - around the bite site there may be a zone of pale skin (several centimeters in diameter), surrounded by a rim of weak hypermia. In most cases, there are no local changes and it is extremely difficult to find the bite site. Sometimes the bite feels like a needle prick. Due to the low pain of the bite (unlike stings by scorpions and wasps), many victims, especially those bitten at night during sleep, do not associate their sudden illness with the bite poisonous insect, seek medical help due to a general manifestation of intoxication.

General toxic phenomena are developing quickly, 5-30 minutes after the bite, and progress rapidly. The severity of poisoning varies from relatively mild, rapidly transient forms to extremely severe, sometimes fatal cases. Severe forms are characterized by excruciating muscle pain, combined with paresthesia in the limbs, lower back, abdomen and chest. Patients are excited, often covered in cold sweat, fear of death is expressed, the face is tense, hyperemic, sclera " poured"Blood, poor facial expressions, pained facial expression. Watery eyes are often observed. Soon after the bite, severe muscle weakness develops, especially in the lower extremities, as a result of which patients have difficulty moving or cannot stand on their feet at all. Excruciating pain syndrome (aching, pulling and tearing pains of different localization) is combined with severe muscle tension.

The abdominal muscles are often very tense, which, together with a dry tongue, intestinal paresis (weakened peristalsis, no gases), severe leukocytosis and an increase in body temperature to 38 C and above, imitate the picture of an acute abdomen (cases of erroneous surgical intervention for karakurt bites are possible). Nausea and vomiting may also occur. However, the correct diagnosis is easy to make when other symptoms are taken into account. Tension and dysfunction of the muscles of the limbs, back, occipital (thrown head back, positive Kernig syndrome), their tremors and convulsive twitching, dysfunction of the respiratory muscles (saccade breathing), spasm of the sphincters - narrow pupils, urinary retention with an overstretched bladder, increased blood pressure (toxogenic Karakurt hypertension) - create a very characteristic picture of the disease and allow you to make the correct diagnosis.

In extremely severe cases excitation gives way to apathy, depression, confusion (sometimes with psychotic reactions), collapse and progressive shortness of breath with symptoms of pulmonary edema (crepitus and moist rales, foamy sputum).

Some sick A rose-colored rash appears on the skin. The acute phase of intoxication is especially characterized by the phenomenon of layering of pain of different nature and localization on top of each other, combined with a feeling of fear, excitement, severe muscle weakness and tension of various muscle groups, disturbances of peristalsis and urination, increased blood pressure and body temperature. In mild forms of poisoning, the painful phenomena stop by the end of the first day; in moderate and severe forms, they can last 3-4 days.

Immediately after the bite ( but no later than two minutes later) you can burn the bitten area with a flammable match - the heating destroys the poison that has not had time to be absorbed. This method is indispensable when away from medical care. In other cases, urgent hospitalization is required. Otherwise, the bite can lead to the most disastrous results.

And again today we turn to our favorite Guinness Book of Records. Open the section about insects and find “The most poisonous spiders in the world.” The top spot among them is shared by the Black Widow and the Brazilian wandering spider. Let's talk about the latter.

He owes his leading position to his aggressive behavior and the powerful neurotoxins contained in his venom. In a healthy person, a Brazilian spider bite causes a severe allergic reaction, but if you consult a doctor in a timely manner, terrible consequences can be avoided. But for children and people with weakened immune systems, its poison is deadly. The bite is accompanied by severe pain and causes symptoms of intoxication and paralysis of the respiratory muscles. The person is simply suffocating. Death can occur within 2-6 hours.

Here is one sad example. This happened in an ordinary Brazilian family with small children. The inquisitive brother and sister climbed into the attic, and there, among the boxes, the Brazilian wandering spider found a temporary home. The children found an unusual “little animal” and decided to play. Then the spider, without hesitation, grabbed the 3-year-old girl’s hand. When the brother tried to throw it away, the spider bit the boy. He was saved, but the girl did not live to see the doctors arrive.

Maybe everything would have worked out well if the children had not bothered the spider. He doesn't attack people first. Only in cases of self-defense. But the problem lies in the fact that brazilian spider loves to live in people's houses, in particular in closets and boxes with things. Therefore, people need to be extremely careful.

Now let's talk about where the spider got its name - the Brazilian wandering spider. With the first word everything is clear - according to the place of residence. He was credited with wandering because he never sits still. In addition, he does not weave webs, like all eight-legged relatives.

Interesting fact: the Brazilian wandering spider loves to eat bananas. For which it received another name - banana spider. But still, its main menu consists of smaller relatives, insects, lizards and even birds!

But, despite its terrible reputation, this spider can benefit humanity, in particular its stronger half. The fact is that its venom contains the Tx2-6 toxin, which contributes to a prolonged and painful erection. In addition, some victims of the spider claimed that after its bite the quality of their sex life. Experiments on animals confirmed the assumption of scientists that the use of this toxin in medicine can help in the treatment of impotence. Well, at least this spider is of some use.