SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) — A teen is recovering in the hospital after a spider bite became infected.
Las week, Dillion Poulos was helping remodel his uncle's kitchen. “We were putting up new panels and stuff and that's when I felt a sting,” Poulos said.
The teen has been at the hospital since last Friday because of the severity of his wound, a big open sore where his flesh have been eaten by the poison. “I felt a sting on my leg and I pulled my pant leg up and it was just a little red mark,” said Poulos.
That little red mark turned into a gaping hole. “It was painful,” he said.
Doctors at Baptist Hospital determined that the sting was the bite of a poisonous spider, the dangerous Brown Recluse. “What happens is that it almost starts eating away at the tissue,” said Dr. Doris Aguilar.
It took the teen two days to realize something was terribly wrong. “I squeezed it and a little bit of puss came out. When I woke up it was all sore and blistered and nasty,” he recalled.
This spider is uncommon in Florida, but doctors believe his family has had unusual run-ins with the rare Recluse before.
“Apparently the mother has been bitten several times and she actually witnessed a brown hairy spider. You can't hardly tell right now, it's just a little bump,” Aguilar said.
As if the spider bite wasn't bad enough, the MRSA Virus also got into the wound, which made treating Poulos that much more difficult. “When they first told me I was like, 'Oh my God. I could be dead,' but thank God I'm still here.”
Doctors said if you get a spider bite, you shouldn't panic. Just don't scratch or pick at it, because that's usually how they get infected. If you notice that it is spreading go see your doctor.
As far as Poulos there is no anti-venom for a Brown Relcuse bite, all they can do is wash it out and give antibiotics, but after being here for a week he will be released on Friday.
My 13-year-old daughter, Abby, was helping clear some of the weeds from our pond and was calling out to me while standing neck deep in weedy water.
I glanced over at her smiling face from where I was lifting out clumps of weeds. The claim didn’t make much sense to me and I figured this was going to be some kind of joke: “Nah, you’re not riding a turtle.”
“Well I’m standing on its back and it’s moving.”
“It’s probably a rock.”
“How much will you give me if it’s a turtle?” she persisted.
“I’ll give you five bucks.” I was starting to think maybe she was really riding a turtle.
“If you’re really on a snapping turtle you’d probably better just swim away, those things have a bite.”
“I really want to catch him. Bring over a bucket so I can throw him in it when I get him.”
I waded over with a medium-sized bucket.
“That’s not big enough.”
I waded back with five gallon bucket. Abby paused. “What are you doing, Abby?”
“Praying.”
The next moment Abby went down under water while I stood with the bucket at the ready.
She came up with a huge snapping monster which she quickly pitched into the bucket.
We took this beast onto shore and surveyed him as he easily snapped off finger-thick sticks with lightning strikes from his powerful jaws.
I was picturing my daughter’s fingers.
“Abby, next time you’re riding a turtle just swim away. But, I have to say, I believe that’s a $10 turtle.”
Snapping turtles are just one of the dangerous creatures folks encounter in east Tennessee. However snappers almost never bother you unless you’re actively bothering them.
Let’s take a brief look at the other potentially dangerous creatures you might encounter around the woods, streams, ponds and backyards of our area.
Let’s start with snakes. There are four kinds of venomous snakes in Tennessee: northern and southern copperhead, timber rattlesnake, western cottonmouth and the western pigmy rattlesnake.
The copperhead is a relatively shy snake, but they account for the most reported bites each year in Tennessee.
Roughly 50 percent of their bites are dry bites; meaning that when they bite, no venom is injected.
Fatal bites are exceedingly rare in Tennessee. Although there are 50,000 deaths worldwide from venomous snakebites reported each year, only 12-15 are in the United States.
Within Tennessee, only four deaths from venomous snakebites have been reported since 1960.
If bitten, the best approach is to try to remain calm and get to a local emergency room. Remove all jewelry around or above the bite area, since there will probably be swelling. But do not apply a tourniquet, nor make cuts around the bite, nor try to suck out the venom. These are outdated approaches that can cause delay, tissue damage, and infection. Don’t try to capture the snake since anti venom is the same for all Tennessee snakes and trying to capture the snake only increases the chances of a second snakebite victim. On average, bites from copperheads result in a week of pain, eleven days of extremity swelling, and two weeks of missed work.
Moving to the smaller culprits, there are two spiders of concern: the black widow and the brown recluse. The black widow is black with a telltale yellow or red hourglass marking on its underside. They are often found in basements, woodpiles and rock walls. Symptoms of a bite may include profuse sweating, nausea, vomiting, headache, and muscle spasms.
