To limit the side effects of black widow antivenin, the patient should consider the following:

• If they have had reactions to black widow antivenin before, they should tell the doctor.
• If they have any serious allergies, they should tell the doctor.
• If they are pregnant, then the doctor should know right away.
• If they are using any other types of medicines, the doctor needs to know.
• If they are breastfeeding, they should tell the doctor.

Assuming that these things are considered, and that the patient shows no other problems with black widow antivenin consideration, then black widow antivenin may be given as a rule.

Some more benign symptoms of black widow antivenin include:

• Fever
• Joint Pain
• Aching Muscles
• Enlarged Lymph Nodes
• Rashes

More serious symptoms of black widow antivenin include:

• Trouble Breathing or Swallowing
• Itching in the Hands or Feet
• Ears Becoming Red
• Swelling Anywhere above the Neck
• Sudden Weakness

The vast majority of black widow spider bites are relatively benign in nature. It is very very rare that someone dies from a black widow spider bite. Occasionally a small child or a elderly person may succumb to the Black widow spider bite venom. This is rare as well. In spite of the relatively small chances of death, the suffering of the black widow bite victim is usually rather common. For this reason, the black widow spider antivenin is widely used and accepted. Not only can it save a spider bite victim’s life, but it can reduce their suffering as well.

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Black Widow Spider

I first told you all about my black widow encounter earlier this year, so I know the little buggers are around my home on the outside. I still had yet to see another one since that fateful day – until this afternoon that is. This time, the spider was in my house. (okay it was on my back porch but that is close enough)

After months of begging me to clean out our enclosed back porch, my wife finally hit the jackpot with me today. I got off my tail and went back there and started moving all the junk around. I noticed a spider or two here and there, but none of them were dangerous at all.

Eventually, I made my way to the cedar chest that was back in the corner. I opened it and immediately saw the random web of a black widow, complete with egg sac. Carefully, I looked around and searched for mama. I saw no spider anywhere, and concluded it was an abandoned web, or dead spider sac. I then went about the task of digging the books out of the cedar chest and cleaning it out.

I was pulling out books and stacking them on the floor behind me. One by one, I was taking them out and stacking them. Out of nowhere, I noticed a flash of movement. Running across the next book I was going to pick up was a huge black widow. She was headed toward my finger and I yanked back just in the nick of time. (okay so I moved it in plenty of time but that is boring, right?)

Come to find out, she was none too happy about my intrusion of her home, and particularly about getting near her egg sac. Black widow spiders are dangerously aggressive sometimes when you get near their young or egg sac. Some don’t seem to care. This gal cared. In a big way.

Unfortunately, I had to dispose of this fine arachnid in spite of my hesitancy to do so. The thought of that egg sac bursting in a room just off mine and my wife’s bedroom was the clincher. I love spiders but even I have my limits.

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Sydney Funnel Web (Photo Credited To Wikipedia Commons User en:User:Tirin

5. Camel Spider The camel spider makes this list largely due to legend. Soldiers returning from Iraq have talked about finding spiders that are the size of a housecat. The truth is, the camel spider is not a spider at all. They are large, and they are scary looking. Most people think of them as spiders, so they make the list based on that alone.

4. Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula This spider is the biggest in the world. Goliath bird eaters can grow to the size of dinner plates, and they are known for that size. The truth is, the spider is scary to watch and look at. They are true miracles of the spider world.

3. Brown Recluse The brown recluse is famous and scary for one reason – their bite. When a brown recluse bites, their venom is necrotic. That is, the venom will begin to cause the skin and tissue to die in and around the wound. Horrific spider bites, amputations, and other dangerous outcomes for brown recluse bites have led to their inclusion on this list.

2. Black WidowThe black widow is the very definition of what a scary spider looks like. The signature hourglass on their abdomens is one of the iconic symbols of the spider world. This spider actually has a few different versions in the family, which include the southern and northern black widows, the brown widow, and the red widow. They all are creepy to most people but are actually quite shy and avoid biting when possible.

1. Sydney Funnel Web Spider Now this is one spider that has a very nasty disposition and the package to do some real damage. A Sydney funnel web spider can kill a healthy man without proper medical intervention, but what really scares people is the attitude of this spider. They are highly aggressive and will readily attack and bite you if you come near. The venom is among the most dangerous in the insect and spider world, and they have large fangs to deliver it with. The Sydney funnel web spider is my choice as the scariest spider in the world. How about you?

