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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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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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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I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

The black mamba is named after the black coloration of the inside of their mouths and not their body color. If you notice, the black mamba is actually a greyish color. Their mouths are jet black when they open it however.

The black mamba is also one of the largest venomous species of snake in the world. This African serpent is actually the second largest in the world among venomous species. Only the king cobra is larger. The black mamba can reach fourteen feet in length.

The black mamba is also highly aggressive. In spite of this fact, they will still attempt to escape given the chance. They are not interested in conflict with humans, but if they are cornered they are capable, and highly aggressive fighters. Never approach a black mamba in the wild or anywhere else. They can kill you in a flash if you are not near antivenin. Even with the antidote, the black mamba still can be deadly. Without the antivenin, the black mambas bite is nearly 100 percent fatal.

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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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Copperhead

Perhaps no other venomous snake in North America is more widely confused than the copperhead.  The copperhead actually has three different subspecies throughout North America.  These subspecies are all quite similar, and all venomous.  The copperhead snake is also the most common snakebite in North America among the dangerous snakes.  This fascinating reptile is not the evil serpent people think.

How Dangerous is The Copperhead

The copperhead has venom that is roughly half the toxicity of a rattlesnake.  Additionally, the copperhead also has relatively small fangs and delivers a much smaller amount of venom.  Because of these factors, the copperhead often is a much less serious snake bite than that of the cottonmouth or rattlesnake.  Still, as with any snake bite, it is considered a medical emergency and can be extremely dangerous.  The copperhead is not a ready biter, but will bite if it feels threatened.  Often, people accidentally step on them due to their fantastic talent of blending with their surroundings.  The vast number of a copperhead bite victims never see the snake.

Copperhead

Where Do You Find The Copperhead

The copperhead is found throughout the United States and is the most widely distributed venomous snake in the country.  They like to hang out in brush, under leaves, and anywhere that they can find a meal.  They are also the most likely venomous snake to encounter around your home.  The copperhead is very adaptive in this way.

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

A copperhead snake will generally grow to a maximum of about three feet.  They all have copper colored heads, and have a ground color of pink, brown, or even tan depending on the subspecies.  They have triangular shaped heads, and the trademark facial pits that pit vipers are known for.  They also have markings that are smaller around the spine and widen as they go towards the underside of the snake.  These markings are darker than the ground color of the copperhead.

Copperhead

What Does The Copperhead Eat?

The copperhead eats small rodents, vermin and anything else they can capture.  They have been known to kill and eat lizards and other similar types of prey as well.

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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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Snake bite myths are something else.  I once was told this story by a person that obviously thought I knew diddily squat about snakes.  I laughed and walked away, though I should have informed them that a black mamba does not chase you unless cornered.  Even then, it will quickly take an escape route if given one.  I should have also told them that a black mamba does not kill you in ten seconds, unless it gives you a heart attack from the scare.

This story illustrates the irrational fears that people have about snakes.  The fact is, snake bites are almost always a case of someone doing something stupid.  Maybe they tried to kill the snake.  Maybe they stepped on it.  Maybe they tried to play with it.  I assure you they were not chased by it.

Snakes are creatures that simply want no part of anything that they can not eat.  They do not wish to harm people.  They can not eat us, and so we are useless to them.  We may be a danger to them, and so they bite in self defense.  Snake bites happen when we invade the reptile’s space.

The one exception to this rule might be the reticulated python or the Anaconda.  These two snakes could almost certainly eat a child or small framed adult.  The veracity of those claims is constantly debated.  What is certain is that many snakes can kill humans.  This does not mean they want to.

Venomous snakes bite purely in self defense.  If they feel threatened, they will bite quickly and forcefully.  The thing is, they sometimes do not even inject the venom.  This is called a “dry bite” and is usually because the snake is reserving their venom for food sources.  They do not want to waste their venom on us silly humans.

If you want to see the perfect example of people doing stupid things to get snake bitten, read all about this guy that got bitten in the face by a deadly pet gaboon viper.  It is a good illustration of how we bring snake bites down on ourselves.

The bottom line is that if we leave them alone, they will do the same.  If you come across a snake, ignore it and give it a wide berth.  I assure you, it will not chase you….. Even in Africa.

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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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