The brown recluse hides out in unused shoes, attics, closets and boxes. Its venom destroys tissue. Pain may occur at the bite site six to eight hours afterwards. At 48 hours, there may be itching, redness, blisters, and then a dark crust may form at the bite site followed by sloughing off of some tissue. A visit to the doctor would be wise after a bite from either of these two venomous spiders.
Tennessee is also home to two species of scorpion, the southern unstriped scorpion and the introduced striped Scorpion. Rocky hillsides, rock or brick walls, crawl spaces, and log piles are favorite scorpion habitats. The sting of these scorpions is considered mild. The sensation is a sharp pain that usually lasts for 15 to 20 minutes.
What about fish? The dorsal and pectoral fins of many species of catfish, particularly the small mad toms, have venomous spines that can inflict painful wounds, though generally not life threatening.
Then, of course, there are the red and the black fire ants, bees, wasps, and hornets.
If you should get bitten or stung by any of these creatures, be sure to get immediate medical attention if any of the following occur: Difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips or throat, slurred speech, chest pain, faintness, rapid heart rate, nausea, cramping, vomiting, or a known venomous snakebite.
In spite of all these worrisome critters, the outdoors is still hard to beat here in east Tennessee. So enjoy it! But keep your eyes open.
Not be confused with Entophobia, the fear of ancient, walking talking tree people, entomophobia is the fear that insects will crawl into your ears, eyes, nose and mouth to eventually lay eggs on your brain. Contestants on Fear Factor have bunjee jumped off helicopters, but ask them to lie in a coffin filled with bugs and their courage crumbles. So why is it that we, the dominating species on the planet, capable of jumping out of airplanes, wrestling alligators, and rushing into burning buildings to rescue babies, are so utterly terrified of creatures hundreds of times smaller than us? The following are some of the most horrifying, agony-inducing, flesh-melting, downright dangerous insects known to man. 10 damned good reasons to be afraid…very afraid!
Brazilian Wandering Spider
This little beauty is not only the world’s most venomous spider, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, but is also believed to be responsible for the most human deaths. These deadly arachnids got their name because, unlike most spiders, they don’t hang out in a web or a lair at night, but wander the jungle floor looking for prey—though these pests are increasingly found in cities. During the day Wandering Spiders hide in termite mounds, under logs or sometimes in banana plants.
The venom these spiders produce is similar to the neurotoxin found in Black Widow Spiders, causing pain, cold sweats and an irregular heart beat. It’s believed that between the year 1970 and 1980 Brazilian Wandering Spiders were responsible for hospitalizing about 7,000 people in southern Brazil.
If it doesn’t manage to kill you, however, there are some pretty embarrassing side effects that come with this spider bite.
Africanized Honey Bee (a.k.a. Killer Bees)
The world is full of dangerous things that can kill us, but we only have ourselves to blame for this one folks. Back in the day settlers in North and South America wanted a hardy bee that produced a lot of honey. Well, European bees were bigger and produced more honey, but they were kind of frail. African bees, though tough, were much smaller.
So to get the best of both worlds, they bred these two bees together. This produced a race of large, very aggressive honey bees with a habit of absconding (or abandoning their hives to start new ones elsewhere). These bees are hyper-defensive and attack relentlessly in giant swarms when threatened.
If an Africanized honey bee stings you they not only release their venom, but they release a banana-scented pheromone which signals the other bees to attack. You can withstand approximately 7 stings for every pound you weigh before your life is in serious danger. These bees have been known to swarm and attack as far as ¼ mile from their hive, and can sting up to 500 times in 30 seconds. You do the math.
These bees used to dwell mostly in South America, but have been migrating further and further north in recent years.
Giant Japanese Hornet (a.k.a Asian Hornet)
No, that picture isn’t Photoshopped. The bug is really that big. When these puppies aren’t picking fights with entire bee hives or eating honey bee larva, they can be found stinging annoying humans in the Tokyo region with their 6mm stingers (that’s about a quarter inch).
Not only are these bugs frighteningly big, but they’re also frighteningly dangerous. Giant hornet venom is more potent than that of its smaller, puny relatives; it’s a mixture of acetylcholine—which causes a lot of pain—and an enzyme that’s capable of dissolving human flesh. People who have experienced being bitten by these bugs say it feels like a hot nail being driven through your flesh. And once you’ve pissed one of these guys off it will chase you for over three miles. Each year in Japan, Giant Hornets kill more people than all other venomous and non-venomous animals combined.
