# brown recluse <<<GRAPHIC BITE PICTURES>>>



## Sequin (Jul 14, 2004)

i was looking at pics of brown recluse bites last night. Ahhh there is some horrific pics. Its amazing that such a tiny spider can do so much damage... But then i read like 60% of bites dont get horrible and the bite will only look like a normal spider bite. I wonder if this is true...  Have Any of you brown recluse owners out there been bitten? Id be interested to find out the result of it... here are a couple pics i found.... I dont no maybe they are computer animated or fake or something because it seems too amazingly destructive....

<Pics Removed>


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## leiurus (Jul 14, 2004)

Cool! I already seen that picture. Wrong forum I think . 
Dom


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## crash769 (Jul 14, 2004)

I had one of them last summer.   I ran into a lady at the pet shop who overheard my converstation about it and told me she was bit by one a few years back.  She said she was in the hospital for 7 months.  She was all so alergic to bees and said that she had a sever reaction to getting bit.  she said she had a huge gaping hole in her arm where she was bit.  She showed me scars. It was like 5in in diamiter.  Its amazing that she still has an arm.  from then on I didnt open that container with him in it unless to feed.


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## ShaunHolder (Jul 14, 2004)

I think it was a very bad choice to post these pics without some type of warning. While it doesn't bother me, there are many people who wouldn't like to see something like this. Please be more considerate next time. 

Also, this post belongs in the "other arachnids" board. As this is _not_ a tarantula.


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## Sequin (Jul 14, 2004)

ShaunHolder said:
			
		

> I think it was a very bad choice to post these pics without some type of warning. While it doesn't bother me, there are many people who wouldn't like to see something like this. Please be more considerate next time.
> 
> Also, this post belongs in the "other arachnids" board. As this is _not_ a tarantula.


allright sorry i didnt even think about putting it in the other thing, so dont take it all offensive or anything


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## Keith Richard (Jul 14, 2004)

There was actually an article on Venom ER (APL) last night about Recluse bites. The venom just keeps on dissolving skin and muscle tissue. It takes months of skin grafting to repair the damage....presuming of course that limb (if applicable) is actually saveable. I'd take my chances with a mean old OBT any day!!!


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## jayco_heat (Jul 14, 2004)

This is what I try to tell people. Some Of my friends think that my T's are horrible creatures. But I always tell them that the smaller SPIDERS are more of a threat. Those pic's are gross. Why some one would keep a Brown recluse, or a black widow as a pet is beyond me. Not saying that the people in the pic's kept them as pets,....who knows.


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## Sequin (Jul 14, 2004)

i read the leg bite was when a guy was sleeping and he went to brush it off and he got bit...ahhh could you imagine that would hurt so bad....


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## Runaway987 (Jul 14, 2004)

Apparently it barely hurt at all, the actual bite that is.

Google image search "brown recluse bites".


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## Jeri (Jul 14, 2004)

Those pictures are listed at snopes as a hoax. Brown Recluse's have necrotic venom, but not that severe. My Grandfather and Uncle both have been bitten by these spiders and neither had this kind of reaction.

Jeri


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## Sequin (Jul 14, 2004)

really? i figured it looked to dramatic to be an actual bite....


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## leiurus (Jul 14, 2004)

Those spiders aren't agressive but they're skittish. The only thing negative is their necrotic venom.
Dom


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## woijchik89 (Jul 14, 2004)

ummm, it looks more like they got bite by an angry dog,rather than an invert. I can understand the skin rotting but what about the whole cut open thing? Sorry I don't know much about brown recluces. LoL


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## biznacho (Jul 14, 2004)

A buddy of mine whose dad is a prison gaurd said they have problems with brown recluse bites.  The spiders climb into bed with the inmates and when the inmate toss or turn, the spiders bite down.  A bunch of inmates got bite pretty bad.  Big necrotic sores on their bellies and arms.  They had to fumigate the whole wing.

biznacho


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## Jeri (Jul 14, 2004)

Try looking here for more information on these pictures.

Jeri

http://www.snopes.com/photos/brownrecluse.asp


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## woijchik89 (Jul 14, 2004)

Jeri said:
			
		

> Try looking here for more information on these pictures.
> 
> Jeri
> 
> http://www.snopes.com/photos/brownrecluse.asp


I wish it'd show the steps from the bruising to the actual rip open thing.


