Which OW Tarantulas Have Medically Significant Bites?

[Poec54]

Venom needs to considered by dosage, amount the animal carries, and potency. Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes are very large, but have a low fatality rate. There's a lot of venom but it's not that strong. Saw Scale Vipers are small snakes with a hot venom and a high fatality rate. Both have evolved to do what's needed with what the snake eats, and the predators it lives with.

 

[viper69]

Some have both, like Stromatopelma. A reptilian example of that approach is Black Mambas. Africa is full of animals that don't want intruders getting close to them, and back up their threats with action.

You know you're in trouble when a snake comes following you, even up a tree. I'm well aware of that snake's behavior. Quite amazing when you think about it, reminds me of wolverines.

 

[Poec54]

You know you're in trouble when a snake comes following you, even up a tree. I'm well aware of that snake's behavior. Quite amazing when you think about it, reminds me of wolverines.

Kind of funny that people consider some of the Australian elapids as the world's 'most dangerous snakes', when Black Mamba's venom is close in potency, and combined with their large size, aggression, speed, and proclivity to multiple bites, you're probably going to get much more Black Mamba venom in you. And it acts fast. There's no snake as dangerous to encounter in the wild.

 

[Toxoderidae]

Australia gets way too much hype. Just a bunch of self entitled people with the whole "I'm aussie I live with "roos" and animals that hate me! We have the most dangerous animals! When it's all overhyped. Africa honestly should get more of that, with their mambas, many viper species, and these bloody spiders!

 

[jigalojey]

Australia gets way too much hype. Just a bunch of self entitled people with the whole "I'm aussie I live with "roos" and animals that hate me! We have the most dangerous animals! When it's all overhyped. Africa honestly should get more of that, with their mambas, many viper species, and these bloody spiders!

I agree the people over hype everything, most wont ever encounter a venomous snake but lets be real, Australia does have the most venomous animals on earth... that's not hype that's reality.

 

[Toxoderidae]

I agree the people over hype everything, most wont ever encounter a venomous snake but lets be real, Australia does have the most venomous animals on earth... that's not hype that's reality.

Not like in death ratio. That's a load of crap. Australia is just a bunch of Brits who got thrown out and think they're cool. Australia's wildlife is nothing like what you and the media make it out to be.

 

[cold blood]

What's up @jigalojey , where ya been my friend!!

 

[Andrea82]

Not like in death ratio. That's a load of crap. Australia is just a bunch of Brits who got thrown out and think they're cool. Australia's wildlife is nothing like what you and the media make it out to be.

Sort of like usa is just a bunch of thrown out Europeans?

 

[Formerphobe]

Sort of like usa is just a bunch of thrown out Europeans?

Nah, the US is a bunch of runaways and kidnapees.

Back to original topic, pretty much all OW have medically significant venom. How medically significant can be variable depending on amount of venom injected, location of bite and pain threshold of the recipient. Treat all with respect, don't get bitten.

 

[Toxoderidae]

Sort of like usa is just a bunch of thrown out Europeans?

USA is just a bunch of people who got fed up with their own country!

 

[Chris LXXIX]

Australia is just a bunch of Brits who got thrown out and think they're cool.

USA is just a bunch of people who got fed up with their own country!

Muahahahahahahahah

 

[Casey K]

I think a lot of people are confusing medically significant with the extremity of pain inflicted in a bite outside of the puncture wound, itself. Just because the venom is "painful" doesn't make it medically significant unless the pain is so unbearable that you would need to go to the hospital for an IV full of morphine. The "type" of reaction you get outside of pain and puncture is what should be considered medically significant. For instance: labored breathing, rapid heart rate, disorientation, seizures, etc.....I'm not saying Tarantulas venom causes ANY of these symptoms as they are just "examples". Any tarantula can cause any type of reaction no matter how mild or how potent the venom is (although I'm sure there are some who's VENOM can cause a more PAINFUL bite). It all depends on the person's natural ability to fight off the symptoms/reaction of the " venom" if any.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

For instance: labored breathing, rapid heart rate, disorientation

Yup, you're correct.
There's no doubts that certain OW's Theraphosidae (in this case, T's talking only) carry indeed a venom powerful than others OW's Ts just per se (according to the bite reports, of course).
Like S.calceatum, H.maculata, P.murinus and, as a genus, Poecilotheria.

Those symptoms (including a sort of somewhat blurred vision) aren't rare when a bite from those happens. And in the finger/hand... go figure what could happen by a total, perfect, wet bite on the neck delivered by a full grow beast like a 0.1 P.ornata, ah ah <--- EEK!

 

[Casey K]

Yup, you're correct.
There's no doubts that certain OW's Theraphosidae (in this case, T's talking only) carry indeed a venom powerful than others OW's Ts just per se (according to the bite reports, of course).
Like S.calceatum, H.maculata, P.murinus and, as a genus, Poecilotheria.

Those symptoms (including a sort of somewhat blurred vision) aren't rare when a bite from those happens. And in the finger/hand... go figure what could happen by a total, perfect, wet bite on the neck delivered by a full grow beast like a 0.1 P.ornata, ah ah <--- EEK!

