Banana wandering spider. An excruciating death from an erection is caused by the Brazilian wandering spider. lethal dose of poison

The Brazilian wandering spider lives in South and Central America. This large hairy spider is considered the most venomous spider in the world. Brazilian wandering spiders occasionally wander into populated areas and are caught among tropical fruit shipments, so it's good to know their appearance and habits, especially if you happen to be in their range. If bitten by this spider, emergency medical attention is required. However, don't panic! Brazilian wandering spider bites are almost always treatable.

Steps

Appearance and habits of the Brazilian wandering spider

The length of the spider, together with its paws, is approximately 15 centimeters. An adult Brazilian wandering spider has a body about 5 centimeters long. At a glance, it is easier to determine the total length, that is, the distance from the end of the hind legs to the end of the front legs, which reaches about 15 centimeters. Be careful if you come across such a large spider.

The spider is most likely to be brown and hairy. Although the color of Brazilian wandering spiders varies, most of them are a dirty brown color, and some have a black spot on the abdomen. The body of all Brazilian wandering spiders is covered with hair.

Brazilian wandering spiders move quickly. They got their name from the fact that they quickly move through the land of the rainforest. Spiders are capable of attacking their victims with lightning speed, so be careful if you come across a fast moving spider in the range of the Brazilian wandering spider.

If the spider shows its red jaws, back away slowly. When scared, the Brazilian wandering spider rears up on its hind legs. In this intimidating pose, some species of the Brazilian wandering spider show red hairs around their fangs. This defensive stance indicates that the spider is angry, in which case you should back away carefully and slowly.

Don't hesitate trying to get a better look at the spider. If you're traveling through South and Central America, or living in areas where Brazilian wandering spiders are found, don't hesitate if you spot a large spider. In case of any doubt, do not try to be sure that it is a Brazilian wandering spider, but move slowly to the side so as not to anger the animal.

• Don't try to catch the spider. If you suspect a Brazilian wandering spider has wandered into your home or utility room, call wildlife management and leave the building before the experts arrive.

1. Be careful in dark places. The Brazilian wandering spider is nocturnal and skillfully hides in the forest floor of the tropical jungle. Such a "wandering" lifestyle sometimes leads to the fact that the spider wanders into settlements, where it tries to hide from sunlight in secluded places, for example:

   • in dark closets, closets, and so on;
   • under sheds and in garages;
   • in cars;
   • in unused clothes, shoes, gloves;
   • in kitchen cabinets;
   • in boxes and crates in the attic or garage;
   • in wood.

2. Be careful when opening fruit packages. This spider is also called a banana spider, as it likes to climb into bananas and can end up in a package with these fruits. Although this happens quite rarely, be careful when unpacking fruit shipped from regions where the Brazilian wandering spider lives.

Biting Prevention

Wear protective gloves when working in dark areas or carrying firewood. If you live in the Brazilian wandering spider's range, wear long sleeves, a hat and gloves, and tuck your pants into your socks when working in the garage or near woods. It is advisable to use protective clothing also when working in the attic, utility rooms and basements.

If you have not worn gloves, clothes and shoes for a long time, shake them before use. The Brazilian wandering spider can hide in the folds of clothing and also climb into cozy places like gloves or boots. Shake clothes and shoes lightly before putting them on. However, don't push them too hard, or the hiding spider might get angry or scared.

• Don't panic if a spider falls out of your clothes or shoes. Move slowly to the side and leave the room.

1. Before entering dark rooms, such as closets, check them. Turn on the light. If there is no light in the room, take a flashlight with you and inspect the corners and cluttered places.

   Install mosquito nets and doors that close tightly to keep spiders out of your home. The best way to avoid getting bitten in your own home is to keep spiders out! Check all mosquito nets and doors for cracks and holes through which spiders could get into your home. Replace any broken or loose screens and doors.

   • You can also spray insect and spider repellant around doors and windows to keep intruders out.

2. Do not keep firewood near the house itself. Spiders love to hide among firewood, so don't keep them close to your house. Keep firewood and dry branches in the yard and handle them carefully.

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

How dangerous is a spider bite

Spider (arachnoid) - a predatory insect, which nature has endowed with a special poisonous weapon. The secret that insects secrete and then inject into their prey affects the nervous system of the prey or contributes to the destruction of its tissues.

