Pictures of Brown Recluse Spider Bites

What you should do when a brown recluse spider bites you:

1.  Do go to the emergency room or doctor.  Brown recluse spider bites are serious because the venom is necrotic.  That is, it eats away at and kills tissue under the skin.  These bites can lead to serious complications up to and including amputation.  Worst case scenarios may even include death.

2.  Do apply ice to a brown recluse spider bite.  This will help with swelling and pain, and should be done on the way to the doctor.

3.  Do wash the bite site with soap and cool water.  This will help the brown recluse spider bite site resist infection.

4.  Do elevate the limb above the heart.  Venom travels through the blood stream, and you want to keep the bite site above your heart.

5. Do take acetamenophene for any pain you experience from the brown recluse spider bite.

6.  Do remain calm after being bitten by a brown recluse spider.  The venom travels faster if you are excited or active.

What you should not do if bitten by a brown recluse spider:

1.  Do not risk retrieving the spider unless you can safely do so.  You do not want to risk another bite.  Try to identify the brown recluse.  You can read about brown recluse spider identification here.

2.  Do not ever add heat to the bite site.  Heat will cause the tissue to break down quicker with a brown recluse spider bite.

3.  Do not suck, cut, or attempt to remove the venom from a brown recluse spider bite.  This can cause further damage as well as an added risk of spreading the venom.

4.  Do not medicate the brown recluse bite site with creams, or medicines of any kind.  Some of these can cause major problems with a brown recluse spider bite.

When you arrive at the doctors, you may receive any number of treatments for your brown recluse spider bite.  These can include tetanus shots, allergy meds, pain medications, and even antibiotics.  These depend on the site, as well as your reaction to the brown recluse spider bite.

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Indian Cobra Courtesy of Wikipedia user Kamalnv

The big four venomous snakes in Asia are the four snakes that are most common to kill. These snakes are all quick to bite and can be deadly in a very short period of time.  What truly makes the big four dangerous, however, is the fact that they are all found in and around the human population.  This leads to more venomous snake bites than in most countries, and in turn, more deaths.

Each of these powerful venomous snakes are capable of killing a human, and each of them can be readily found throughout the cities of India.  These venomous snakes are kind of a win/lose situation for the residents there – on the one hand they keep the vermin population in check, and on the other they are deadly if you are bitten.  Anti-venin is available widely throughout India in the event of a snake bite, and is a must if you are bitten by these big four snakes.

You will notice that the lengendary king cobra is not on this list of the big four.  The reason?  The king cobra is a reclusive snake that is content to hang out in the jungle.  For this reason, they do not come in contact with the people of India nearly as often.  Therefore they are not as dangerous.  A bite from a king cobra is as deadly as they come, but they are just much rarer.

Here are some interesting notes about each of the big four venomous snakes of Asia:

The Indian Cobra – also called a monocled cobra.  The Indian cobra is the cobra of legend that has a pair of monocled glasses on it’s back.  They are quite venomous, and will bite readily if you surprise or harrass them.  This is the snake that is used by snake charmers in India.

Russell's Viper Courtesy of Wikipedia Commons User Saleem Hameed

The Russell’s Viper – This snake is one of the most feared snakes in Asia.  One reason is because the snake is so tough to see, and so quick to bite.  They will strike without warning, and deliver a highly potent painful deadly snake bite.  The Russell’s viper is no joke in India.

The Saw-Scaled Viper – This little buggar is interesting in that it sounds much like a small rattlesnake.  The sound that it makes comes from rubbing it’s own scales against one another to create a buzzing noise.  This noise is sure to get people’s attention in India as they know the danger of this highly aggressive viper.

The Common Krait – Another potentially deadly snake that is famous in India.  It appears this

Saw Scaled Viper

snake is prone to climbing into bed with you in pursuit of a rodent or other vermin.  This is not a nightime surprise I would want to experience.  The common Krait is a beautiful but potentially deadly reptile.

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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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Timber Rattlesnake Pattern

The timber rattlesnake, also commonly called the canebrake rattlesnake, is a relatively mild mannered member of the rattlesnake family.  Though they are less likely to jump into a fight, they are still very fierce when cornered.  The timber rattlesnake much prefers staying far away from human contact, and will usually slide away if it has an avenue of escape.

How Dangerous is The Timber Rattlesnake?

The timber rattlesnake, though not inclined to be overly aggressive, is still potentially lethal.  The toxicity of a timber rattlesnake is not usually as lethal as the more volatile eastern and western diamondbacks, but they are still very dangerous rattlesnakes.  Their toxin is generally less destructive to the soft tissues, but can still kill a person if not treated quickly.  The bite of the timber rattlesnake requires immediate medical attention.

Where Do You Find The Timber Rattlesnake?

Timber Rattlesnake Blending In

Generally, the timber rattlesnake is protected and it’s numbers are dwindling due to a loss of habitat.  They do not generally enjoy being near people, and as we encroach further on their habitat, they are finding themselves with no place to go.  The timber rattlesnake can be found as far North as New England, and as far West as Texas.  They are found in the vast majority of the East.  They generally hang out in open fields, woodlands, prairies and grasslands.  When they den, they usually like to do so in rocky areas.

What Does The Timber Rattlesnake Look Like and How Big Do They Get?

The timber rattlesnake is not a very long snake.  It gets to about four feet on average, but can get as big as six feet in length.  They tend to be on the fat side, and can get quite thick if the food is aplenty.  Timber rattlesnakes can be a dark brown, yellow, or gray.  Sometimes they are black.  The timber rattlesnake has a chevron pattern or cross-band pattern.

What Does The Timber Rattlesnake Eat?

Timber rattlesnakes love to eat rats, lizards, other snakes, birds, rabbits and even the occasional frog.  If it is edible and fits in their mouths, they will generally go for it.

Are There Similar Snakes That Look Like The Timber Rattlesnake

Would You Want To Meet This One Up Close?

The timber rattlesnake shares it’s territory with the Eastern Diamondback, but few would mistake them for one another.  The Eastern is generally much larger, but a young Eastern diamondback might be mistaken for a young adult timber rattlesnake to a person that is not familiar.

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Ironically, the truth about the Sydney funnel web spider is plenty scary enough.  This spider has the ability to kill a healthy human being without proper treatment of a bite, and it is not hesitant to deliver a deep bite.  The Sydney funnel web spider is highly aggressive when threatened or encountered, though not to the levels they are purported to reach.   Here are some of the hilarious Sydney funnel web spider myths and stories I have heard in my studies:

Sydney funnel web spider Myths and Stories:

- One website that I came across said that the Sydney funnel web spider he encountered literally chased him for half a mile….. Really.

- Another myth was that the Sydney funnel web spider was milked and filled up two cups full of venom.  This is not even funny it is so stupid.

- A fairly respected website I came across said that the Sydney funnel web spider can grow as big as a dinner plate.  Again, that is a massive exaggeration.

- The Sydney funnel web spider does not kill people in five minutes.  As a matter of fact, their have been no recorded human deaths since the advent of antivenin.  The venom is seriously dangerous without the antivenin, however.  Not five minutes deadly, but deadly all the same.

- Sydney funnel web spiders do not “set up house” inside of homes.  Males wander at night, and sometimes become trapped inside.   They do not wish to stay there, and will get out given the chance.  They do not stay on purpose.

- The Sydney funnel web spider does not jump up on top of people to bite them.  This again, is an exaggeration probably stemming from the fact that they rear up on their hind legs and stab with their fangs when they bite.  They do not leap across the room to chase you down.

Picture credited to Wikipedia User en:User:Tirin, www.takver.com

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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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