True! The symptoms/reaction can also vary depending on locality of bite.

 

[viper69]

Sort of like usa is just a bunch of thrown out Europeans?

Hmm revisionist history at work I see. Actually they LEFT, not because they didn't like their country, but because they opposed tyranny and desired religious freedom. Clearly England wasn't conservative enough for them! :wideyed:

It's the Brits who had their hats handed to them by the USA, w/France's help of course. Who fights a war in bright red coats??

 

[EulersK]

Hmm revisionist history at work I see. Actually they LEFT, not because they didn't like their country, but because they opposed tyranny and desired religious freedom. Clearly England wasn't conservative enough for them! :wideyed:

It's the Brits who had their hats handed to them by the USA, w/France's help of course. Who fights a war in bright red coats??

Personally, and I know many will share this sentiment, I fall under neither generalized category. My father was a political refugee from Cuba, and my mother's parents fled from Germany during WWI. America is a melting pot, especially in more 'ethnic' cities like Las Vegas. Just about everyone here is 2nd or 3rd generation American. Hell, I'm 1st generation American.

'Murica.

 

[viper69]

Australia's wildlife is nothing like what you and the media make it out to be.

The media? No, the above statement is wrong. The toxicity of snakes' venom is determined by scientists, not the media. Typically toxicity is determine by using a basic LD50 with mice.

Based on venom alone, Australia has 8 of the 10 most venomous snakes in the world

In addition:
The most venomous octopus- the Blue Ringed Octopus
One of THE worst stinging ants, the Bullet Ant
A venomous mammal

And lastly, the most powerful venom on the planet, from the Irukandji jellyfish, which is only about the size of 1 cubic centimeter (it can fit on your thumb).

I've talked with venom researchers in Australia. No one knows why the smallest jellyfish in the world produces the most powerful venom.

However, regarding Aussie snakes, the last leading theory on why their venom is so powerful actually has to do w/predation and not defense.

The places where some of these snakes are found the prevalence of food is EXTREMELY low (think rocky, or sandy desolate desert like area). Scientists believe the snakes evolved to have such a powerful venom because the snake would need a venom that would kill very quickly so it could get its food rather quickly and not lose the prey if the venom was too weak. If it was too weak, some mammals might survive and who knows when the next meal might come around.

They have studied how frequently these snakes eat, and it's not very frequent at all.

 

[viper69]

America is a melting pot,

That's what the USA always says for decades at least. I was listening to a cultural anthropologist speak at a seminar once, and she felt the USA was more a stew than a melting pot. By that she meant, a soup where ingredients are mixed and become a homogenous liquid, vs a stew where ingredients are added but on some level still retain their original composition.

Never heard that before, but I think that makes more sense, especially when you see how many neighborhoods are divided up by ethnic groups.

 

[EulersK]

That's what the USA always says for decades at least. I was listening to a cultural anthropologist speak at a seminar once, and she felt the USA was more a stew than a melting pot. By that she meant, a soup where ingredients are mixed and become a homogenous liquid, vs a stew where ingredients are added but on some level still retain their original composition.

Never heard that before, but I think that makes more sense, especially when you see how many neighborhoods are divided up by ethnic groups.

Absolutely, I completely agree. I remember living in Miami, there was actually a place unofficially called Little Cuba. Think Chinatown, but with Cubans. According to my grandparents, it was the closest thing to Cuba they ever saw in the US. Open market shops, community schools and daycares, churches, even a hospital. Here in Vegas, there are entire regions in the city where you can walk around and not read or hear a single word of English. Even the billboards are in Spanish.

Okay, enough tangent. Sorry OP for hijacking the thread

 

[EulersK]

The media? No, the above statement is wrong. The toxicity of snakes' venom is determined by scientists, not the media. Typically toxicity is determine by using a basic LD50 with mice.

Based on venom alone, Australia has 8 of the 10 most venomous snakes in the world

In addition:
The most venomous octopus- the Blue Ringed Octopus
One of THE worst stinging ants, the Bullet Ant
A venomous mammal

And lastly, the most powerful venom on the planet, from the Irukandji jellyfish, which is only about the size of 1 cubic centimeter (it can fit on your thumb).

I've talked with venom researchers in Australia. No one knows why the smallest jellyfish in the world produces the most powerful venom.

However, regarding Aussie snakes, the last leading theory on why their venom is so powerful actually has to do w/predation and not defense.

The places where some of these snakes are found the prevalence of food is EXTREMELY low (think rocky, or sandy desolate desert like area). Scientists believe the snakes evolved to have such a powerful venom because the snake would need a venom that would kill very quickly so it could get its food rather quickly and not lose the prey if the venom was too weak. If it was too weak, some mammals might survive and who knows when the next meal might come around.

They have studied how frequently these snakes eat, and it's not very frequent at all.

Thanks for that interesting info. Australia is basically a giant island that is mostly arid - Darwin's dream. Animals were isolated and forced to evolve in this climate, and as you said, it is an unforgiving landscape. There's a very good reason that so much of the flora and fauna look like alien creatures compared to the rest of the world.