Siafu Ants
Found mostly in central and east Africa, these ants aren’t so tough on their own. Problem is, you’re not very likely to find one of these little guys by themselves. Siafu Ants live in giant colonies of about 20 million individuals.
When food gets low the ants set out in search of food in columns that can consist of as many as 50 million ants. And that’s when you don’t want to mess with them. The columns defend themselves viciously, and have a military structure complete with sentries that set up a perimeter corridor to protect the smaller members of the colony. You’re not in too much trouble as long as you can run away from a column, but if you’re sick or debilitated or just generally stuck in one place these ants can kill you and consume your entire body. Most people die of asphyxiation rather than the painful venomous bite. These ants have such powerful jaws that in East Africa, people used them to perform emergency sutures.
Bullet Ant
So maybe swarms of tiny ants don’t scare you. How about this giant screaming mofo? That’s right, screaming. Bullet Ants hail from the low land rainforests of Nicaragua and Paraguay. Each ant is about an inch long and lives in a tree colony. When a predator approaches the colony some of these bad boys drop down onto it, letting out a shriek before they do.
While not the deadliest insect, the Bullet Ant’s sting is said to be the most painful in the world, according to the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. The insect’s sting causes waves of burning, throbbing, mind-blowing, pain that doesn’t stop for 24 hours. It hurts so much it feels like you’ve been shot with a bullet (Get it? Bullet Ant?)
Some South American societies use the Bullet Ant to test the manhood of young boys, making them endure 20 stings without crying out before they can be considered men. Some white people think that sounds cool and decide to do it just for kicks.
African Assassin Bug
This brightly-coloured bug is said to have venom 10 times more potent than a cobra, which it can either spit at or inject into its prey. One bug won’t kill a human, but get bit by enough and you’ll be in trouble.
The Assassin Bug’s venom, rather than paralyzing its prey, will liquefy their insides. It uses its proboscis to suck the liquid insides from its prey or to bite unsuspecting human beings. The Assassin hunts by covering itself with the dead bodies of past meals. When an unsuspecting insect wanders by and thinks one of the empty bug husks looks tasty, the Assassin Bug dumps the decoys and pounces.
Some brave—or crazy—humans have taken to keeping these bugs as pets because they can control most pest problems very efficiently. Other people keep them as pets so they can videotape them hunting, set it to whimsical music and post it all on YouTube.
Kissing bugs
These bugs aren’t really deadly because of their venom or because they’re particularly fearsome. Kissing bugs are dangerous because they infect human beings with Chaga’s disease. These insects don’t die after biting so it’s possible for them to bite multiple humans and pass the Chaga’s parasite along. The bugs hide inside houses and drops down onto people while they’re sleeping, biting the soft tissue of the lips and eyes. Chaga’s disease, however, is actually passed to a new host through the bug’s feces that enter the human body through the wounds it inflicts.
As of 2008, 16 to 18 million people were infected with the disease, with 20,000 dying of the affliction yearly. Chaga’s causes sever heart damage. Heart transplants for victims are ineffective because the parasite just ruins the new heart as well.
Mosquito
Okay, so we’ve all seen Mosquitoes before and they’re not particularly terrifying. But their kill rate certainly should scare you. These blood suckers kill more people than all of the flying menaces and deadly spiders combined. Mosquitoes pass along diseases like yellow fever, denegue fever, Chikungunya, West Nile virus and the ever popular malaria. It’s estimated that in Africa alone mosquitos are responsible for infecting 700 million people with disease, killing 2 million in their infectious wake.
A woman from Georgia has lost her breast after she was bitten by a poisonous spider and slipped into a coma.
Victoria Franklin is lucky to even be alive after being bitten by a spider back on April ninth, and calling her twin sister after she realized that something was very wrong.
According to her twin, Valerie Dapaa, 51, by the time she took her sister to the hospital, her breast was the size of a loaf of bread.
“Her breast was three times the size, black as tar and had a horrible smell,” she said.
“They call it the smell of death,” said Dapaa. “The doctors said they didn’t know if they couldsave her. She was diabetic and her sugar was up to 700.”
Doctors rushed her into surgery where her breast was cut away, effectively saving her life.
“I don’t even remember being bit,” Franklin stated.
