Nasty, Venomous, And Lethal Spiders Around The World
Small, quick, and venomous spiders are one of the more dangerous and deadly species on the planet. From Black Widows killing and devouring male spiders to fuzzy wolf spiders who only attack when threatened, here are some of the world's nastiest, most venomous, and lethal arachnids.
Brown Recluse's Venom Is Medically Significant
When they bite their victim, the Brown Recluse releases a necrotic venom that prematurely kills cells and organs in the body. Thankfully, their venom does come with an upside.
The Brown Recluse is one of three spiders whose venom is medically significant in North America. Even so, their bite is no walk in the park.
Brazilian Wandering Spiders Are The Deadliest In The World
The Brazilian Wandering Spider is known as the deadliest spider in the world. Their venom causes its victim to experience hypothermia, high and low blood pressure, nausea, severe burning at the bite site, sweating, vertigo, and even blurred vision.
They are mainly found in South America, with one sub-species living in Central America.
Brown Widows Cause Damage To The Nervous System
The Brown Widow or hour button spider is identified by its orange-yellow colored hourglass shape and the black and white patterns on the sides of its body. A relative to the infamous Black Widow, the Brown Widow produces neurotoxic venom that damages their victims' nervous system.
Thankfully, it is not deadly to humans.
Yellow Sac Spiders Are Painful But Not Lethal
Yellow Sac Spiders are identified by their pale yellow or beige coloring. Their bite isn't lethal to humans, but that doesn't mean it isn't one of the more painful bites out there.
This particular spider expels a necrotic toxin which is extremely painful and results in a whole lot of swelling.
Black Widow's Kill And Eat Their Mates
Known for the vibrant red hourglass shape on their back, Black Widow spiders are some of the deadliest of all. Ironically, humans aren't the only ones who have to watch out for widows.
After mating, this particular spider enjoys killing and eating the male. Black Widows are found all over the world.
Redback Spiders Release An Alpha-Latrotoxin
Native to Australia, Redback Spiders produce various toxins with their bites, but it's the alpha-latrotoxin that is not too fun for humans. A majority of the spider bites reported in Australia are that of the Redback Spiders.
Thankfully, while the bites are harsh with pain, chest pain, breathing difficulties, among other things, they are not lethal to humans.
Wolf Spiders Chase Their Prey Over Long Distances
Wolf Spiders are interesting, as they do not spin webs and have the energy and persistence to chase and hunt their prey over long distances. They will then pounce and bite, expelling a painful bite that is, thankfully, not lethal to humans.
Their bites usually result in inflamed skin and mild pain.
Funnel-Web Tarantulas Are Lethal
When it comes to spiders, Funnel-Web Tarantulas are very large, having a long body that can reach two inches. Dark in color, these spiders enjoy making their homes in burrows or in tree hollows.
Unfortunately, their strong and powerful fangs hold a toxin that is thought to be lethal to humans.
The Six-Eyed Sand Spiders Have A Painful Bite
The Six-Eyed Sand Spider can be found in the sandy regions of southern Africa. With their flattened bodies, they're also known as the six-eyed crab spiders. But don't let their interesting body formation fool you.
This species of spider has a very painful and toxic bite, resulting in life-threatening wounds if they become infected.
The Chilean Recluse Spiders Are Extremely Toxic
The Chilean Recluse Spider is thought to be the most dangerous of the recluse spiders. Native to South America, the Chilean Recluse's venom is extremely toxic to humans, sometimes resulting in the victim's death.
While no one wants the venom of this spider running through their veins, it is actually medically significant.
Camel Spiders Liquefy Its Victims Skin
Camel Spiders can grow to be between five and six inches, including their legs. Interestingly, there are many urban legends surrounding this spider, making its size up for debate!
Living in the hot deserts around the world, this spider uses digestive fluids to liquefy its victim's flesh. Somehow, their bite isn't deadly to humans.
Red Widows' Bites Are Very Painful
Living in the southern and central parts of Florida, Red Widow Spiders tend to make their homes in sand dunes. Considering Florida has a lot of sand, this isn't great for the locals.
Red Widows' venom is just as strong and painful as its relatives, the Black and Brown Widows, but they are smaller and don't expel quite as much.
The Sydney Funnel-Web Spiders Bite Has Caused 13 Deaths
Native to Australia, the Sydney Funnel Web Spider is one of the more feared spiders in the region. Between 1927-1980, there were 13 confirmed deaths as a result of a Sydney Funnel Web Spider bite.
The bite is known to be very painful, resulting in muscular twitching, breathing difficulty, and even disorientation and confusion.
Chinese Bird Spiders Venom Is Lethal For Rodents
The Chinese Bird Spider is a member of the tarantula family and is considered highly venomous. Known to live underground, these spiders tend to go after mice and other rodents.
In fact, it isn't really known the effect a Chinese Bird Spider's venom has on humans. But a small dose is lethal to mice.
Huntsman Spider Bites Result In An Irregular Pulse Rate
The Huntsman Spider is often referred to as a wood spider due to its preference to live in woodsy habitats. This particular arachnid is no small spider, with its legs growing a solid 11 inches.
They're known to inflict defensive bites on humans, resulting in irregular pulse rate, heart palpitations, a lot of pain, and swelling, among other things.
Mouse Spider Bites Cause Muscle Spasms
Mouse Spiders get their name from their unusual habitat and living situation, a burrow underground like that of a mouse. Their bite is similar to other spiders of the region, particularly the funnel-web spider with muscular twitching, breathing difficulty, and even disorientation and confusion.
Thankfully, there have been no recorded deaths as a result of a Mouse Spider bite.
Trap Door Spider Bites Result In Vertigo
Trap Door Spiders are difficult to see, as their dark brown bodies typically allow them to hide in their woodsy environment. That's not a great thing for people walking through the wilderness, as they will bite if they're aggravated.
The symptoms of their bite are nausea, difficulty breathing, and vertigo, to name a few.
White-Tailed Spiders Hunt Other Spiders With Their Painful Bite
White-Tailed Spiders can be found up and down southern Australia. And while other spiders tend to go after insects or rodents, these feisty arachnids do something else -- they hunt other spiders.
When it comes to humans, their venomous bite can cause pain, itchiness, swelling, headaches, and, in extreme cases, vomiting.
Goliath Birdeater Tarantula Is The Largest Spider In The World
Despite its name, the Goliath Birdeater Tarantula doesn't actually eat birds. In fact, its diet consists of worms. The largest spider in the world, the Goliath Birdeater Tarantula's body length can grow up to five inches and weigh six ounces.
With large fangs, this spider is venomous. Thankfully, their venom, while annoying, isn't lethal.
Fringed Ornamental Tarantula Bites Are Very Painful
The Fringed Ornamental Tarantula is native to Sri Lanka and is no walk in the park. While their bites aren't lethal, according to records, they are very painful and can cause muscle cramping and spasms.
This is a non-fatal spider that really shouldn't be on anyone's list to see in person.
