Brazilian wandering spider
brazilian wandering spider size
Their body length ranges from 17 to 48 mm (43⁄64 to 1+57⁄64 in).
Phoneutria are impressive spiders reaching body sizes up to 3.5 centimeters and leg spans up to 15 centimeters. They are nocturnal, hunting at night, and hiding in dark places during the day.
Wandering spider bite
Along with other members of the genus, they are often referred to as Brazilian wandering spiders. Its bite can cause severe symptoms, including increased pulse, blood pressure, and respiratory rate; extraordinary pain; penile erection that lasts for several hours; and, in several documented cases, death.
Phoneutria spp. is actually a genus with five known similar species whose members are highly venomous. They include some of the relatively few species of spiders that present a threat to human beings. The Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria fera) can grow to have a leg span of up to 4-5 inches.
Wandering spider, (family Ctenidae), any member of the family Ctenidae (order Araneida), a small group of large spiders of mainly tropical and subtropical regions, commonly found on foliage and on the ground.
The Brazilian wandering spiders, Phoneutria fera and P. nigriventer, are sometimes also referred to as banana spiders because they are frequently found on banana leaves. They have an aggressive defense posture, in which they raise their front legs straight up into the air. Phoneutria are venomous, and their venom is toxic to the nervous system, causing symptoms such as salivation, irregular heartbeat, and prolonged painful erections (priapism) in men. Scientists are investigating the venom of P. nigriventer as a possible treatment for erectile dysfunction.
These spiders are notorious both due to their toxic venom, and because they are not reluctant to attack people who appear threatening.
Of the five species known, P. nigriventer and P. fera most frequently receive mention in mass-media publications. P.nigriventer species are responsible for most cases of venom intoxication in Brazil because this species is commonly found in highly populated areas of Brazil, namely the South-eastern states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo.The P. fera is native to the northern portion of South America, especially the Brazilian Amazônia, Venezuela and French Guiana.
Brazilian wandering spider BITES AND VENOMB
razilian wandering spiders’ venom is a complex cocktail of toxins, proteins and peptides, according to the Natural History Museum in Karlsruhe, Germany. The venom affects ion channels and chemical receptors in victims’ neuromuscular systems.
After a human is bitten by one of these spiders, he or she may experience initial symptoms such as severe burning pain at the site of the bite, sweating and goosebumps, Sewlal said. Within 30 minutes, symptoms become systemic and include high or low blood pressure, fast or a slow heart rate, nausea, abdominal cramping, hypothermia, vertigo, blurred vision, convulsions and excessive sweating associated with shock. People who are bitten by a Brazilian wandering spider should seek medical attention immediately.
Recent studies suggest that these spiders only inject venom in approximately one-third of their bites and may only inject a small amount in another third. However, research in this area is hindered by the difficulty of identifying particular subspecies. Thus the effects of the bites from these spiders are hard to predict when based on sketchy information or if the spider has not been identified definitively.
Bites from these spiders may result in only a couple of painful pinpricks to full-blown envenomation. In either case, people bitten by a Phoneutria or any Ctenid should seek immediate emergency treatment as the venom is possibly life threatening.
he Phoneutria fera and nigriventer are the two most commonly implicated as the most virulent of the Phoneutria spiders. The Phoneutria not only has a potent neurotoxin, but is reported to have one of the most excruciatingly painful envenomations of all spiders due to its high concentration of serotonin.
Brazilian Wandering Spiders are extremely fast, extremely venomous, and extremely aggressive and are ranked among the most venomous spiders known to man. In fact, the Brazilian Wandering Spider is the most venomous spider in the New World! In South America, these true spiders are commonly encountered in peoples’ homes, supposedly hiding in peoples’ shoes, hats, and other clothes. It does not remain on a web, rather, it wanders the forest floor, which is how it got its name.
The Brazilian Wandering Spider has another name – the Banana Spider and it was given this name because there have been cases where these spiders unintentionally appeared on banana boats heading for the United States.
Brazilian Wandering Spider: One Of The World’s Most Venomous Spiders May Be Lurking In Your Bananas
Meet the Brazilian wandering spiders in the genus Phoneutria, also referred to as the armed spiders or the banana spiders. The members of this group have one of the most dangerous bites of any spider species on Earth and they have been classified as the world’s most venomous spider many times.
What Are The Effects Of A Brazilian Wandering Spider Bite?
Brazilian wandering spiders often make the news because of the unusual symptoms caused to humans after being bitten by one.
A 2023 study in Frontiers In Molecular Biosciences suggested there were around 4,000 cases of people being bitten by Phoneutria nigriventer in Brazil each year. Their venom affects the nervous system, causing double vision, salvation, irregular heartbeat – and even prolonged painful erections, known as priapism. In fact, because of this, their venom is being explored as a possible treatment for erectile dysfunction conditions.
Can A Brazilian Wandering Spider Bite Kill You?
The neurotoxin PhTx3 is to blame for these symptoms, and according to the Independent, a wandering spider bite can reportedly be fatal in as little as 60 minutes. However, an effective anti-venom is usually enough to save those affected. A study into Phoneutria boliviensis in 2019 suggested that the species had adapted its venom to catch vertebrates as opposed to lizards and amphibians, which might explain why the venom is so toxic to humans.