Wellington – A Canadian tourist spent 16 days in hospital after suffering heart inflammation when he was apparently bitten on the penis by a poisonous katipo spider following a nude swim on a New Zealand beach.
The 22-year-old man left his clothes in sand dunes on the Northland beach and fell asleep after his swim,according to a report on the case in the New Zealand Medical Journalist published Friday.
“He woke to find his penis swollen and painful with a red mark on the shaft suggestive of a bite. He rapidly developed generalised muscle pains, fever, headache, photophobia [light sensitivity] and vomiting,”wrote Dr Nigel Harrison, of Whangarei Hospital.
By the time he reached hospital, his penis was severely swollen, his blood pressure was up and his heart beat was racing.
It was assumed he had been bitten by a katipo spider and he was given anti-venom medicine. But he was also treated for continuing heart problems at two other hospitals before flying home.
The report said it was the first known case of myocarditis – heart inflammation – following a bite by a katipo spider, the only dangerously poisonous creature in New Zealand.
Only two deaths from katipo bites have been recorded – both in the 19th century.
10 Most Poisonous Animals in the World info and 10 Most Poisonous Animals Photo Gallery Pics
It is really hard to tell which animal is the most poisonous in the world. The one that has the most toxic chemicals? The one that kills the biggest amount of people a year? Or maybe the one with the biggest amount of poison?
First of all, I have to admit that the title is a bit incorrect, because there is a difference between poisonous and venomous animals. A poisonous animal carries harmful chemicals called toxins primarily used for self defense. Therefore venomous animals deliver their toxins by stinging, stabbing, or biting. So poisonous animals are passive killers, while venomous animals are active killers.
Nevertheless, theory aside, they are all really dangerous. So look really closely at each photo, cause next time you meet them can be the last thing you ever see.
1. Box Jellyfish : If the yardstick for measuring the deadliest of the worlds mot poisonous creatures is assumed to be the number of deaths that have been caused by them, then the Box Jellyfish definitely tops our list of worlds most poisonous creatures. This creature, which is just about the size of a palm, has reportedly caused deaths to almost 6000 people till date. This number is the highest recorded number in the world. This blue colored jellyfish has one of the most powerful, tantalizing and venomous stings in the world and it is found around the coastlines of South East Asia and Australia.
The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world’s longest venomous snake – growing up to 5.6 m (18.5 ft) in length. Ophiophagus, literally means “snake-eater” as it eats other snakes. One single bite of this deadly snake can easily kill a human. This snake is even capable of killing a full-grown Asian Elephant within 3 hours if the larger animal is bitten in a vulnerable area such as the trunk.
It’s venom is not as toxic as other venomous snakes, but King Cobra is capable of injecting 5 times more venom than black mamba and can result in mortality up to 5 times faster than that of the black mamba. It is quite widespread, ranging across South and South-east Asia, living in dense highland forests.
This little beautiful looking Marbled Cone snail can be as deadly as any other animal on this list. One drop of its venom is so powerful that it can kill more than 20 humans. If you ever happen to be in warm salt water environment (where these snails are often found) and see it, dont even think of picking it up. Of course, the true purpose of its venom is to catch its prey.
Symptoms of a cone snail sting can start immediately or can be delayed in onset for days. It results in intense pain, swelling, numbness and tingling. Severe cases involve muscle paralysis, vision changes and breathing failure. There is no antivenom. However, only about 30 human deaths have been recorded from cone snail envenomation.
4. Blue-Ringed Octopus : The blue ringed Octopus was considered one of the worlds most poisonous sea creatures till some time back, until the Box Jellyfish took over. Nevertheless, this creature is till capable of killing up to 25 humans in one bite. Found in the Pacific pools from Japan to Australia, this creature’s bite is impalpable in most cases, but the venom starts working immediately on the muscles and heart- causing weakness, seizure and death within minutes.
Contrarily to the popular belief most of the scorpions are relatively harmless to humans as stings produce only local effects (pain, numbness or swelling). However, the Death Starker Scorpion is highly dangerous species because its venom is a powerful cocktail of neurotoxins which causes an intense and unbearable pain, then fever, followed by coma, convulsions, paralysis and death. Fortunately, while a sting from this scorpion is extremely painful, it would be unlikely to kill a healthy, adult human. Young children, the old, or infirm (with a heart condition) are at the biggest risk.
Death stalker scorpions are spread in North Africa and Middle East.
