Is any spider in Australia poisonous enough to kill an healthy adult?
594597
The funnel web spider is the most deadly in Australia.  After being bitten there is little hope.  Death occurs with in an hour.  There is an anti venom if you can get it.  The funnel web lives in a underground tunnel and when the trip line is snagged the spider will charge out at its prey and repeatedly bite until it is dead.
878859
Good question, I would think so. Their venom is very poisonous. