The Karakurt spider is dangerous for outdoor recreationists. Black widow spider: features of existence

Black Widow! Spiders with this name are known to many for their deadly dangerous bites. But not every spider is dangerous to humans. Female black widows stand out for their aggressiveness. They are dangerous not only for humans, but especially for males of this species. Several times the size of a female more males, which are calmer and rarely attack people.

The homeland of this type of spider is North America. But the spiders took root on ships and thus found their way to Australia and Oceania, where they became acclimatized and thrive.

The species of black widow spider should not be confused with the genus of the same name. These are different ranks in biological classification. This genus of spiders includes 31 species that live on all continents of the Earth. Not all representatives of this genus are dangerous to humans. In the south of Russia and Ukraine lives a representative of the genus - the karakurt spider, whose bite is very poisonous and can cause death.

Distinctive features of the black widow's appearance

The female spider is considered the most aggressive. Photo of black widow spider will show full beauty females Its color is jet black with glitter and a red infinity symbol on its belly. at a young age. Adults are completely black. The body of the spider does not exceed 1 cm in diameter, while the total size of the female spider is about 6 cm. There are 4 thin prehensile legs on each side of the body.

Aggression in many cases is not justified, so when meeting it it is better not to provoke it, otherwise a bite cannot be avoided. Black widows do not attack for nothing; they often protect their offspring. When meeting a spider, it is better to simply walk around it. In the event of a bite when poison enters the human body, the victim will require emergency medical care, without which death is not excluded.

Males, unlike females, are calmer and are not famous for attacks on people. They are several times smaller in size than females with a grayish-brown body color. On the back of males there is an ornament of horizontal and vertical white stripes.

Small spiders, just born, have a pale yellow or white color. Age-related changes in spiders are marked by a change in color according to gender.

Danger of the black widow

Black widow spider: close-up photo.

For children and older people, bites almost always lead to death, regardless of the specialized care provided. Not even every adult healthy body able to cope with symptoms after a bite:

• cramps in the limbs;
• fever;
• sweating;
• headache;
• acute pain in the abdominal cavity, often reminiscent of exacerbation of pancreatitis and ulcer disease;
• failure of breathing;
• arrhythmia leading to heart failure.

All these symptoms appear as the poison spreads throughout the body. Fatal poisoning lasts 15-60 minutes. ultimately leading to death.

Rendering medical care will not give a quick and complete recovery. First aid provides relief from symptoms within a few hours with their resumption in full. The gradual introduction of vaccines and medications allows you to return to normal life in 1-1.5 weeks. Minor health problems observed before a spider bite can worsen and become chronic, and chronic diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems can also appear.

Photo of a black widow

Black widow spider with prey.

The black widow spider caught a small lizard.

The black widow spider caught a small snake.

Black widow spider: adult female.

Black widow spider: adult female with prey.

Secrets of the black widow

This type of spider got its name due to the cruel treatment of females with males. They simply eat them after mating, and only a few males manage to avoid the fate of becoming lunch. Females spend most of their time sitting on the web with their growing offspring and waiting for easy prey or a male, although they apparently do not distinguish prey well from males of their species. So, the female black widows wait on their web, while the males move around in search of their beloved for mating.

The approach of a male to a web with a female occurs with extreme caution. The initial sniffing of the edge of the web and observing the behavior of the hostess of the “lace” makes it clear whether she is ready for mating or not. Readiness to accept a male for mating is marked by the female creating certain vibrations distributed throughout the web.

But the name itself comes from the behavior hungry female, which can suddenly attack a partner and then eat him, without even waiting for mating. Such actions are also observed after fertilization, which caused hunger in the female. We can say that the color of the black widow emphasizes main role females

Having eaten, the female begins to weave a cocoon in which she lays eggs. She hides this cocoon in the shade, for example under a stone or a snag, or in a hole. The female is very aggressive in protecting her young and many bites occur due to people approaching the cocoon.

Black widow spider with cocoons and cubs.

Spiderlings usually hatch from eggs after three weeks. But mom doesn't feed them. They eat each other. Thus, only the strongest and most cruel children are selected from the cocoon. No more than 12 of these thugs survive in one clutch.

With age, the poisonousness of the black widow increases.

And it has the same poisonous properties.