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## Stormcrow (Jul 14, 2004)

The scariest quote from that Venom ER episode last night, was if the Loxosceles reclusa venom proves virulent and destructive to an individual's body, be ready to see a plastic surgeon. 

There are between 12-13 species of recluse spiders in the US, depending on your sources, about half will not even be recognized on many sites because they have only bare scientific significance. Our Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) is the dangerous one, this is the single culprit of major necroticism. Our most venomous native. But there is also small pocket colonies of the Chilean Brown Recluse (Loxosceles laeta) in Southern California, but there has been no frequent bite reports, and usually inhabits cellers and other hideaways, and extremely shy. It is supposedly even more serious and virulent than even the L.reclusa and quite large representive of the genus. Also several cities throughout the States have been colonized by the Mediterranean Recluse Spider (Loxosceles refuscens) but the bite and venom potency is significantly less than L.reclusa and L.laeta. 

Here is a map containing the natural distribution of native Recluse Spiders. The most notorious being of course L.reclusa. The others are considered significantly less medically threatening to humans and less likely to cause major irrepairable body destruction. But should always be cautious and safe in treating any Recluse bites because the potential for necrotism remains in each species. 

Here is the map of the major native species: http://spiders.ucr.edu/images/colorloxmap.gif 

Other great sites: 

Entomology - Myth of the Brown Recluse
http://spiders.ucr.edu/myth.html 

Brown Recluse and Other Recluse Spider Management Guidelines--UC IPM http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7468.html (check the links on this page!)

In the next week I am going to come into the possession of a couple of L.apachea. Woohoo! Looking forward to maintaining these fascinating little creatures!


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## biznacho (Jul 14, 2004)

I heard somewhere that the necrosis wasn't caused by the venom but by bacterial that thirve in the jaws of brown recluses.  true?  or someone yanking my chain?

biznacho


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## Stormcrow (Jul 15, 2004)

biznacho said:
			
		

> I heard somewhere that the necrosis wasn't caused by the venom but by bacterial that thirve in the jaws of brown recluses.  true?  or someone yanking my chain?
> 
> biznacho



Someone is pulling your chain, Loxosceles venom contains toxin(s) that lead to necroticism. It is related to or a very close cousin to one of *thee* most toxic spiders in the whole entire world, Six-Eyed Sand Crab Spider (Sicarius sp.) of southern Africa and this little baddie contains a extremely virulent cytotoxin in it's venom that can lead to massive internal hemorraging. Luckily, it too is extremely shy and retiring creature, hiding under the sand and has to threatened to the point of percieved bodily harm or death in order to provoke it to bite. If these systematics were caused by a bacteria, why wouldn't more spiders and arachnids carry it?


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## woijchik89 (Jul 15, 2004)

Hmmm, It's kind of ironic. Florida only has two venomous spider species in the entire state, and yet they happen to be the worst!!!!!! the brown recluse and the black widow, lucky me. 

Now I'm scarred.


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## Sequin (Jul 16, 2004)

Stormcrow said:
			
		

> The scariest quote from that Venom ER episode last night, was if the Loxosceles reclusa venom proves virulent and destructive to an individual's body, be ready to see a plastic surgeon.
> 
> There are between 12-13 species of recluse spiders in the US, depending on your sources, about half will not even be recognized on many sites because they have only bare scientific significance. Our Brown Recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) is the dangerous one, this is the single culprit of major necroticism. Our most venomous native. But there is also small pocket colonies of the Chilean Brown Recluse (Loxosceles laeta) in Southern California, but there has been no frequent bite reports, and usually inhabits cellers and other hideaways, and extremely shy. It is supposedly even more serious and virulent than even the L.reclusa and quite large representive of the genus. Also several cities throughout the States have been colonized by the Mediterranean Recluse Spider (Loxosceles refuscens) but the bite and venom potency is significantly less than L.reclusa and L.laeta.
> 
> ...




wow someones been doing there homework Im going to california soon, i am now afraid....hahah


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## JPD (Jul 19, 2004)

> Why some one would keep a Brown recluse, or a black widow as a pet is beyond me. Not saying that the people in the pic's kept them as pets,....who knows.