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The Brown Widow

The brown widow is actually very similar to the black widow as far as size. They have a bulbous abdomen, and they are about the same size as a black widow. They are generally slightly smaller than a full grown black widow, but this can vary because of age and so on.

Where the black widow is black and shiny, the brown widow can be many different colors. The usual color is brown, but they can be grey, black, or any color in between. Another huge difference in the two is the hourglass marking on their bellies. The brown widow sports an orange or yellow marking, and the black widow sports a red one.

The brown widow has a bite that is similar in toxicity to the black widow. It is not universally agreed upon as to the severity of a brown widow bite, but they are generally less dangerous than a black widow. Most believe this is due to the amount of venom injected in a brown widow bite, rather than the toxicity of the venom.

The brown widow is also rather timid. They will not even attack when you are near their egg sac, unlike their black widow cousins. The brown widow is not interested in biting humans, and will only do so if they are trapped against your skin or messed with. Speaking of egg sacs, the brown widow has a very distinctive one. Their egg sacs are spiky looking and they are the only spiders to have this unique egg sac. This is a great way to ensure you are dealing with a brown widow.

This spider is found throughout the Southeast and Northeast, and is spreading across the United States. Already you can find them in South Carolina, Texas, and other states that originally did not have them. This is largely due to the habit of brown widows to hitch a ride on vehicles. This inadvertant relocation method has been very effective over the years.

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Black Widow Pictures

Black Widow Pictures

Not many people go out taking black widow pictures, but for those that do it is important to be safe about it.  Black widow pictures are some of the most unique and powerful spider pictures on the planet.  The black widow pictures found on this page are all pictures that were available on the net as public domain, etc.  When you take black widow pictures in real life, it is a little bit like shooting pictures of any other dangerous wildlife.

Show respect, and provide proper distance.  This means having a great zoom lens when shooting black widow pictures is vital.

Black Widow Pictures

The first thing you should do when you locate a black widow to shoot a picture of is to make sure you have at least five feet of distance between you and the spider.  Black widows are not overly aggressive unless they are guarding egg sacs or feel threatened.  By giving the black widow at least five feet, you will help it to remain calm and likely go about it’s normal business.  You may even be able to catch a black widow spider feeding.  That makes for wonderful black widow pictures I assure you.

Another important safety note when shooting black widow pictures is to make certain you use the zoom.  To really get the

Black Widow Pictures

detail on the spider, while still keeping yourself safe from a black widow spider bite, it is integral that you use the zoom rather than moving your hands in close.  Black widow spiders are very fast in short bursts, and they can certainly give you a nasty spider bite if you get your hands too close.

There are a number of black widow pictures that can be found on the net for free, as they are the most popular spider to take photos of in America.  The tarantula runs a close second, but the black widow pictures just seem a bit more special.  They have such a lengendary reputation that even the brief sight of a

Black Widow Pictures

black widow picture can bring out feelings.  That is the point of wildlife photography is it not?

Remember, be careful, keep your distance, and use a great zoom lens.  This will guarantee you many wonderful black widow pictures and stay safe from spider bite while you take them.

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Eight Legged Freaks – Giant spiders that take over the world is not a new concept. It has been done before. The thing about Eight Legged Freaks, however, is that they got species specific here. Trapdoor spiders, tarantulas, black widows, and even the popular jumping spider all made the cinematic cut. Granted they were all extra large and extra juiced up – still they scared people half to death. The first time you see the trap door spider flash from under the ground and drag someone under you will jump. I assure you.

Arachnaphobia – This movie was actually one that surprised me. The movie was much better than I figured it would be. Made quite a few years back, this movie does a great job of giving you the willies. The spiders are largely realistic, and there are a number of scenes where they crawl where they should not. Note the shower scene where the spider explores a girls cleavage. Not a very comfortable scene at all but deliciously spooky!

And then there are the movies that just use the real tarantula largely. Two of the best among these are the old classics Tarantulas – Deadly Cargo and Kingdom of the Spiders. These old flicks depended on the real deal to get there scares across. Tarantulas are genuinely creepy and perfect for a spider movie. They are largely docile spiders that will not usually bite unless they are threatened. This means that you can realistically use them in movies without much risk. Put a tarantula crawling up someone’s leg or arm and you have a great start to a spider movie.