Black widow spider - distributed throughout the United States, with the exception of Alaska; There are especially many of these spiders in the southeast. The body length is up to 1 cm, the leg span is up to 5 cm. This spider is shiny, black, with two red markings in the form hourglass on the ventral surface of the abdomen, the abdomen is droplet-like, convex, thick. The female is a very poisonous spider; males are less common and are almost harmless. Males have four pairs of red dots located along the sides of the abdomen. After mating, the female devours the male, hence the name "black widow" - although this is found in most spiders and even praying mantises.

The black widow spins its web in the dark corners of sheds, barns, garages and under stones, boards, and pipes stacked for repairs. Most bites occur in the summer and early fall and occur when people destroy a spider's web or try to catch a spider.

The bite of a female spider is poisonous, accompanied by local pain, swelling, nausea, difficulty breathing and is sometimes fatal. At least three other black widow species are also poisonous to humans: the brown or gray widow spider; red widow spider, with sparse red and yellow markings; and the northern widow spider. Black widow spiders produce a neurotoxin that causes severe pain, muscle cramps and even paralysis. The poison is more dangerous for children than for adults. Their bites are very dangerous, although antidotes have long been created that allow you to recover from the poison in a few days - because it takes time to be delivered to the hospital. But neurotoxins paralyze insects so quickly that the spider often starts eating while the victim is still alive. Most black widow species prefer flight to attack. A disturbed spider often pretends to be dead, with its legs tucked in, and runs only if they try to catch it or it seems to it that the danger has passed; it is not aggressive in itself and attacks people in case of its defense.

The venom of black widows is extremely toxic: they are considered one of the most dangerous spiders in the world.

Notes

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One of the most common arthropods throughout the Earth is the black widow spider. Its variety has 31 subspecies. These spiders make their home in secluded places where there is little sun and enough small insects.

One of the most common arthropods throughout the Earth is the black widow spider.

Ruthless arthropod cannibal

The black widow squad got its name because of its famous cannibalism. The female spider of this species eats the male after mating, and can feed on similar arthropods and even her own brood of spiderlings.

But some scientists refute these facts by the fact that such observations are carried out in laboratory conditions, where very often spiders have no choice but to eat their loved ones. And the male will not be able to avoid such a fate, because he has nowhere to run. But in the wild, in the natural environment, their behavior is significantly different.

Before mating, the male black widow courtes his lady for a long time and performs mating dances. Some scientists explain this flirting by the fact that sudden aggressive actions can provoke the spider to attack. In this case, the groom risks becoming dinner, and not the father of offspring.

Due to such cannibalistic incidents, the lifespan of spiders is short. In addition, karakurt (black widow) is a favorite treat for many birds and mantises. Usually bright color helps its owner, warning everyone about poisonous properties body. But in this case, the female karakurt is not saved by her red spot on her abdomen.

The life cycle of spiders most often does not exceed a year, but there are also long-livers that reach three years. Among the latter one cannot find males, in natural environment habitat, their life is much shorter than that of females of this species. Only in artificial conditions they can live for a long time without ever mating.

Muskox: description and lifestyle in natural conditions

How to determine the habitat of karakurt (video)

Characteristics and description

In fact, the black widow spider is not aggressive. Karakurts bite people not out of a desire to kill or eat, but only for the sake of protection when a person poses a threat. Even an accidental intrusion into the territory of a karakurt provokes an attack by a spider.

A healthy adult may not be afraid of karakurt poison. Fatal consequences from a bite can only occur in sick people, children and the elderly. But be that as it may, an antidote is necessary for every victim. The black widow spider's venom, which enters the bloodstream, can lead to further mental problems, nervous system and muscles.

The female black widow has stronger venom than the male. The spider is much larger than its mate, has a red or orange hourglass mark on its abdomen and shiny dark organs. The male is paler, with red or pink spots on the back. These karakurts have 4 pairs of legs approximately 12 mm long, and the body reaches 40 mm in females and approximately 20-25 mm in males.

The spider's web is stronger than silk, and to make it convenient to pull thin threads over prey, these spiders have curved bristles on the back pair of legs. Karakurt weaves thick fabrics, rather than delicate lace, to catch grasshoppers, various insects and other spiders.