6. Stonefish : The stonefish is the worlds most poisonous fish, and probably the ugliest also. It is often remarked that when a stone fish attack a human being, the pain is so severe that the person wants to amputate the area affected. Its bit may not be lethal and can be treated within hours, but if left untreated for more than 2-3 hours, a bit from the stone fish can result into death for the human beings.
7. The Brazilian wandering spider : The Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria) or banana spider appears in the Guinness Book of World Records 2007 for the most venomous spider and is the spider responsible for most human deaths.
This spider is believed to have the most potent neurotoxic venom of any living spider. Only 0.006mg (0.00000021oz) is sufficient to kill a mouse. They are also so dangerous because of their wandering nature. They often hide during daytime in highly populated areas inside houses, clothes, boots, and cars.
Its venomous bite causes not only intense pain, the venom of the spider can also cause priapism – uncomfortable erections lasting for many hours that lead to impotence. The Brazilian wandering spider
The inland Taipan is recognized as being the worlds most poisonous snake, having the capability to kill over a hundred human beings within 45 seconds from a single bite. Found in Australia, the Inland Taipan is definitely the one to beware of.
Poison Dart Frog
The poison dart frog is another creature you might find cute if you found it in the wild but just touching this little guy can put you in harms way. Native to South and Central America, the frog got its name because indigenous tribes used to use the poison as an addition to their blow darts.
10. Puffer Fish : The puffer fish is a delicacy in many part of Japan and China, but some organs of the fish are deadly to the human beings- making it one of the worlds most poisonous and lethal animals. The poison of the fish is devastating for the one who consumes it and results in deadening of the muscles, increasing of the heart rate, dizziness, vomiting and permanent seizure within minutes of consuming the deadly poison.
Brown Widow Spiders found in popular tourist spots.
SAN DIEGO — San Diego County is no stranger to venomous spiders. The Black Widow and Brown Recluse have long called San Diego home.
But a new species, the Brown Widow, has now been spotted in some of the popular tourist spots in San Diego.
10News found the black widow’s cousin, the brown widow, in Balboa Park where unsuspecting visitors could be walking or sitting inches away from a potentially deadly spider.
Visitors at Balboa park may come to sit and relax not knowing a potentially deadly insect could be sitting inches away.
“This is definitely a characteristic of a brown widow spider,” said Entomologist, Michael Wall.
“I had never head of a brown widow spider. Before, I had heard of a black widow,” said Torrie Cable of La Mesa. That is, until three weeks ago, when Cable got bit one morning while getting ready for work.
“I felt a little tickle on my shoulder then I felt something on my back,” Cable told 10News.
Cable says she had a near death experience.
“The pain in my lower back. I had never experienced in my entire life,” Cable said.
She was hospitalized three days with all the symptoms.
“Primary symptoms severe pain, difficulty breathing, muscle spasms? Had that,” Cable recalled.
Wall, an Entomologist at the Natural History Museum, said the spiders most likely traveled to California from Florida.
“The idea is, someone moved here from Florida. They had some patio furniture that moved with them and along came some egg masses from brown widows and they established themselves,” Wall told 10News.
“It does have more venom than the black widow but the brown version injects less venom when they bite,” Wall said.
“In either case you’re probably not going to kick the bucket unless you have a compromised immune system,” Wall said.
Since getting bit, Cable said she found a second brown widow at her home.
“I found egg sacks in there. The spider was here,” Cable said, as she pointed to a garbage can.
She kept it, and like the widow population spreading, she wants to spread the word about the latest creepy crawler in San Diego County.
Experts agree the brown widow population is growing in San Diego County.
The number of reported sightings is up to about 100.
Spider Bite Likely Cause in Evansville Man’s Death
The bite of a venomous spider is apparently to blame for the death of Evansville man.
Family found 42-year-old Keith Reed dead in his home Monday morning.
And, this is a very rare situation.
Reed died this week.
But, this is a story that starts almost a month ago.
Reed’s wife Danielle could tell something was definitely wrong with her husband.
But, she had no idea spider venom was the culprit.
“The day before he passed it was just getting worse. He couldn’t walk,” she said. “He had a fever for the second time. He was in a lot of pain, just an excruciating amount of pain. My husband doesn’t cry very much, but the pain was so bad that even with the pain medicine it was almost intolerable.”
Keith and his son went camping at scales lake in Boonville three weeks ago.
Danielle said her husband fell during one of the nights, and that’s probably when a spider bit him.
Vanderburgh County Coroner Annie Groves said that spider was a brown recluse.