Even the largest and most dangerous spiders do not attack a person for no reason. They may bite only in self-defense or in case of imminent danger. By itself, the bite of a poisonous spider is not fatal, and negative consequences can only occur in situations where:

• delay in providing medical care;
• the human body is weakened due to illness;
• an allergic reaction to the poison is manifested;
• bitten by a small child or an elderly person.

According to statistics, 5% of the world's population suffers from "fear of spiders" (arachnophobia), although there is no real reason for such a phobia, since almost all poisonous individuals live in tropical climates or deserts. However, every traveler, going to another country, must imagine what animals or insects he can meet and what to do.

Brazilian wandering spider

Opens the list of the most dangerous arachnids for humans - the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria - from the Greek. "Killer"). Sometimes it is also called "banana" because of the love of eating these fruits. Officially (according to the Guinness Book of Records) he 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;
• insufficient muscle control;
• severe pain in the muscles and the bite site;
• in men, the poison can cause many hours of erection, which causes very strong pain.

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

These spiders often live near human habitation, can hide in clothes, like to climb into fruit boxes, especially bananas. Therefore, the most frequent cases of human bites by them are found among pickers.

It is also unusual and dangerous that Brazilian spiders can travel around the globe in banana packages. One of the most recent accidents occurred in the UK in 2016 with a man who bought fruit at 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 being bitten by such a spider.

Sydney leukopautinous (funnel) spider

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

In addition to such a persistent character, the Sydney funnel-web spider has very large fangs: long and sharp, like needles. It is believed that with such fangs he may well 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 after a few seconds):

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

Without medical attention, death can occur in 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 on the back", refer to the Loxosceles variety. Their size is only 2 cm, outwardly they are completely inconspicuous. Such insects are found in different countries, they are very common in the eastern United States, where they even settle in the homes of local residents (in clothes or shoes), and in South America (Chile and other countries).

The venom of these spiders is a necrotic species that destroys tissues. The bite of a recluse spider can cause a condition called "loxoscelism", which in some cases is expressed in the death of tissues in the bite area and the formation of a non-healing open wound, which can even lead to amputation. Skin grafting is needed to treat such wounds.

Black Widow

The black widow is a family of spiders and a separate species of them (Latrodectus mactans), in the United States is considered the most poisonous representative of arachnoids. He became 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 belly has red or orange spots. The size of the spiders is small: about 4 cm, however, they have a very toxic poison, a bite can end badly for a person.

Such spiders pose a danger to children, debilitated 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 can be felt for up to 7 days.

The redback spider also belongs to 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 settle indoors, live in some areas of cities and suburbs in the tropical climate zone. They have recently been seen in Japan as well.

The red-backed spider is small: 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 the bite of such a spider appear only after a day, and they are very toxic: acute pain and swelling of the bitten place, 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 that lives on the territory of Russia in the Astrakhan region, in Asian and European regions and Africa. He is one of the representatives of the black widow family. Due to climatic changes, karakurts began to appear even in the suburbs.

One of the 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 poison is 15 times stronger than that of a rattlesnake. They pose a danger to some domestic animals (horses, cows, sheep are considered an exception) and people. They bite only in case of pressure, more often at night in the summer, and the bite is not painful, which is why they often do not immediately pay attention to it.

The action of the poison is manifested in muscle pain, paresthesia of the limbs, abdomen and chest. There is a strong fear of death, tears flow, a sick person cannot stand on his feet due to muscle weakness. Also, there are symptoms similar to the picture of an acute abdomen: nausea, vomiting, fever. However, convulsions and tremors of the limbs, respiratory failure, confusion, a sharp increase in pressure help to determine the exact diagnosis.

One of the effective ways to provide first-line assistance: cauterization of the bitten place with a burning match, which acts destructively on the poison (if there is no medical care nearby), subsequent hospitalization is essential so that there is no 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. Its scientific Latin name Sicarius translates to "killer". By nature, he is a hunter who waits a long time for his prey (other spiders and scorpions), buried in the sand. When prey runs past, it attacks - bites it, and within a few hours the insect or animal dies. Its size is about 5 cm, the abdomen is light brown or red-brown.

