Brazilian wandering spider
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| Brazilian wandering spider | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Missing image Brazilian_wandering_spider_front.jpg Brazilian wandering spider Brazilian wandering spider | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Phoneutria nigriventer Keyserling, 1891 |
The Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria sp.) is regarded by some as the most dangerous spider in the world. Actually a genus with five known similarly venomous species, it is highly venomous and not reluctant to attack people who appear threatening to it. However, recent studies indicate that it only injects venom in about one-third of its bites and may only inject a small amount in another third. Thus the effects of the bites from this spider can range from only a couple of pin pricks to a full-blown envenomation. The Sydney funnel-web spider apparently injects venom in every bite and may thus in effect be more dangerous -- though either spider's venom can lead to a medical emergency.
Of the five species known, P. nigriventer and P. fera seem to be the ones to appear most frequently in mass media publications.
The Brazilian wandering spider is reputed to hide in clusters of bananas occasionally. As a result, any large spider appearing in a bunch of bananas should be treated with due care.
This spider is called the wandering spider because it wanders the jungle floor, rather than reside or maintain a web. This attribute is another reason this spider is considered so dangerous.
External link
- BBC News article "Pub chef bitten by deadly spider" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/4489033.stm)
- phone saves man from deadly spider (http://news.com.com/2061-10786_3-5690575.html?part=rss&tag=5690575&subj=news|Camera)de:Phoneutria nigriventer