Spider warning - White tails

[bloodhound31]

I found this sheila in my shed today, about 30mm in length. Probably the biggest I've seen yet. This is called a white-tail or white-tipped spider. There are a lot of myths going around about necrotic wounds, people's flesh rotting and dropping off and what have you.....

Full story here. (http://barryarmsteadphotography.webs.com/expeditionjournal.htm)

P.S. if anyone you know has been bitten by CONFIRMED white tip spider, I am researching them and would love an email detailing your symptoms, prognosis and doctors advice, treatment and any other details about the incident.

[troypiggo]

I don't really have a problem with spiders, but these guys I just don't trust. Great shots though.

[bloodhound31]

Reading my mind again mate.

[lacad01]

Great shots Baz. So what's the truth behind these guys bites :question:

[troypiggo]

Was interested to check this myself. From the Australian Museum website:

[Ric]

Great shots Baz

At 30mm in length that's a bloody big one.

Troy, I read an article once from a West Australian research team which also suggested that rather than the venom being the problem it was the bacteria living on the spiders fangs.

They are known to be scavengers and the team identified Golden Staph as one of the bacterias.

Definitely a spider to be wary of.

[DJDD]

I had a friend doing research on white-tails and redbacks.
he said only about 5% of people have the extensive problems mentioned.

still, i don't trust them, either!
edit: it's those spiders not friends that I do not trust

[bloodhound31]

I'm doing some of my own. I think Wiki needs updating and CSIRO already have their hands full...

Added red text to the original post.

[BlackWidow]

Had a friend at work (lost contact with him now) who was bitten by one that was in his Ugg Boot.. He had the problem of hi skin dissolving around his heal and had to have skin removed from elsware and grafted onto his foot.. He was in a real bad way and it happend within 12 hours of the bite. I also don't trust them and all of them I see simply get killed...


Spider Murderer
Mardy

[troypiggo]

Baz, I've posted the question in the spider Q&A section of the Australian Invertebrates Forum http://inverts.com.au
Those guys really know their stuff I think, keep spiders as pets, know the IDs if they were bitten by one. Will keep you posted as info feeds in.

[bloodhound31]

Thanks Mardy. If you ever got in contact with your friend again, I would very much like to hear the story first-hand with all the details.



Troy, you are already awesome enough in my book, now I have to think of a bigger word to beat awesome because you are awesomer than awesome.

Baz.

[Ric]

By coincidence I had one wandering accross the tiles in the bathroom this morning.Like Martin it recieved the "Royal Order of the size 10 RFS Boot"

[jenchris]

I got bitten by one (I saw it bite me) it was a bit like a bee sting.
There was very little reaction for a week or so then I realised that the small scab was covering a 'core' that was like the core of a boil.
I removed the scab and scoured out the junk (which was notpainful in any way.) It scabbed over and then got better after being a bit red for a few days. It has left a small indentation in the back of my leg and a scar about 10mm across

[Poita]

I've been bitten by both a white tail and a funnel web. I'll take the white-tail any day of the week.
The funnel web made me feel like I had been run over by a truck for days.

[bloodhound31]

Thanks guys! Would you be willing to PM me with all the gory details for my research compilation? :D

Baz.

[troypiggo]

LOL. Reading through AIF in the spiders section and someone dared to talk about squishing these white tails. Note that this was in the sub-section of the forum specifically for people who keep spiders as pets, breed them, love them. Needless to say it didn't go down too well.

One poster reckons she(?) had no allergies, got bitten by a white tail, bit of the skin necrosis, and now is allergic to several other insects/spiders that she wasn't allergic to before.

[Poita]

Bounce me a PM as I'll forget, happy to pass on any info.

[troypiggo]

Baz, found a link to a study: http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/179_04_180803/isb10785_fm.html

[bloodhound31]

Done mate.


Thanks Troy! Looking now.

Baz.

[bloodhound31]

Yep, that's the one the Wiki page references.

[MrB]

There seems to be a huge variation in the appearance of these spiders.
All the ones I've seen here have been light grey coloured and have slender abdomens with four spots and a white tip. Very different to the photo's in the OP.
Google image search is quite interesting.

I wonder if there is just one type in particular that causes necrosis and the others do not? Just a thought.

[bloodhound31]

The one I have photographed is a female. Males have the slender abdomens.

[MrB]

Yeah I wondered about that. I've never seen a plump abdomen white-tail around here.. thats not to say they don't exist.
Still seems to be a massive variation in their colour, shape and markings though: Google Image (http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&biw=1247&bih=678&gbv=2&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=white+tail+spider&oq=white+tail+spider&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=12668l13976l0l14083l7l7l0l3l 3l1l369l666l2-1.1l2l0)
Seems hard to believe there wouldn't be an equal variation in venom.

[Ric]

Speaking of spiders, has anyone noticed how aggressive the Huntsmen are this year.

I've had about three in the last week directly challenging me as I walk past them. They are not little either they are about the size of bread plate from lep tip to leg tip.

They are actively following me around the outside of the house and when I turn to them they rear up in a attack position an attempt to charge as well.:eek:

I haven't seen this type of behaviour before as they are usually quite timid.

Weird stuff indeed. :screwy:

[bloodhound31]

I saw one do that last year in the office at work. It was right up in the corner of the wall and ceiling and as we approached too close, it flinched and raised the front legs up.