The venom of the six-eyed spider is a strong cytotoxin (similar to the effect of sulfuric acid), producing a hemolytic and necrotic effect, which means rupture of blood vessels and tissue decomposition. There are only 2 cases when such spiders have bitten people, but both are fatal.

golden spider

Spider sack, or golden spider (Cheiracanthium), has a size of only 10 mm, but is able to cause extensive necrosis (necrosis) of tissues with its bite, which is very painful. Its habitats: European countries, Australia and Canada.

Outwardly small, yellow or greenish spider produces a strong cytotoxin poison. In the bite area, redness and sharp pain first appear, the place swells, gradually turning into a bubble or wound.

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

tarantulas

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

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

Pecilotheria (tarantula)

This family also includes tarantulas - large hairy spiders, whose name comes from the Spanish dance tarantella. 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 the amount of poison released when bitten, the consequences for a person are not very toxic, but the poison acts on the nervous system, causing minor convulsions and severe shortness of breath. Their toxicity is highest in July, when the females are sexually mature 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 the use of venom.

Nature endowed him with bright coloring: males have a red head and a gray-blue abdomen, females are black. Size - from 1 to 3.5 cm.

The poison has a neuroparalytic effect similar to that of the Sydney spider, but they live far from human settlements. A serum has long been made for their venom, acting against many funnel-web spider species.

Conclusion

The species 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, in the North Caucasus and in the Crimea. Knowing the appearance and dangerous species of spiders for humans, their habitat conditions will help prevent meeting them, avoiding a bite, or learning about the degree of danger to humans.

The Brazilian wandering spider has been recognized as the most venomous spider in the world by the Guinness Book of Records. He got his nickname due to his eternal wandering and the abandonment of weaving a web in favor of an endless search for food.

A wandering poisonous spider never lives in one place, but always roams. It is unpleasant for a person that sometimes he enters houses. In South America, these spiders are often found in clothes or in boxes with things and food.

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

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

He himself is a rather medium-sized poisonous predator - only some 10 cm. But his small size does not prevent him from being an excellent hunter and a serious problem for people, and all from the fact that he is able to release a solid dose of toxic poison when biting, which is formed at the ends of chelicera , in the channels of poisonous glands.

Perhaps the venom of a wandering spider is less dangerous than that of snakes. He is unlikely to be able to kill an adult healthy person - he will only cause a serious allergic reaction, which modern medicine is able to quickly cope with. But if a Brazilian wandering poisonous spider bites a sick person or a small child, then the poison can work faster than an ambulance arrives. Some specimens of this spider are so dangerous that the death of a person can occur within 20-30 minutes if immediate help is not provided.

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

By itself, a wandering poisonous spider does not attack a person. It bites only in self-defense. But the problem is that these spiders love to hide and are very hard to spot. If you find a wandering poisonous spider, try to take it out of the house as soon as possible and look through all the boxes and cabinets to see if there is another one in them. If possible, you must be as careful as possible and in no case take it into your hands.

It is ranked among the most dangerous and poisonous spiders in the world. However, a group of Brazilian scientists found that the venom of this spider is effective in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. The scientists who discovered these properties of the deadly poison conducted experiments on rats, and the results of the tests were published in a journal called Sexual Medicine. The report provided information that the introduced spider toxin PnTx2-6 into the experimental animal caused a long erection after twenty minutes due to the release of nitric oxide in the body of the animal, which is a substance that dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow.

• Habitat: tropical and subtropical regions of South America.
• Type: terrestrial, also lives in trees.
• Food: young spiders eat fruit flies, small crickets. Adults eat crickets and other large insects, as well as small lizards and mice.
• Size: 10-12.5 cm.
• Growth rate: fast.
• Temperature: 23.8-26.6'C.
• Humidity: about 80%.
• Personality: active and excited.
• Housing: Young spiders can live in a clear plastic container with holes for fresh air. Adults require a terrarium with a volume of 17-35 liters. The area of ​​the bottom of the terrarium is more important than the height.
• Substrate: 5-8 cm of sphagnum or potting soil.
• Decoration: live plants, tree bark, fin, etc., anything that creates good hiding places.

Runner, banana, wanderer... it's not just a bunch of words. This is the name of one of the most dangerous spiders in the world, which can take the life of a person in less than an hour. The Brazilian soldier spider is one of the most common names for the deadly venomous spider that keeps people in Central and South America at bay. Recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the most dangerous and poisonous of the spider family.