I do believe that spider movies are far from worn out. The genre is need of a brand new movie, and I hope that someone puts one out soon. They are just too fun to leave on the cutting room floor. What was your favorite spider movie of all time?

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Black Widow

One fine day this past spring my wife sent me outside to finally gather and dispose of the trash that had been sitting for about a week or two.  Okay, so maybe it had been about a month, but a week or two sounds better.  Whatever the case, I let the trash go to long, and was now faced with gathering it up and getting it gone.  I headed out there and dove right in.

Now, seeing as how I am a bit of an expert on black widows, one would think I would have the sense to put on some gloves.  Why?  Well, black widows love trash.  Check.  Black widows love damp areas.  Check.  Black widows love dark areas.  Check.  Black widows go anywhere that insects might be.  Check.  I could go on.  The trash bags that had been sitting outside had been there quite a while, and they were the perfect homes for the black widow spider.  Yet I dove in with no gloves and even bare arms.  (legs too now that I think of it)

The black widow bite potential never crossed my mind as I was focused on trying to keep the bags from falling apart as I picked them up.  About six bags into my clean up, I reached down and grabbed a bag……As soon as i raised the bag off the ground, I looked just beyond my fingers and there she sat.  A big, fat, plump black widow.  She froze right away, and just looked at me.  We came face to fangs, if you will.

My initial reaction was to shiver because the dang spider was right there.  My hand could not have missed picking her up by more than a centimeter.  If I had reached just a hair farther, I would have picked her up in my bare hand.  A spider bite would have ensued.  As I stood there looking at her, I caught movement in my other hand.  Crawling from the top of the bag I was holding (with my other bare hand) was yet another plump black widow!!

I dropped the bag, and immediately backed away from the trash.  Amazingly I had come within a centimeter from two black widows and neither had bitten me.  Both black widows had plenty of opportunity and neither actually did.

I went and put on several layers to continue my work.  When I returned both spiders were gone. I dove into the rest of the trash with great care.  By the time I got through it, I encountered four more black widow spiders.  One of them actually crawled on my glove.

Yes, I crapped my pants but still did not get a venomous black widow spider bite.

The moral of the story?  Sometimes you can try to get bit, and not get bitten.  Then other times you can be minding your business and not even risking yourself and get bitten.  Black widows are not the aggressive spiders that they are put out to be.  I gave them plenty of chances that day for sure.

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Black Widow

Hopefully you are never unlucky enough to be bitten by a black widow spider, but just in case you do, it might be a good idea to know what to do.  The first thing in any venomous spider bite is to remain calm.  The black widow spider injects venom into your system that will spread much faster if you are panicked. Relax and know that you will be okay.

The first thing you should do is apply ice to the bite site. Wrap the ice in something such as a shirt, washcloth, or other covering and then apply.  Leave the ice on for about 9 minutes at a time, and then take it off for approximately the same amount of time.

The next step should actually be done while doing the above.  Transport the victim to the hospital or nearest medical facility.   Your job is done once the victim has reached the hospital.

When the spider bite victim reaches the hospital the doctor may take any number of steps.  These include muscle relaxants and careful blood pressure monitoring.  Certainly pain medicine will be administered if needed, and sometimes a medicine called antivenin is used.

Antivenin for black widow spider bites is called “lactodectrus mactans” and it is reserved for only the worst of the black widow spider bites.  The black widow antivenin is sometimes a problem with certain patients, so they are careful about who they administer it to.

The black widow spider is not always quick to release venom.  Sometimes the bites are “dry” or venom is not injected.  The black widow needs that venom to secure food and prey in the wild.  They do not want to waste it on a huge human that they can not eat.

Children, the elderly, and those in poor health are the most at risk group with black widow spider bites.  If you fall in this category and are bitten, you need to get to the hospital right away.  The vast majority of people that are bitten by black widow spiders recover fully and live to tell the tale.

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The brown recluse spider has a number of distinctive features that can help identify it.  The first thing to know about the brown recluse spider is the formation of the eyes. The brown recluse actually has only six eyes instead of the spider norm of eight.  They are situated on the head in sets of two.

