Top 10 Most Poisonous Spiders

Top 10 Most Poisonous Spiders
Top 10 Most Poisonous Spiders

Top 10 Most Poisonous Spiders

Spiders are one of the most common fears in the world, and no one can blame those who fear these eight-legged creatures. When you encounter a spider, both you and the spider are often startled.

While some people are so terrified of spiders that they reach for their shotguns, there are many people who find these creatures oddly fascinating. It is through their research that people now understand the different between a dangerous predator and a venomous spider.

Most people can name some of the most poisonous spiders off the top of their head. However, there are plenty of spiders that many people will never encounter that pose a similar threat to life and limb. Here are the top 10 most poisonous spiders in the world:

  1. Camel Spider

One of the world's most poisonous spiders the Camel Spider
One of the world’s most poisonous spiders the Camel Spider

The camel spider is mostly found in North Africa and on the northern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. These spiders were a thing of legend – many travelers around the Middle East painted them a giant predator. Some legends said that they should run as fast as a human and that they enjoyed snacking on mammals many time their size.

These are nothing but rumors. In fact, the camel spider is not even technically a spider, it is a member of the Arachnida class. However, the species is actually called a solpugid. The camel spider grows to be around 6 inches in size, and it can weigh around 2 ounces. It grows to be roughly the size of a tea cup. The only true rumor is that it does eat a carnivorous diet.

The camel spider, which is also known as Egyptian giant solpugid, can run as fast as 10 mile per hour. This is much faster than other species in the Arachinda class. They enjoy eating insects, rodents, small birds and lizards. They do not eat sleeping soldiers, however, contradictory to legend. In fact, their venom is also not fatal to humans, but a bite from a camel spider is painful.

To help them eat their prey, their jaws make up roughly one third of the average camel spider’s body length. Their jaws are also very powerful. This allows them to grab their prey and turn the flesh into a liquid before they digest it.

  1. Hobo Spider

The Hobo Spider. Cute name. One poisonous customer!
The Hobo Spider. Cute name. One poisonous customer!

The hobo spider is one of the most common house pests in America. This spider was originally native to Europe. However, it was accidentally brought to America in the 1980s, particularly to the northwestern coast of America. It has not spread fully across the country, however, and are mostly found between Washington and Colorado.

The hobo spider is more than just a common house pest because it is so aggressive. Its behavior is what sets it apart from other spiders because it otherwise looks like other kinds of house spiders. It often grows between 11 and 14 millimeters in length, brown in color, and it has very few distinctive markings. They look a lot like the wolf spider and they resemble the brown recluse spider too closely for comfort.

Most of the time, the hobo spider will only bite when they are being provoked. Unfortunately, these spiders a small, and many people do not realize they are threatened by a hiding spider. Hence, many people are bitten by these spiders at some point.

Some research suggested that this spider’s venom would create lesions of the necrotic variety. However, other research suggests that this is not true, but it is still best to avoid being bitten by the hobo spider.

  1. Fringed Ornamental Tarantula

Furry, creepy and poisonous the Fringed Ornamental Tarantula
Furry, creepy and poisonous the Fringed Ornamental Tarantula

The fringed ornamental tarantula is one of the largest tarantulas in existence. The whole leg span of one of these spiders can be almost a foot across. These spiders prefer to live in holes in tall trees. There, they spin webs that they spend much of their time in. If their habitat has been damaged, it is not uncommon for groups of spiders to live in a community or small group of spiders.

However, they do not catch their prey in their webs. These tarantulas actively attack and paralyze their prey. They usually are interested in flying insects. They do not often attack non-insects unless provoked.

The fringed ornamental tarantula is poisonous. The medical community has deemed a bite from this spider to be medically significant. There are more bites from this kind of tarantula than there are from many of the other species in this family.

The fringed ornamental tarantula struggles with whether it should fight or run away when cornered or provoked. Most would prefer to run away, in fact, but if it is cornered by a human, it may attack.

Scientists have studied the bites of these spiders on those who handle them regularly. The venom usually causes significant pain as well as intense muscle cramping.

  1. Yellow Sac Spider

The super poisonous Yellow Sac Spider
The super poisonous Yellow Sac Spider

The yellow sac spider is a very small spider. Its body length only reaches around ¼ of an inch in both male and female spiders. It is most often found in the United States. They often thrive outside in the gardens of people’s homes. They prefer to live in trees or in piles of leaves. However, they can be found indoors, particularly at night.

The yellow sac spider gets its name from its coloration. It is often a yellow color though it may sometimes be closer to beige. It may also have a small amount of green in its color.

These spiders do not trap prey with webs. Instead, they hunt prey at night and they mostly feed on other spiders, but they will eat other insects as well. If the environment becomes destroyed or food is short, they will eat their own eggs to stay alive.

Yellow sac spiders hate the cold and will try to move inside homes and buildings when the cool weather sets in. Sometimes homes may become infested with yellow sack spiders. If you see more than one spider in your home, you may have an infestation.