What does death look like and how does it live

Once upon a time, the spider ranked first in the world in terms of danger, but now the Brazilian spider soldier is on the throne. This is a very active and aggressive animal, which, unlike its relatives, does not weave a web, does not live long in the same place, but loves to travel.

Depending on the habitat, its color also varies, but, as a rule, it is the color of sandy soil, which allows it to be perfectly camouflaged. The area next to the chelicerae is colored red, which helps to first attract and then intimidate the enemy. The size of the spider can reach 15 centimeters, along with the span of its large legs.

During the day, it often sits under rocks and logs, waiting for the night to fall when it feels more comfortable. Wandering all day, the soldier spider sometimes wanders into people's dwellings, and can hide in their clothes scattered on the floor, in shoes, climb into boxes or something like that. This spider loves to hide in banana boxes, which is why it is often also called the “banana” spider, sometimes it can even eat bananas themselves.

If the spider has met an enemy, it raises its front legs, puts its body upright, exposing its red "zone" next to the chelicerae.

What does a predator eat

Sometimes, but very rarely, bananas, while living in banana boxes, more often various insects. But this spider has the glory of an aggressive predator also because it can easily pounce on some small or even if they are larger than it.

Spider - soldier and man

Like most animals, even the most dangerous and aggressive, the Brazilian soldier spider will not be the first to rush into battle, it attacks and bites only in case of danger to life.

As noted earlier, due to its inconspicuous appearance and great love to "play hide and seek" in people's houses and things, meetings with this spider are very frequent and sometimes end, alas, very sadly. According to various sources, the bite of a soldier spider is fatal in 85% of cases. Its poison is incredibly toxic, causing paralysis of all muscles, as a result of which a person dies from suffocation. There is an antidote that is no less toxic than the poison itself.

Despite all the negative points, scientists have found that the poison of the Brazilian soldier spider can positively affect the sex life of men. The toxin contained in the poison can cure impotence, and at the moment, scientists are studying how to combine the toxin with existing drugs in order to effectively and safely treat the male ailment.

One of the most dangerous spiders on our planet brazilian wandering spider, or as it was popularly called "banana" for the love of these fruits, and for the fact that it lives on banana palms. This species is very aggressive to humans. The venom of the animal is extremely strong, because it contains PhTx3 neurotoxin in large doses.

In small quantities, this substance is used in medicine, but at high concentrations of this substance 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 to leave.

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 Perty. He devoted many years to the study of these spiders. The name of this species is taken from the ancient Greek φονεύτρια, this term means "killer". This type of spider got its name for its mortal danger.

Video: Brazilian wandering spider

Maximilan Perty combined several species of 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, opened in 2001. Lives in and mainly in parks;
• Phoneutria eickstedtae Martins Bertani was 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 North; Phoneutria reidyi lives in, in warm forests and parks;
• Phoneutria pertyi was discovered in the same year and lives in the tropical forests of 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. In length, an adult reaches 16 centimeters. In this case, the body of an arthropod is about 7 centimeters. The distance from the beginning of the front legs to the end of the hind legs is about 17 cm. The color of this type of spider is slightly different, but in most cases it is a dark brown color. Although there are spiders of yellowish and red shades. The entire body of the spider is covered with small, dense hairs.

The body of the spider is divided into the cephalothorax and the 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 tools of smell and touch. The legs often have black stripes and spots. The legs of a spider of this species are quite massive, somewhat similar to claws. There are as many as 8 eyes on the head of the spider, they provide the spider with a wide view.

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

Also, when examining the spider, pronounced chewing can be noted; during an attack, they are especially visible. When attacking, 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 also considered the main habitat of these arthropods. There they are placed on the crowns of trees. Spiders do not build their own escape and holes, they constantly move from one habitat to another in search of food.

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

They like 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 spider lovers to breed them in a terrarium.

In recent years, this dangerous animal is increasingly being kept at home as pets. At home, they can live all over the world, but it is not recommended to start them because of the extreme danger of this species. Also, spiders do not 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;
• caterpillars of small sizes;
• various fruits and fruits of trees.

Also, the spider is not averse to eating small birds and their cubs, 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. At the sight of the victim, the spider rises to its hind legs. Raises the forelimbs, and places the middle ones to the side. This is how the spider looks most intimidating. From this position, it attacks its prey.

