For some reason, a man drove into his head that he was the king of the whole world. That on this planet there is no creature more powerful and dangerous than him. But, alas, the reality is that there are creatures that can seriously shake his faith in himself. For example, the Brazilian wandering spider Phoneutria, or a banana spider.
A meeting with such a formidable opponent often ends not in favor of the person. And although over the past decade thanks to medicine, the number of deaths from its poison has been minimized, nevertheless, at the moment, a banana spider is the most dangerous representative of the arthropod order.
Habitat
This gloomy dweller in the jungle prefers a warm tropical climate. Therefore, the forests of Brazil and the Amazon are considered its natural habitat. Here, a banana spider feels like a king, and therefore travels freely from one place to another.
Also, representatives of the species can be found in Argentina. A small number of these spiders were seen in Uruguay. Such migration is due to the fact that in recent years the climate has changed a lot - this allowed the wandering spiders to expand their habitat.
Spider Features
A banana spider, or Brazilian wandering spider, is distinguished by its size. So, the length of his body can reach 5 cm, although there have been cases when individuals met much larger. But much more important is the fact that his paws reach a length of 15-17 cm. Because of this, he can develop tremendous speed for his size.
Most often, these spiders have a light brown color, but sometimes it can change to a darker or even scarlet color. In general, the color of this spider depends on its habitat, thereby allowing it to be perfectly masked even in open space. The whole body of the creature is covered with a small bristle, and on the lower side of the legs you can see several dark stripes.
Another feature is the threatening stance that the Brazilian banana spider takes when meeting with the enemy. He stands on his hind legs, preparing to pounce at the earliest opportunity, while his other limbs are raised.
Behavior features
A banana spider, unlike its relatives, practically does not weave networks from the web. He, like a wild beast, hunts, and his main trump card is speed and reaction. He can easily attack the victim who runs near the ambush.
Basically, these spiders catch insects, as they are much easier to catch. But small rodents and lizards can also become his food. At the same time, the hero of our story is not at all embarrassed by the fact that the victim can exceed him both in size and in physical strength.
For example, there is evidence that a representative of the genus Phoneutria defeated an adult rat. And all because the banana spider uses strong poison that can paralyze the victim in a matter of seconds. After this, the predator can only drag the prey to a place convenient for him, so that no one interferes with his meal.
Eternal Wanderer
These spiders never stay long in one place. Day after day they cross vast territories in search of new victims. That is why a banana spider is also called wandering or wandering.
The main problem is that in his travels he often wanders into settlements. And if at night he hunts on the street, then this spider spends the day in shelters, thereby avoiding the great heat.
Quite often, a banana spider chooses ordinary people as its refuge, climbing into secluded corners and beggars. There are times when they were found in shoes and even in bed.
Why is a spider called a banana?
Many are interested in why this spider is called a banana. The thing is that this predator loves to ambush among the mounds of bananas. After all, these fruits lure insects, thereby making life easier for the spider.
The trouble is that people often fall into the same trap. Inadvertently taking a branch of bananas, a person runs the risk of immediately getting a serving of poison in his hand. It also happens that a Brazilian spider, hiding in a fruit box, can travel hundreds of kilometers. Therefore, do not be surprised that sometimes these individuals are found far beyond the borders of Brazil and Argentina.
Frequent attacks on people
Unlike its relatives, a banana spider is not at all afraid of people. Moreover, he may attack them as soon as possible. This makes it very dangerous, especially for children and the elderly.
Brazilian authorities understand the whole threat posed by a banana spider. Photos of these creatures are regularly shown to children so that they know their enemy in person. They are also given special briefings in which they tell how to avoid an attack, and what to do if the spider did bite.
Nevertheless, people still continue to be subjected to terror by banana spiders. The reason for this is the high population density in Brazilian cities, especially in slum areas.
What danger is a banana spider venom?
Many believe that this spider has the most deadly poison. The reason is that the neurotoxins contained in it cause muscle paralysis. Because of this, breathing is difficult, there is a risk of cardiac arrest.
And although a banana spider during a bite introduces no more than 30% of its poison into the enemy’s body, even this amount can lead to death. Especially in cases where the victims are children or people suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
Fortunately, if the victim turns to the clinic on time, then a fatal outcome can be avoided. In addition, almost all medical centers in the above countries have a vaccine that can neutralize the poison of a vagrant spider.