Because the yellow sac spider is a hunter, you are more likely to be bitten by it. If it happens to be trapped near a human, it may bite. This may also happen if someone is gardening in an area that the spider has set up a habitat in.

Most of the time, the bites from the yellow sac spider are painless. For a while, people believed that the bites caused people to get necrosis in the area of the bite. However, these reports have not been proven by any evidence. The idea that the bites turn into necrosis seems to be true of small mammals like rabbits rather than humans.

Although the bites are usually painless, some people do have a reaction to them. Sometimes the bite comes with a lot of pain which is often combined with swelling and irritation. In some cases, a person’s immune system may react, and the person bitten will suffer from fever and nausea. However, these bites do not often lead to serious medical issues.

  1. Six-eyed Sand Spider

 

The six-eyed sand spider is a gruesome beast. Its body measures somewhere between 8 and 15 millimeters, but its legs can grow up to 50 millimeters. As its name suggests, this spider prefers to live in sandy habitats and is primarily found in the deserts in southern Africa.

The six-eyed sand spider has a peculiar appearance compared to other spiders. It seems to lie almost flat on the ground both when it is stationary and when it is moving. Its legs work laterally and do not propel it upwards as it moves across the desert.

Its stance and its color protect it from predators in the desert. They also make this spider a prime hunter. By keeping low to the ground, this spider ensures that it will not stand out in its barren habitat. It also makes it easier for the spider to dig into the sand and ambush prey. In addition to its stance, the sand adheres to its body. This provides an extra layer of camouflage.

Ironically, the six-eyed sand spider struggles to find where it is going. Although it has three pairs of eyes, it is said to have a poor sense of direction.

The venom of a six-eyed sand spider is suggested to be very potent, and it is said to cause necrosis in the tissues after it bites someone. There is no anti-venom that works against the damage its venom causes. When a person is bitten by this spider, doctors must work to ensure that there are no further infections involved in the tissue.

The six-eyed sand spider is said to be one of the deadliest spider venoms in the world. This spider is particularly dangerous because it hides itself so well. Because of its habitat, it rarely comes into contact with humans to attack them. However, should a human accidentally bother it, the results can be dangerous.

  1. Mouse Spider

Frickin' scary and dangerously poisonous the Mouse Spider
Frickin’ scary and dangerously poisonous the Mouse Spider

Many of the dangerous spiders on this list take on animal names, and most of these animal names come from myths that the spider is able to kill large animals. The mouse spider also takes an animal name, however, no one is sure why they are called ‘mouse’ spiders. It may be because of the rodent like burrows that they create for themselves.

There are eight different types of mouse spiders, and they are all found on the continent of Australia. The species differ greatly, and they are well divided across the country. The spiders may grow to be anywhere from 10 millimeters long to 35 millimeters long. They have very large heads, which makes it easier to spot them. However, they do not often have other distinctive markings. As a result, these spiders are often confused with another spider called the funnel-web spider.

These spiders do not have a preferred habitat. Since Australia provides tropical coasts, barren desserts and open forests, these spiders take advantage of all three. The red-headed mouse spider can be found in many different habitats. Although, the seven other species usually stay put.

It is possible that the mouse spider has reached such lengths because they do not disperse by walking. They are one of the species that uses a balloon type mechanism to glide over several miles to find a habitat.

These spiders are most active at night, and this allows them to avoid the predators that are active during the day. This is also the prime time to wander the desert, which can be hot and dry during the day. Some species are active during the day, but they prefer to live in forests.

Some of these spiders are said to be very toxic. Their venom is said to be equally as dangerous as the venom of the funnel-web spider that they are often confused for. There have been very few bites, even among species that are active during the day. These spiders prefer to avoid humans.

Should anyone be bitten by a mouse spider, doctors can use the anti-venom created for the funnel-web spider to treat the bite.

  1. Brown Recluse Spider

The Brown Recluse Spider is ridiculously poisonous.
The Brown Recluse Spider is ridiculously poisonous.

The venom of a brown recluse spider packs a serious punch. It is a brown spider and it is unfortunately common. It is usually found in the southern and central parts of the United States. However, one recently made its way onto a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to South Africa.

Most of the time, brown recluse spiders can be found in states like Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas as well as parts of the Deep South like Mississippi and Alabama. Though, they can be found further north in states like Iowa and Illinois. Scientists suggest that if you do not live in this geographical area, your chances of encountering this spider are very unlikely.

This spider gets its name from both its coloring and from its behavior. It is said to avoid humans as much as possible. This is not an uncommon trait among spiders. Humans are far larger than spiders and more than one human has overreacted upon spotting an arachnid in their home.

These spiders prefer to live where they cannot be found. They like to live in dark places. They enjoy living under porches, away from prying eyes. Though they will also live under a trash can or another dark, man-made object.

For the most part, this spider comes out only at night. For longer journeys, these spiders will attach themselves to boxes or other things from its habitat and hold on while it is transported to another areas. These spiders are hitchhikers, and they are very good at it. They are able to live for months without eating. Also, female members of this species need to mate only once to be able to produce eggs for the rest of their lives.