Interesting fact: The wandering spider injects poison and its own saliva into its prey during the hunt. The action of the poison completely paralyzes the victim. The poison blocks the work of the muscles, stops breathing and the heart. The saliva of the spider turns the insides of the victim into a goo, 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. It is no longer possible to escape the victim after a spider bite, death in this case is already inevitable. The banana spider comes out hunting at night, during the day it hides from the sun under the leaves on the trees, in crevices and under stones. Hiding in dark caves.

It can wrap its dead victim in a cocoon of cobwebs, leaving it for later. During the hunt, spiders can hide in the leaves of trees in order to be invisible to the victim.

Features of character and lifestyle

Brazilian wandering spiders are solitary. The nature of these spiders is relatively calm, they attack first only during the hunt. Spiders do not attack large animals and people if they feel safe. Phoneutria do not build houses, do not create shelters and shelters. Constantly moving from one place to another. They hunt at night and rest during the day.

Banana spiders are aggressive towards their relatives. Often there are cases of cannibalism. Smaller 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 opponent. Moreover, most often he can defeat even a large victim thanks to a deadly poison.

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

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

Also, the web is used to quickly move through the trees. This type of spider attacks people only for the purpose of self-defense. But the bite of a spider is deadly, 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 they meet with the female only for breeding. The male offers the female food, 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 eats enough, she may not want to eat 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 of cobwebs, in which it lays eggs, sometimes eggs are also laid on bananas and leaves. But this is rare, more often the female, in caring for her offspring, hides her eggs in a web.

After about 20-25 days, spider cubs hatch from these eggs. After birth, they spread in different directions. Spiders of this species multiply very quickly, as in one litter, several hundred spiders are born. Adult spiders live for three years, and during their life they can bring quite a large offspring. Neither the mother nor the father takes any part in the upbringing of 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, spiderlings undergo several molts and exoskeleton loss. For a year, the spider molts from 6 to 10 times. Older individuals shed less. The composition of spider venom also changes during the growth of the arthropod. 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. It is called "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 able to sting the Brazilian spider, the poison completely paralyzes the arthropod. After that, the wasp drags the spider into its hole. The most amazing thing is that the wasp spider is needed not for food, but for caring for offspring. In the belly of a paralyzed spider, the female wasp lays an egg, after some time a cub 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 the so-called "dry bite" without venom being injected, and such a bite is relatively safe.

Birds and other animals in their natural environment bypass them, knowing how dangerous these spiders are. Because of their venomous 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.

Death from other animals, spiders get more often during a fight with large animals, or in the process of a fight with their relatives. Many males die during mating due to the fact that they are eaten by females.

People are just as dangerous to spiders, they are often hunted in order to get their poison. After all, poison in small quantities is used as a means to restore potency in men. In addition, people cut down forests inhabited by spiders, 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 on planet earth. This type of spider is very dangerous for humans, in addition, sometimes spiders penetrate into people's homes. Insects can often get into the house in fruit boxes or just crawl hiding from the midday heat. When bitten, these spiders inject a dangerous substance, the neurotoxin PhTx3. It blocks the muscles. Breathing slows down and stops, cardiac activity is blocked. A person is rapidly becoming ill.

After a bite, a dangerous poison very quickly penetrates into the blood, lymph nodes. The blood carries it throughout the body. The person begins to choke, dizziness and vomiting appear. Seizures. Death occurs within a few hours. The bites of Brazilian wandering spiders are especially dangerous for children and people with reduced immunity. When bitten by a Brazilian wandering spider, it is urgent to administer an antidote, however, it does not always help.

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

Interesting fact: The venom of this species of spider can kill a child in just 10 minutes. An adult, depending on the 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 in any case, do not approach it and do not touch it with your hands. Brazilian spiders do not attack humans, but when they notice the danger and save, they can bite their lives. In America, many cases of human bites by Brazilian spiders are known, and unfortunately in 60% of cases the bites were fatal. In modern medicine there is an effective antidote, but unfortunately, not always the doctor can be in time for the patient. Young children are especially susceptible to the bites of 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. It breeds rapidly, lives for about three years and is capable of producing several hundred cubs in its lifetime. When living in their natural habitat, they get their food by hunting. Young spiders are not very dangerous, but adults, thanks to the poison, are deadly to humans. The danger of poison depends on its quantity. In recent years, more and more people keep these dangerous spiders at home in terrariums, which endanger their loved ones. These spiders are dangerous, remember this and better avoid them.