There are tens of thousands of different kinds of spiders, but only a very, very small handful of them are actually poisonous enough to be harmful to humans.
“The two in this area are the black widow and the brown recluse that are the ones that we find that bite people,” said Jim Werner, with Collins Pest Management.
This is the first death like this Groves has ever seen.
And, she’s been on the job for two decades.
But, groves didn’t think that’s any reason for people to be less conscientious.
“We’re in the season of insects, ticks and spiders. And, you need to be concerned about that kind of stuff and take precautions. And, then, if you are bit[ten], make sure you start taking treatment right away,” she said.
Danielle reed said it took some time before her husband was getting the right treatment for a poisonous spider bite.
But, it was too late by then.
“I really feel like he was overlooked. His life could have been saved. People need to take that seriously.”
And, she said the lesson other people can take away from this is to speak up if you know something is wrong – be your only best health advocate.
Eight legs bad — killer spiders find their way to Ireland
Deadly arachnids are being brought into the country in fruit, plants and other goods
Deadly black widows have arrived in goods from America
Jan Battles
Irish college graduates are heading abroad in their thousands but it’s not all one-way traffic. Potentially deadly spiders are finding their way to Ireland in plants, fruit and machinery.
Doctors at the Mater hospital in Dublin have just reported the case of a 21-year-old woman who was admitted to A&E twice in 2007 after a suspected spider bite. They believe she was bitten on the wrist by a venomous spider that had hitched a ride from Australia in the luggage of a visitor.
The doctors who treated the woman have published the case report to alert other healthcare workers to the symptoms caused by bites from venomous spiders.
Fergal Cummins, a consultant in emergency medicine, said: “We are very keen to highlight things as soon as they become obvious in case a trend develops. Those of use who had seen [spider bites] before [in Australia] were pretty convinced immediately.”
Venomous spiders are making their way to Ireland mainly in plants and fruit, particularly bunches of grapes. Black widow spiders, whose bite can be lethal, have come into Ireland on fruit imported from America. Other poisonous spiders have hitched lifts on machinery.
Last year a hunstman spider, which looks like a flattened tarantula and can leap several feet in the air, stowed a ride on a rally car imported from the Australian outback into Northern Ireland.
The woman treated at the Mater was an Australian living and working in Ireland. She had visitors from her homeland staying with her, and shortly after their arrival, she was sitting on the ground near their luggage when she felt a searing pain on her right wrist. Doctors believe it was an Australian white-tailed spider but cannot say definitively because it wasn’t caught.
Six weeks later she was admitted to A&E again with flu-like symptoms. Danielle Ni Chroinin, another doctor who was working in A&E in the Mater, said: “Her wrist and arm were quite sore and she had difficulty moving the hand, and it had tingling in it.”
Cummins said: “We want people to be aware that with global migration, people visiting from overseas might be smuggling things in their luggage.”
Archie Murchie of the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Belfast, said: “With increased trade in general, we are getting a lot of produce
coming in from abroad, and it is coming in quicker and more refrigerated so it is likely there will be more invasive species coming in. They are surprisingly hardy. If they are in a chilled environment they will survive longer.
“For every species that is introduced accidentally there is only about one in a thousand that will become a problem.”
Venomous South American spider found in Manitoba grocery store
This venemous Brazilian wandering spider was a stowaway in a bundle of South American bananas that arrived at an IGA store in Manitoba.(Photo courtesy the Russell Banner)Staff at the IGA grocery store in Russell, Man., got a big shock this week when a live venomous spider was discovered in a shipment of bananas from South America.
The large arachnid was captured in a jar and passed on to the local high school biology teacher, Bonnie Morris, at Major Pratt School.
Her students have used the opportunity to research on the internet about the hairy, fanged spider, which is about the size of softball. The class discovered the critter was a Brazilian wandering spider.
Also known as the banana spider, it is considered lethal and aggressive. The Guinness World Records book of 2007 lists it as the world’s most venomous spider, stating they are considered to be responsible for the most human deaths due to spider bite envenomation.
They can grow to have a leg span of up to 13 cm and their body length ranges from 17 to 48 millimetres, according to Wikipedia.
They are called a wandering spider because they roam the jungle floor at night, rather than residing in a lair or web. During the day they hide in dark and moist places in or near human dwellings.
Manitoba Conservation has since taken the spider from the school.
This venemous Brazilian wandering spider was a stowaway in a bundle of South American bananas that arrived at an IGA store in Manitoba. (Photo courtesy the Russell Banner)