The bite of the brown recluse spider is powerful. Doctors recommend that if you are bitten, you should proceed to an urgent care of emergency room facility immediately. Most of the time, these spiders will only bite if they inadvertently have direct contact with humans.

The bites affect people differently. Most bites will heal on their own. However, if the bite is serious and a lot of venom is injected, the bite may be more severe. If you are sensitive to spider venom, the tissue around the bite might turn hard and a blister often appears on the site of the bite.

In the worst case scenario, the tissue will develop a ‘volcano lesion’ and can leave an enormous open wound. It can takes months for this kind of wound to heal properly. People may also find that they have fever, nausea and a general feeling of sickness.

  1. Black Widow Spider

The horrifying and potentially deadly Black Widow Spider
The horrifying and potentially deadly Black Widow Spider

The black widow spider is one of the most infamous poisonous spider on this list. The spider has been immortalized in television, films and in books as being a deadly spider. Fortunately, they are easily identified by the hourglass markings on their abdomen.

The black widow can be found around the world and anywhere that the temperatures are moderate. It avoids Northern Europe, Russia and Canada, however, because it is much too cold for survival.

Unlike other spiders, the black widow is rightly feared. The venom it produces is much stronger than even a rattlesnake’s. However, most people do not see long lasting or serious damage from a bite. When these bites are fatal, it is usually when a child or an elderly person has been bitten.

The black widow only bites out of self-defense. Of course, it is easy to accidentally encounter such small creatures, but if you are self-aware and avoid disturbing their habitats you will not encounter many of these spiders.

Black widows primarily eat insects. They also famously eat other black widow spiders. They get their name from this cannibalistic practice. After mating, some females will kill and eat the males. However, this only happens during the mating season. Otherwise, these spiders prefer to live alone.

  1. Brazilian Wandering Spider

Brazilian Wandering Spider deadly to humans and they hang out in bananas
Brazilian Wandering Spider deadly to humans and they hang out in bananas

The black widow may be the most venomous spider in North America, but the Brazilian wandering spider is the most venomous spider on earth. This spider, which is sometimes called the banana spider, is a member of the genus Phoneutria. In Greek, Phoneutria means ‘murderess’. Its bite is deadly to humans, though, primarily to small children. Fortunately, there is an anti-venom, which dramatically reduces the number of fatalities from this spider’s bite.

There are eight species of this spider in total, and they all live in Brazil; however they can also be found in Central America. Some even reach North America through shipments of bananas; hence the name banana spider. However, the spiders that make this perilous journey are almost always not dangerous.

Instead of building webs, this spider will crawl across the floor of the forest at night to hunt prey. It is an active hunter, and its venom makes it easy for this spider to catch and kill their dinner.

Some people feel that these spiders are very aggressive. However, scientists say that the behaviors, which some interpret as aggressive, are merely defensive. The stance they take when threatened is meant to warn predators that they are dangerous and willing to attack if necessary.

If you are bitten by a Brazilian wandering spider, you may find that the bite begins burning very painfully. After half an hour, the venom can cause changes in blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, nausea, cramping, vertigo, seizures and shock. If you are bitten, you must see a doctor immediately.

Another side effect that this venom can cause is a painful and difficult erection in human males. The venom improves blood flow and this contributes to this side effect. Some scientists have suggested that this venom could be used in drugs to help with erectile dysfunction.

  1. Sydney Funnel-web Spider

Sydney Funnel-web Spider small but ultra poisonous and deadly
Sydney Funnel-web Spider small but ultra poisonous and deadly

The Sydney funnel-web spider is one of the smallest and most dangerous inhabitants of Australia. On the continent, they have a deserved reputation of being poisonous, dangerous spiders that should be avoided at all cost. Although much of their reputation is deserved, there are still plenty of rumors that make this spider sound more dangerous than it is.

This spider is mostly found in New South Wales and gets its name from its favorite hangouts around Sydney. It prefers to live in forested areas like the foothills of the Blue Mountains. However, they also like the open county as well. They are not usually found in Sydney itself and they also avoid sandy beaches.

The Sydney funnel-web spider prefers to feed on other bugs like beetles. However, it will also enjoy small lizards as well as snails.

This spider does have one of the most dangerous venoms in the world. But like most spiders, it will not inject all of its venom into its prey at once. This is superfluous and it is not economical because then the spider has to wait until it builds up its venom to hunt again. The venom of females and small spiders is also less toxic than that of males.

Thankfully, there is an anti-venom for the Sydney funnel-web spiders bite. However, it must be administered quickly. The spiders’ venom will attack a victim’s nervous system and can kill them without treatment.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that spiders deserve much of their creepy-crawly reputations. Their penchant for dark places and surprising humans makes them everyone’s least favorite house guest.

Although these are the mos poisonous spiders on the planet, they are selective about how their use their poison. The idea that they chase and attack humans is only a myth. Instead, most spiders are as frightened of you as you are of them.