Gallery: black widow (43 photos)

Unusual pet

Many people do not know what a black widow spider looks like and confuse the poisonous one with its relatives. There are a lot of dangerous spiders on Earth that look like black widows, each of them has its own habits and characteristics. In the vastness of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, the false black widow is found.

For example, the white karakurt, which is most often found in steppe areas, is one of the subspecies of the black widow. This spider is not so poisonous; its bite will never lead to fatal consequences. But that doesn't mean it's safe to try his fangs.

Karakurt can live as pet, and there is even every chance of growing a centenarian. But it is not suitable for beginners, because it has a peculiar character. Most of the bites from poisonous spiders occur on such unfortunate hosts. Dealing with a poisonous pet requires a lot of experience and skill. If large tarantulas more or less adapt to home life and can sit in the arms of their owner, then karakurts are not like that at all.

Spiders are one of the most terrifying creatures on the planet. Despite their small size, they can cause a lot of trouble for their neighbors. Especially those who have a difficult disposition and are not afraid to attack people. The black widow spider is considered one of the most dangerous, because its bite can lead to death.

That is why it will be useful for every person to learn about his unpleasant neighbor. So that when you meet, you can recognize him without any doubt and be ready to take the necessary measures. After all, this is the only way to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Males are much smaller, which makes them vulnerable to their mates. Also in their glands the concentration of poison is much lower, which makes them harmless to humans. But the trouble is that in nature, males are much less common, and, therefore, the chance of running into a poisonous spider is still quite high.

Where does the spider live?

North America is considered the homeland of this arthropod. There and now their numbers are highest, just like the number of cases of attacks on people.

With the development of trade routes, the black widow spider managed to move to other continents. Now they can be found everywhere, even in Australia, which is considered the most isolated continent.

Do we have a black widow spider? In Russia, unfortunately, these creatures are also found. And if previously they could only be seen in the Caucasus or Crimea, then with climate change they began to move closer. For example, an official case was recorded when a black widow was found in Taganrog.

Features of behavior and methods of hunting

The black widow spider leads a closed lifestyle. To set up a den, he looks for a quiet area where uninvited guests rarely appear. There weaves a net that can become a good lasso for small insects. Often it is located at a height of 30-40 cm and has an arbitrary shape.

Although this predator has eight eyes, it practically does not use them when hunting. He uses the network as his main weapon. As soon as the victim touches it, the spider is already on alert, and at the first convenient opportunity it will attack its prey.

Mating season

With the arrival of warmer weather, spiders begin their mating season, during which males begin to actively look for a mate. It is curious that the gentleman, having entered the web of his chosen one, begins to emit special vibrations. Thanks to this, the spider understands that she has a welcome guest.

As soon as sexual intercourse ends, and sometimes even during it, the female stings her companion and wraps him in a web in order to later satisfy her hunger. Afterwards, she prepares to lay eggs, for which she looks for a secluded place and begins to weave cocoons.

One cocoon can hold from 20 to 350 eggs, but only a few will crawl out of it. Since the mother does not feed her children, after some time they begin to eat each other. And after 3-4 weeks, no more than a dozen spiders appear outside.

How dangerous is the bite?

Many people are interested in how deadly the black widow spider is? The bite of this creature is dangerous, since the secretion contains poison, the strength of which exceeds that found in the glands of a rattlesnake. But the good thing is that when a person is bitten, not many toxins enter the human body, because the spider itself is much smaller than a snake. And yet painful sensations cannot be avoided.

Bite symptoms:

1. It is impossible to miss the moment of injection of poison, since it looks like a sharp prick with a sharp object. After which two points will be visible on the body, which are difficult to confuse with something else.
2. After 20-30 minutes, the muscles around the bite will begin to contract, and pain will be felt.
3. Muscle spasms will spread throughout the body. Toxins in the blood lead to fever and sometimes even nausea and chills.
4. Only after 24 hours the effect of the bite begins to recede. Full recovery occurs only after one week.

It is important that if you are bitten, you should definitely see a doctor. Ideally, he should inject a serum that neutralizes the effects of toxins. And remember: if an adult gets away with an unpleasant experience, then for children and the elderly such a bite can be fatal. The same goes for people who are allergic to certain toxins or have health problems.