• While we have report items for many species, there are many more that we do not, currently, have report items for.

    If you would like to leave a breeding/bite/sting report for a species that does not currently have a report item in the appropriate category, please request that one be created in this thread.

    Once the item has been created, you will be provided with a link to post your report.

Tarantula Phormictopus cancerides

Common Names
Hispaniolan giant tarantula, Hatian brown
Previous Review/Report Link
https://arachnoboards.com/threads/phormictopus-cancerides.120759/
Overview Reviews (1) Gallery

Reviews summary

Excellent 0
 
 0%
Good 0
 
 0%
Average 0
 
 0%
Poor 1
 
 100%
Terrible 0
 
 0%
Overall rating
2.00 star(s) 1 ratings
SpoodersAreCute
Bite/Sting Date
Bite approximately at 11:14. 25/09/2020
Pain Level
Minor pain.
Circumstance
Attempted to pick up tarantula and ignored warning signs ('flared' fangs and attempted avoidance of my hands. No threat display.)
Size
10-15cm diameter, I have ot properly emasured her so this is an estimate.
Damage
Minimal damage - a small amount of pain and very small bite marks. Slight discolouration (whitening) of skin where fangs possibly pierced skin. Small scab (less than a milimetre) on middle finger. Bite wounds are small enough that other people had great difficulty seeing them even when pointed out.
Symptoms
I'm using the second to last pain scale on this webpage. https://lifewithmcc.com/2019/08/04/my-favorite-pain-scale/

Bite on left index and middle finger. Immediate pain approximately 3 on pain scale. Fading after a minute to 2 or 3 on pain scale. Slight pain (burning) at bite. Slight swelling immediately. Bite located approximately 0,5 to 1cm from tip of left. index finger on the underside of the hand. And 0,5-1cm from tip of left middle finger on side close to index.

11:21, burning fading. Assumed no venom injected (edit: given that the bite site has had a mild burning for a few hours, there is definitely venom.) Still very slight burning. 1 or 2 on pain scale. Noticed possibility of bite on left middle finger. 1 or 2 on pain scale, barely noticeable. Slight discolouration (whitening) of skin where fangs possibly pierced skin.

11:24, slight increase of pain in left middle finger.

11:29, pain decreased to nearly 0, slight 'tingle-burning' with slight swelling in index finger.

11:35, no pain.

11:38, slight tingling and very slight burning in index finger, seems to depend on position of hand.

11:58, no pain.

12:08, slight burning in index, changes from no pain to burning, always mild. Swelling appears to have gone down.

13:06, still very mild, near unnoticeable burning at bite site on index.

13:21, pain less than before, still some weird 'feeling' in index finger.

13:22, burning increase at finger tip. Pain is a 2.

13:28, pain decreased to 1.

14:09, increase in burning to approximately 3, immediate decrease to 1.

14:32, pain increase to 3 when index is pressed against a surface with moderate-light force. Near immediate decrease in pain back to 1.

16:03, almost no pain. Slight 'tingle-burn' when firm pressure is applied to index finger.

16:13, slight stiffness in my left brachioradialis; however, due to the stiffness not being near my hand, I suspect that this is more likely caused from me using my arm (holding up PS4 controller.) Logging it just is case it is caused by the venom.

16:25, slight, constant, stuffy feeling at the front of my head (almost a headache but not sore) with, so far, two instances of a slight increase in pain on the right side of my forehead. However, this is more likely a sinus headache.

17:28, pain appears to have completely faded in index finger. Slight pain in middle finger and palm just above thumb.

17:52, pain in fingers appears to have faded. Slight pain around thumb metacarpal. Slight pain and stiffness around upper arm.

18:08, light headedness and mild headache when standing up (however, this is normal for me and might not have been caused by the venom.) Light headedness faded after 10-20 seconds, headache faded within 2 minutes. Pain in index finger has returned.

18:53, slight redness around bite mark on index finger. Near unnoticeable redness around bite mark on middle finger.

20:13, no pain in fingers, slight headache that comes and goes could be sinuses or dehydration). Slight aching of elbow joint and knees - however, that is not atypical for me and could be caused by something else.

20:15, slight pain in muscles of upper arm.

20:20, mild headache returns when standing, faded to only a slight pain within a minute.

20:54, elbow joint and head still a bit sore (head fluctuates between pain and a stuffy feeling.) Very slight pain in index finger which is still a bit red. No red in middle finger but a scab has formed over the bite.

20:59, headache getting worse but still tolerable, approximately a 4 or 5 on the pain scale.

21:06, headache back to a 1/stuffy feeling. No increase in pain when standing up and walking.

22:30, very slight headache, might be due to dehydration rather than venom.

23:15, no headache, index finger is still red and is a bit sore when pressure is placed on the area of the bite. Seeing as I have now had some water, I suspect that previous headaches were a result of dehydration - the spikes in pain might have been due to venom, however, as I usually experience a steady pain with dehydration headaches.

23:25, index is still noticeably red, however, it is very slight and could easily have been caused by pressure on my index rather than the venom, although the very slightest of burning sensations suggest otherwise. Slight pain in my right thumb joint of the metacarpal and phalange and occasional pain in my right index finger - these are more likely caused by playing with a PS4 controller but logging it just in case.

23:34, mild headache has returned, seems to be focused more in the middle/top of my head than the front.

