Which's more venomous...a Black Widow or a Poecilotheria?

[Wade]

Originally posted by MizM
"Daddy Long Legs" are not even arachnids anyway. They are "huntsmen". And the story that they are venomous is another urban legend. If in doubt, talk to your local college entymology department.

MizM-

I'm thinking you meant to say "not even spiders". They are arachnids, and "harvestmen" is the correct common name for the group (order Opiliones).

It's true they're not venomous. I learned this lesson the hard way when I brought this issue up at a cookout during the first ATS conference in 1999. I asked if was true that they had "deadly" venom but lacked big enough fangs to deliver it. I was nearly laughed out of the place by R.G. Breene (AKA Spiderbob) and G.B.Edwards, among others. Miep O'Brien made the comment "Yeah and tarantulas explode from cactuses too!". Embarassing, but lesson learned!

To confuse things further, there are spiders that are known as "dady long legs"-the cellar spiders (Pholcidae).

Wade

 

[Crotalus]

Originally posted by skadiwolf
i think of the common spiders, funnelwebs are the most venomous, then brown recluse, then black widows.

if the Ts were that venomous, i'm sure you would've heard much, much more about it.

I dont know how common funnel webs are except in Australia, but top three are Hexathelidae, Latrodectus spp. and Phoneutria spp.

T´s dont even come close to the toxicity to these spiders, although a T bite may cause pain and uncomfort.

/Lelle

 

[Vayu Son]

><

I dont know lelle. I would classify the envenomation of Stromatopelma sp. published in Exothermae "poecilotheria" vol.1 as more than pain and discomfort. I have it quoted somewhere around here...

here it is:
http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5832

-V

 

[Crotalus]

Phoneutria was:Re: Re: Hey steve

"I would imagine highly re: most dangerous, not even in the top twenty most venomous, those spots are taken up by Hadronyche and Missulena (first 15 spots are ALL funnel-webs). I know it's been reported that P.fera has killed, but the reports aren't substantiated, not one of them. In fact, the unbelievable hype surrounding this spider is just plain ridiculous. Every thing you read about this spider mentions words like "deadly, lethal, most venomous in the world" and other non-truths typically seen when addressing any dangerous spider. "

Acctually the bites from fera are probably from P. nigriventer. P. fera do not occur in highly populated areas in South America , but P. nigriventer does.
"Hype" is not a word I would use after reading about about a field bite from nigriventer - the healthy guy was hospitalized and in coma for three days. Luckily he survived. Children and elderly are most at risk of deaths from these spiders.

Besides, I do think i have read "deadly" about a B. smithi so what I read in newspapers are not a good way to see if a spiders is dangerous or not. Phoneutria spp. have a highly strong neurotoxin and if not antivenin are obtained its a possibility that you die. Also the nature of these spiders makes them very dangerous - large spiders (and if I dont remember correctly they also have the largest venomglands of all spiders) which have a nasty temper and do occur in populated areas.

"Sure I think this species is dangerous (the most dangerous in the NW), very, but not deadly or potentially lethal. It's even arguable as to which species is the most dangerous over all, A.robustus or P.fera. A.robustus is way more venomous, but more people get bitten by P.fera, so which should it be???? There's no real solid answer regarding the most dangerous because of the varying factors involved."

Again, its most likely bites from P. nigriventer. The toxicity of fera and nigriventer are more or less the same to some scientists. However, most research are done on nigriventer venom.

/Lelle

 

[AllenG]

i am a complete noob but I would stick with the idea that it mostly depends on the individual and their possible reactions...IE my friend was bit by a Widow and had no problems besides swelling...I then heard about a guy the same age (20's) that was hospitalized.

Same with T's right, they(most aren't too bad) unless you are allergic. Same with bee's right for a lot there may be intense pain or not, but for those unlucky few, you may die if you don't seek medical attention.

Regardless, I don't eagerly await my first bite, it's not so much the venom that worries me ( i mean it does becuase I don't know if i am allergic) but them fangs, my G.rosea's fangs seem big enough


oops forgot to mention that of course there are those spiders that no matter what are gonna mess you up, i would be interested to see if there are any people that can be hit by the Sydney funnel and not even notice anything minus them nasty fangs!