Truth be told, Black Widows are much more interesting charges then T's.
They are amazing when capturing prey.  
Their silk is so strong, that it was once used as crosshairs in rifle scopes in WWII.
They are docile, graceful, and beautiful.
Whoever said Snopes is right on.  One of the bite reports associated with those pictures was that it happened in California.
Since L.reclusas range does not include California, I thought this was mildly amusing.


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## Stormcrow (Jul 19, 2004)

JPD knows what I am talking about. Latrodectus is like mother nature at it's most poetic, a nearly entirely blind creature surviving in a maze of high tensile silk cobwebs, and covers herself in an oily secretion in order to avoid getting caught in her own traps. Black Widow is a very elegant predator, sadly people don't realize how ingenious evolution was in designing her and merely see a noxious pest when they encounter the Widow. Save for predacious mud daubers, Latrodectus reigns master of any space she presides over. I have watched the Widow take many a creature, other spiders, mantids, scorpions, solifugids, bees, grasshoppers, crickets, etc, and even discovered dried husks of small vertebrates in her silk. Watching her predacious behavior towards ground bourne prey is especially fascinating. There are lines of silk spun and drawn to the surface below that serve a specific purpose of alerting the spider for any stalking insect below her web and it is amazing to watch her spring into action.


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## JPD (Jul 19, 2004)

> Latrodectus is like mother nature at it's most poetic, a nearly entirely blind creature surviving in a maze of high tensile silk cobwebs, and covers herself in an oily secretion in order to avoid getting caught in her own traps. Black Widow is a very elegant predator, sadly people don't realize how ingenious evolution was in designing her and merely see a noxious pest when they encounter the Widow. Save for predacious mud daubers, Latrodectus reigns master of any space she presides over. I have watched the Widow take many a creature, other spiders, mantids, scorpions, solifugids, bees, grasshoppers, crickets, etc, and even discovered dried husks of small vertebrates in her silk. Watching her predacious behavior towards ground bourne prey is especially fascinating. There are lines of silk spun and drawn to the surface below that serve a specific purpose of alerting the spider for any stalking insect below her web and it is amazing to watch her spring into action.


Nothing more to say....you said it so well!


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## Tarangela (Jul 21, 2004)

Stormcrow said:
			
		

> JPD knows what I am talking about. Latrodectus is like mother nature at it's most poetic, a nearly entirely blind creature surviving in a maze of high tensile silk cobwebs, and covers herself in an oily secretion in order to avoid getting caught in her own traps. Black Widow is a very elegant predator, sadly people don't realize how ingenious evolution was in designing her and merely see a noxious pest when they encounter the Widow. Save for predacious mud daubers, Latrodectus reigns master of any space she presides over. I have watched the Widow take many a creature, other spiders, mantids, scorpions, solifugids, bees, grasshoppers, crickets, etc, and even discovered dried husks of small vertebrates in her silk. Watching her predacious behavior towards ground bourne prey is especially fascinating. There are lines of silk spun and drawn to the surface below that serve a specific purpose of alerting the spider for any stalking insect below her web and it is amazing to watch her spring into action.


*applause*
That was VERY well put.  They are amazing creatures.  Right now, I have one w/ an eggsac on my fence behind the house.  Once the sac hatches, she will be mine   I LOVE watching them.  And she currently has a sac that was hatched, and the babies are all together in front of her.  They are hanging out right there for the time being.  Lots of little molts in that webbing.  But she is extremely beautiful, and just looking at her gives me chills, and wonders!  They are very intelligent, and IMB much more respected than the recluse.

As far as facts, their venom is also about 15x more toxic than the prairie rattlesnake!


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## Cooper (Jul 21, 2004)

It makes me wonder if that guy lost his thumb.


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## Stormcrow (Jul 22, 2004)

I flip when I find Widows on my residence or in my hunting grounds or see them in public (though, my demeanor is slightly more subtle in the latter circumstance and am largely forced to leave them be but occassionally...)

In all the world, I really can not find a better representive of order in all the world than the Widow. A transcendental experience when at my most imaginative and melancholy mood such as now. The rest of the world seems to toil and suffer by comparision. Hanging in her web and with so few *invertebrate* predators, as Darwin's survival of the fittest rages around her, yes there is something resembling symphonious order. Sorry, forgive me, I enjoy creative writing.


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