23:37, I have just noticed that I have a slightly elavated heart rate (which I had previously noticed but did not 'comprehend', so to speak.) However, this may be caused from video games rather than the venom. Logging it just in case.

23:41, heart rate seems to have settled. Thus, I suspect the cause was not venom but, rather, video games.

23:57, headache has faded. Slight stiffness in my jaw muscles and a brief, slight pain in my neck - however, neither occurance is unusual for me and the stiffness and pain might not be caused by venom.

26/09, 00:00, I have just noticed a slight bit of redness around the bite-scab on my middle finger. There is no pain in that area even when moderate pressure is applied. Index finger still burns slightly when moderate pressure is applied. Right index and thumb are no longer sore. No noticeable headache.

00:33, headache located at the back left and left side of my head. Roughly 3 or 4 on pain scale.

Unable to continue editing original message, updating here:

08:04, woke up. Stiffness in both left and right Adductor pollicis, pain and stiffness is more intense in right hand; thus, I assume that this is not caused by the venom (as I would expect the stiffness to be more intense closer to the bite.) No headache. Only the very slightest off redness left around the bites on my fingers - it's slight enough that I could be imagining it. Should I have no new symptoms within 6 hours, I shall assume that thenvenom has stopped affecting me.

08:08, slight headache located at the left side and front of my head - however, this is usual for me when I wake up and could be caused by dehydration, thus, I shall not count this towards the 6 hours unless the headache persists.

08:24, mild burning in index finger when moderate pressure is applied.

08:41, mild burning in index finger when moderate pressure is applied.

08:20, headache still lingering, however, it is so mild it's almost not sore and is better described as 'stuffiness'. Bite on index hurts very mildly to very firm pressure, bite on middle finger does not react at all.

09:46, mild headache has migrated to the front right of my head. I have used Flixonase and saline for my nose in case the pain is caused by sinuses. It should perhaps be noted that I used Flixonase at some point last night but forgot to log it.

11:18, Adductor pollicis no longer sore, still stiff in right hand (presumably not from venom.) Index finger mildly sore when a lot of firm pressure is applied.

12:57, head feels a bit stuffy but isn't sore. I feel tired and my eyes have that 'you need to sleep' feeling. No pain but slight tingling when firmly pressing on index finger. Index finger burns slightly if I firmly press and rub the bite wound a few times.

14:06, mild headache, perhaps a 2 on the pain scale.

15:26, no pain until I thought about it and then I noticed a mild pain in my forehead. Going to use more Flixonase (I also have a post nasal drip but I've had that since before the bite.) No pain in fingers, have not applied pressure. Still a bit pink around the bite marks.

17:30, no headache, just a slight feeling of stuffiness. Bite marks are a bit red, no pain. Fingers no longer burn when pressure is applied.

19:24, neither headache nor pain in fingers. Possibly slight reddening at bite sites. Ache in right inner thigh located above the knee and left arm near elbow (possibly tricep?), ache in left-inner-upper thigh, 2 or 3 on pain scale for all. Pain has mostly faded as I have typed this. Muscle pain, especially in my legs, is not unusual for me. Slight ache (1 or 2) in my left elbow joint and my left ankle. Faded as I have typed. Only pain in right thigh and left arm muscle is noticeable. About a 1 for left thigh.

20:43, all pain faded at some point before 20:30; however, I am not sure of the exact time. Index is slightly burny (perhaps a 1 or 2) but that has now faded as I type.

21:52, no pain. Slight 'problematic sinus' like stuffy feeling in my head - which could be caused by my post nasal drip. Redness appears to have completely faded from my fingers.

21:54, slight pain flares in head - around forehead, eyes and the top of my head. Never more than a 1 or 2 and quickly fades to a 0. Pain seems to mostly be centered along my brows, flares and fades.

22:23, mild flare of pain (1 or 2) along extensor digitorum. Pain on a level of 2 or 3 in my right thumb and about 4 in my left rhomboid - pain in both of these areas at this intensity is fairly usual for me but logging it just in case.

22:52, a bit of pain (1-2) in my left pinky, head and right thumb. These might not be caused by venom. Should I have no new, more intense symptoms that cannot be blamed on aches that are typical for me by tomorrow morning, I will presume that the venom is no longer affecting me.

27/09, 00:21, sudden muscle spasm on the lower left side of my rib cage. About a 5 or 6 in intensity but it lasted less than 3 seconds.

09:01, woke up. Roughly 5 on pain scale on right side of abdominal area, faded quickly, does not appear to be caused by appendix. Slight headache. Index and middle finger look like they might be red but only if you squint.

11:08, no pain, my fingers might appear red if you squint, I think my symptoms are over.
Medical Attention
I did not receive specific medical attention - however, I did use saline and Flixonase for a headache and stuffy feeling that might have been either from venom or sinus problems
Lingering effects
Headaches, redness and burning at the site of the bite.
TL;DR, symptoms lasted, at most, 48 hours. Pain is minimal and would not prevent you from doing any activity, bite was of no consequence other than a small amount of pain and surprise. Easy to cope through even without any form of pain meds and would likely be unnoticeable if one took even the mildest of pain medication. Symptoms that can be attributed to the bite are: mild headache, mild burning at bite site, redness at bite site, mild swelling at bite site. Pain had a tendency to flare and go down.
9 members found this helpful.
Top