The brown recluse also has a violen shaped marking on the head, and the neck of the violin stretches towards the abdomen.  This marking is clearer on some than others, and they are not the only species of spider to have such markings.

The brown recluse spider is fairly small, with the total body width of about a quarter fully grown. (this is including the legs)  The brown recluse also can vary wildly in color, from a light yellowish color to to a dark brown.  Some are even reddish in tint.  It depends on the age, location, and particular group of recluses.  They are a variation of brown in most cases.

The brown recluse is just what their name implies – reclusive.  They hide away in dark, dry places which leads them to contact with humans that leave clothing in open storage, or after climbing into a shoe.

While this dangerous spider is certainly a serious problem in some areas, the vast majority of brown recluses are never seen by human eyes.  If you leave them alone, then chances are you will never get  bitten.  It is important to shake out anything that has been left sitting for a long time.  This is true both for the brown recluse, and the other dangerous spider well known in the United States – the black widow.

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The cottonmouth, commonly referred to as a water moccasin, is a stout bodied snake that is alternately described as reclusive and aggressive. My personal experience with this pit viper is that it is highly territorial, and not likely to give ground when confronted. That said, the cottonmouth has never exactly been aggressive as far as what I have seen. It will stand it’s ground, gape open it’s mouth, and wait for you to leave. This is not exactly aggressive behavior as much as stubborn.

There are at least three subspecies of cottonmouth found in North America, and they are all fairly abundant within their ranges. There is the Eastern Cottomouth (Agkistrodan piscivorus piscivorus), the Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodan piscivorus conanti) and the Western cottonmouth (Agkistrodan piscivorus leucostoma). They all are similar with coloration being the primary difference among them. This article will deal with the Eastern cottonmouth as this is the species of which I have the most knowledge of.

Is the Cottonmouth Dangerous?

Cottonmouths are venomous, and the venom is somewhat comparable to the bite of most large rattlesnakes. They are not quite as serious as those rattlesnakes, but they are more toxic than the copperhead. The bite of the cottonmouth can cause massive tissue loss at the site of the bite, and often will make you incredibly sick. Can it kill you? Absolutely it can if you do not get treatment for the bite. The vast majority of cottonmouth snake bites do not end in death, however. Bites should be considered serious and should always be treated as an emergency.

Where Are Cottonmouths Located?

Cottonmouth snakes are very common throughout the Southeast to include North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Arkansas. This list is far from all inclusive, but it is the “hot bed” of cottonmouth locations.

How Big Do Cottonmouths Get?

The cottonmouth can grow up to about 3-4 feet on average. They do not get extremely long, but they are known to get quite fat. Their bodies are very stout and the snake is quite powerful looking as a rule. Baby cottonmouths are usually about a foot.

Identification of the Cottonmouth

Cottonmouth snakes are usually identified by the white coloration that is clearly shown to anyone that happens to be close. The cottonmouth will generally curl into a strike position and gape open its jaws, thereby showing the reason they are called cottonmouths. The two large fangs that are hinged back when the snake closes its mouth are sometimes visible as well. If you are close enough to note the fangs, then you are way too close.

The head of the cottonmouth is noticeably larger than the neck, and they are generally triangular in shape. The head also houses pits which allow the snake to hunt effectively. These heat sensing pits are a primary feature of a pit viper such as the cottonmouth.

The cottonmouth also can be highly variant in color, depending on where it is located and the species. In general, cottonmouths are darker as they age, and markings begin to fade. The cottonmouth often has bands that are serrated at the edges. The ground color can be black, grey, brown, or even a olive color.

Cottonmouth Behavior

The cottonmouth has been known to do some odd things. They are not your everyday snake by any means. For example, when a cottonmouth goes into the water, they swim with the head up and over the body. Most other water snakes swim low in the water.

The classic urban myth about a water skier falling into a bed of cottonmouths is simply not true. Cottonmouths do not nest in the water, and they tend to run when in the water. Oddly, they do not seem as brave in the water as they are on land. On land, the cottonmouth is usually going to stand its ground.

Though the cottonmouth is widely feared, it should not be. The snake is a formidable reptile that deserves respect, not fear. As long as you give them a wide berth, the cottonmouth will never be a problem for anyone. They are beautiful and quite necessary in our ecosystems throughout the United States.

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