comparing venom's...

[Jeffh]

does any one know how the venom of the six-eyed sand spider of Africa compares to the funnel web's of Australia or the wandering spiders of Brazil?

 

[Venom]

The venom of Sicarius sp. is a cytotoxin, instead of the neurotoxic wandering and primarily neurotoxic funnelweb spiders. As far as its effect on humans, there has yet to be a documented case of human envenomation. However, tests on rabbits suggest its venom is exceptionally destructive, much more so than Loxosceles sp. You might be interested in these webpages:

http://www.museums.org.za/bio/spiderweb/sicariid.htm

http://www.museums.org.za/bio/spiderweb/bites.htm

As far as a comparison goes, it certainly appears capable of causing human fatality, but its exact effectivness in humans remains speculative. Personally though, I would give it a chance of being more dangerous/ deadly than the other spiders you mentioned.

 

[Stylopidae]

Venom: do you have photographic or written documentation of the tests? Sounds like something I'd like to read.

 

[Jeffh]

Venom: do you have photographic or written documentation of the tests? Sounds like something I'd like to read.

I found this;


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9248014&dopt=Abstract

 

[Venom]

Cheshire..

From one of the links I gave:

"Bites to humans are not well documented. However, experimental rabbits died within 4-6 hours and autopsies revealed extensive damage to subdermal tissue and skeletal muscle. There was swelling of the liver and damage to heart and kidney tissue as well as blocked pulmonary arteries."

Also:

"Although patients who develop renal failure have generally received multiple stings, a single Sicarius spider bite or bite of the common brown spider (Loxosceles reclusa) may introduce enough venom to produce renal failure, especially in children....Venom of the spiders can in addition cause DIC [direct intravenous coagulation]"

--From: http://www.indegene.com/Nep/FeatArt/indNepFeatArt5.html

 

[Stylopidae]

I missed those links somehow. :?

I'm going back to the special ed room.