Brazilian Wandering Spider

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Wandering_spider
Brazilian wandering spider. Image credit: Techuser GFDL v1.2

Brazilian Wandering Spider…

Wandering_spider
Brazilian wandering spider. Image credit: Techuser GFDL v1.2

These huge, hairy creepy-crawlies are the eight species of the genus Phoneutria (Greek for “murderess”), considered to be the world’s most venomous spiders. One of these species, P. fera, is even in Guinness World Records for this. Fortunately, though, there is effective anti-venom.

Unlike most spiders, the Brazilian wandering spider doesn’t build a web. Instead, it actively hunts for its prey. Being nocturnal, it hunts at night, wandering the forest floor, and rests during the day under fallen logs, termite mounds and banana plants.

Phoneutria_nigriventer
This and other species of the genus Phoneutria are extremely venomous and should generally not be handled by humans. Image credit: João P. Burini GFDL v1.2

It is when the spider has taken refuge in a banana plant that humans are most likely to come across it, and to be bitten. Though this spider won’t intentionally attack humans to kill them, it will bite if it feels threatened. In defensive mode, the spider lifts itself up on its rear legs, then lifts its first pair of legs into the air while swaying from side to side. This defensive pose easily identifies it as belonging to the genus Phoneutria.

Brazilian wandering spiders are also mentioned in:
Top 15 Most Dangerous Animals in the Amazon Rainforest.

Brazilian wandering spiders are featured in the following books:
25 Most Deadly Animals in the World
25 of the Most Poisonous Animals in the World!
25 Amazon Rainforest Animals




The YouTube video below is a collection of videos about the Brazilian wandering spider. The list of videos featured is underneath.

The Playlist:

  • Deadly Spider Bite! by National Geographic
  • Brazilian Wandering Spider – slk320k gives us a real close-up of the aggressive wandering spider, with some details on how deadly it really is.
  • World’s Deadliest Spider Found in Oklahoma Grocery Store by osborne89
  • Richard & Judy with Jake Willers and spider bite victim. by Cherokee775
  • 15 Most Dangerous Animals in the Amazon Rainforest by IP Factly

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