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The banana spider is regularly referred to as the world’s deadliest spider. By having some knowledge it will help you to do the right thing should this creature cross your path. There are actually two spiders referred to as the ‘banana spider’.

The Golden Silk Spider (Nephila clavipes) are often thought of as banana spiders because of their yellow bodies. Their web is very strongly woven and looks like gold thread in the sunshine. The webs are about three feet wide. These spiders are all over the southern part of the United States, especially in Florida. It is rare for them to bite people. The female is around 3 inches long, yet the male is only 1/2 inch long.

The other spider known as the banana spider is a much more dangerous spider. They are the Phoneutria banana spider known as the Brazilian Wandering Spider. There are eight different species of the phoneutria of which two, the phoneutria nigriventer and phoneutria fera are recognised as being extremely dangerous.

The Brazilian Wandering Spider is found over large parts of South America and some parts of Central America. They are called ‘banana spider’ as they are frequently found on banana leaves.

These spiders have on occasion unintentionally appeared on banana boats heading for the United States. They hide in dark moist places and in banana boxes.

My mother recalls as a young child her mother removing a spider 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. From her description it seems highly likely it was a Brazilian Wandering Spider.

In the Guinness Book of World Records they are listed as the planets most venomous animal. A banana spider is a spider to be extremely wary of
spider to be extremely wary of and one that may well terrify you if you have a fear of spiders.

The Brazilian Wandering Spider is extremely fast, extremely venomous and extremely aggressive. If you are bitten by one, you should get immediate emergency treatment as the venom may be life threatening.

The Phoneutria has a potent neurotoxin and is said to have one of the most excruciatingly painful spider bites due to its high concentration of serotonin. The antidote for the bite of one was discovered by Carlos Chagas from Brazil.

They have an aggressive defence posture, in which they raise their front legs straight up into the air and rock 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’. True spiders all 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. The spiders are encountered in peoples homes hiding in poeples’ shoes, hats and other clothes.

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Video of a banana spider eating a grub FAQ: Q: How did the grub get into the web? A: I put it there Q: Why is this featured? A: Because they couldn’t feature the real version, shown below as a movie response, due to the music is has in it.

FULL VERSION IS HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B81ZzU7hJPY It’s much longer, and has music. Sorry for the confusion. Want to learn more about it? Go here: http://forums.facepunchstudios.com/showthread.php?t=215260

Duration : 0:1:9

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