 

[si_sleaf]

Which one's the more venomous? At the end of the day I think the Black Widow has to be the winner because of it's smaller size and the fact that it has and continues to kill humans whereas Pokeys do not.

Having said that I would not want to be bitten by either. I Own a Pokey but I would not own a Black Widow, calculated risk I suppose.

 

[Vayu Son]

><

The chances of getting bit by a pokie are about 99% more than being bit by a widow.

-V

 

[Steve Nunn]

Re: ><

I agree with VS. I'd handle a Latrodectus spp. any day before I'd so much as look at a pokie. Latrodectus can't even penetrate the skin on our palms, totally safe (although I'm NOT recommending it).

To VS, a drop bear is like a crazy koala bear that drops out of trees in the Aussie bush and attacks humans. It's known to prey on gullible tourists

Cheers,
Steve

 

[Crotalus]

they do have strange animals in Aussie, a friend of mine took a picture of a cow eating a roadkill over there.
When the cow got disturbed she took the carcass in her mouth and ran away.
I always condidered cows friendly but now... lol

 

[Steve Nunn]

LMAO

No wonder our milk is more filling Lelle.....=D

 

[Scorpiove]

"Daddy Long Legs" are not even arachnids anyway. They are "huntsmen". And the story that they are venomous is another urban legend. If in doubt, talk to your local college entymology department.

Also note, again, that the toxicity of a given species will differ with each individual bitten. My son-in-law is an air conditioning/heating repairman and gets bitten by widows so often that he just gets something that looks like a big whitehead zit when he's invenomated. However, his 10-month-old daughter could die as a result of invenomation.

There are so many factors to consider that I would have to see a scientific breakdown of equal amounts of each species' venom for me to consider that I knew the answer!!!:?

They are arachnids, they aren't spiders though.

 

[RazorRipley]

Ive read that the Widow is the most dangerous spider in the world, followed by the brown recluse... Ive also read that tarantulas dont have significantly potent venom. The only spider bite Ive ever gotten that I remeber is from a King Baboon, and it was hardly worth crying over.

 

[RazorRipley]

They are arachnids, they aren't spiders though.

The daddy long legs is a spider

 

[TobusRex]

Baboon Spider bite

I'm a newbie here so I'm sure my knowledge is dwarfed by most folks here. But from what I've researched there are 2 diff species of spiders known as "daddylonglegs", one of which is a spider and one of which is a "huntsman". The skinny little thing I've always known of as a "daddylonglegs" is all legs, tiny little body, and probably the one that isn't a true spider. From what I understand they have potent venom though, but their fangs are unable to penetrate human skin (supposedly they are major killers of spiders though). I never liked them, they always seemed creepy to me. As a kid I'd have probably preferred being in close proximity with Black Widows (which I often was).

Razor, can you give specifics on your Baboon spider bite? How did it affect you? How would you rate the pain of the bite? I'm not trying to be morbid, I'm just curious.

From what I've researched, apparently the "trapdoor spiders" are pretty dangerous "venom" wise. Do any of you folks have trapdoor spiders?

 

[harwin]

BRS bites... necrosis is damn disgusting stuff...
>>>Click<<<

 

[Spider-man 2]

I have heard/read that a widow venom usually can kill anything under 30 lbs (meaning your small pets (cats and dogs), sometimes infants). Is this true? I have both a L. mactans and P. regalis. I held my P. regalis before I knew of thier "potent" venom and haven't held it since. I would think if you were ever bit by a widow that you would slightly feel it, if at all. By the time you figured you were bit, you would have to be hospitalized or deal with the symptons/reaction. I have a friend who held his widow right in front of me with no fear, but I dunno if I should consider that brave or stupid. Maybe I will hold mine in the future, when I have nothing to lose.

 

[caligulathegod]

They are arachnids, they aren't spiders though.

The thread that would not die.

That was corrected over a year ago (in post number 41).

 

[Wade]

The daddy long legs is a spider

Not if you're talking about harvestmen.

Thanks Caligula

Wade

 

[danread]

What is it with people ressurecting dead threads at the moment? People are joining in on a converstion that happens over a year ago like it was yesterday. I've seen a few recently where they tried to answer a question from people who don't even post here any more

 

[FryLock]

Yes Dan plus 9 times out of 10 the questions they answered where already covered in the thread before they posted