Poisonous and Nonpoisonous Spiders

Poisonous and nonpoisonous spiders are found worldwide (except in Antarctica). There are about 43,000 species of spiders and taxonomists have recorded about 109 families of spiders. There are about 20,000 species of spiders in America and only about 60 of these species are capable of biting a human being.

Poisonous Spiders

Not all venomous spiders are dangerous since most spider poisons are only lethal to their prey. Spiders do not consider humans as prey and even climb into dark and quiet areas to avoid humans and other spider predators. Only the black widow spider and brown recluse spider have venom that can result in serious illness but rarely can cause death on humans.

Here are some of the most poisonous spiders in the world.

Yellow Sac Spider

An example of a poisonous spider that dwell on earth is the beautiful yellow sac spider, which is considered the least venomous and rarely go near humans to bite. The bite of this spider can cause necrotic or dead tissue lesions.

Tarantula

The fringed ornamental tarantula is a venomous spider which can cause serious harm and intense pain on the person it bites while the Chinese bird spider which is a large tarantula has a leg span which can reach up to eight inches. The Chinese bird spider is native in Southeast Asian countries and can kill a small mammal just with a small dose of its venom.

Mouse Spider

Another poisonous spider is the mouse spider which can be found in Australia. The female mouse spider is all black while the male is a red headed mouse spider with red jaws. The mouse spider’s venom has the potential to kill a human being but has no recorded kill on human beings as to date due to immediate medical treatment and the spider’s nature of holding its venom.

Brown Recluse Spider

The brown recluse spider, such as the Chilean recluse, is extremely venomous. However, their small fangs make it hard to penetrate clothing. The venom of the Chilean recluse is very toxic and can result in kidney failure. The area bitten by this kind of recluse can grow up to 10 inches and become gangrenous.

Redback Spider

The redback spider can also be found in Australia and belongs to the family of black widows. Their identifying mark is a red stripe down their back. People who have been bitten by the red-back spider have suffered localized skin infection, fever, nausea, tremors, seizures, coma and respiratory failure.

Black Widow Spider

The black widow spider is not only extremely venomous but even its its mate after sex. Its bite can cause serious muscle spasms and temporary spinal or cerebral paralysis but can rarely cause death. The identifying mark for black widows is its bright red hourglass in their abdomens.

Sydney Funnel Web Spider

The Sydney funnel web spider is also considered one of the most venomous on earth. This spider has large gangs which is their tool for delivering full does of venom called atracotoxin which is very dangerous to all kinds of primates.

Australian homes can be infested with funnel web spider. Find out how fatal a funnel web spider bite is. You can die from it; fortunately an Aussie got revived after being bitten by a funnel web.

Sand Spider

A six eyed sand spider of Africa and South Asia is also venomous but lives in areas where it may not contact humans and are not aggressive.

Brazilian Wandering Spider

The Brazilian wandering spider is considered the most venomous spider in the world due to its highly potent neurotoxin which can cause asphyxiation and death to those bitten.

Nonpoisonous Spiders

There are many types of nonpoisonous spiders and examples of these spiders are the trap door spider, which is a dark brown hairy spider that lives in the ground, and the orb weaving spider such as the garden spider.

No one is spared by a spider bite. People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive and Thor star, Chris Hemsworth himself got bitten by a nonpoisonous spider in his garage in Australia.

Here are some of the nonpoisonous spiders in the world.

Funnel Weaver Spider

Funnel weaver spiders or grass spiders are those found in homes and are harmless. This kind of nonpoisonous spider is usually mistaken for the brown recluse. The black markings in their abdomen make them different from the brown recluse.

Jumping Spider

Jumping spiders are not poisonous and instead use silk to lay its trail, protect its eggs and make temporary homes.

Hairless Spider

The hairless spider known as the roly poly hunter has large fangs but are used only to feed on pill bugs and other hard-bodied prey.

Ground Spider

Ground spiders are those found under the rocks and emerge only when hunting for food.

House Spider

House spiders are located at dark corners of our home and have a bulbous body while having the capability of making messy webs with sticky threads.

Cellar Spider

Cellar spiders are those found in the corners of cellars and garages and are considered true spiders that make untidy webs that are extensive.

Wolf Spider

Wolf spiders do not produce web and are colored grey or brown.