I have this big black spider in the corner of my garage in Vegas. Since spiders really don't bother me I've just ignored it. Today when we got home from shopping I took a closer look at it. It had a red hour glass on it. Interesting. So I got up close and took a picture of it. Click on the picture to see a closer view. I got on my computer and discovered it is a black widow spider. Here are some fun facts about black widow spiders:
The female Black Widow is shiny black, usually with a reddish hourglass shape on the underside of her spherical abdomen. She hangs belly upward and rarely leaves the web. Black Widow is considered the most venomous spider in North America. The venom of the black widow spider is 15 times as toxic as the venom of the prairie rattlesnake. The bite itself is often not painful and may go unnoticed. But the poison injected by the the Black Widow bite can cause abdominal pain similar to appendicitis as well as pain to muscles or the soles of the feet. Other symptoms include alternating salivation and dry-mouth, paralysis of the diaphragm, profuse sweating and swollen eyelids.
I think I better get rid of this spider. Now that I think about it, I might have one in the other corner by my moving boxes.....
7 comments:
Yikes, squish that thing!!!! Barb
Doesn't she look cool? Once she mates with a male spider, she eats it. Ha! I'll keep on looking at it for awhile and then before spring do something with it before it mates and produces a bunch of little spiders.
Jackie!!i had a dream about black widows last night. weeeirrrd. it was a nightmare.
they were all OVER me.
you are crazy for keeping that around. at least contain it in a jar. eeeeeek!
have you seen any tarantulas? they are out there too... and here...
triple yuck.
Kelsey, Not sure what I will do with it. Just don't want to get stung. No I have not seen a tarantula yet. When I'm walking the trails I look, but so far no sighting. Have you seen one?
What happens when you get back from WI afer Christmas she "she" isn't in her little web??? Won't you be worried about where she is????? Barb
I hope the door between the garage and the apartment is sealed good :)
If you're concerned about their stinger .. there is no need to worry.
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