The banana spider is certainly exciting to learn about. Lets start by explaining why two different spiders are each referred to as the 'banana spider' and which one is the dangerous one.
The Golden Silk Spider (Nephila clavipes) are often thought of as banana spiders because of their yellow bodies. They weave a very strong web that looks like gold thread in the sunshine. Their webs are about 3 feet wide. You will find these spiders all over the southern part of the United States, especially in Florida. They rarely ever bite people. The male is only 1/2 inch long, the female is around 3 inches long.
The second spider known as the banana spider are a much scarier spider. They are the Brazilian Wandering Spider (phoneutria). There are eight different species of the phoneutria of which two, the phoneutria nigriventer and phoneutria fera are recognised as being extremely dangerous.
The Phoneutria banana spider are found over large parts of South America and some parts of Central America. They gained the name 'banana spider' as they are frequently found on banana leaves.
There have been cases where these spiders unintentionally appeared on banana boats heading for the United States. They are known to hide in dark moist places and in banana boxes.
My mother recalls as a young child her mother removing one from a banana box that arrived at their store all the way down here in New Zealand. To this day she recalls the large size of the spider and how hairy it was.
In the Guinness Book of World Records they are listed as the planets most venomous animal. The Brazilian Wandering Spider is extremely fast, extremely venomous and extremely aggressive.
They have an aggressive defence posture, in which they raise their front legs straight up into the air and sway horizontally from side to side. The wandering spiders are called this because they wander the jungle floor at night rather than having a web or lair.
The Phoneutria is a 'true spider'. All true spiders have a certain amount of venom. The Phoneutria has very strong venom. Their venom is toxic to the human nervous system, causing symptoms such as irregular heartbeat, salivation and prolonged, painful erections (priapism) in men. Scientists are investigating the phoneutria nigriventer venom as a possible treatment for erectile dysfunction.
The Phoneutria nigriventer is the species of banana spider most responsible for cases of venom intoxication in Brazil. It is commonly found in highly populated areas of south-eastern Brazil. They are encountered in peoples homes hiding in poeples' shoes, hats and other clothes.
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น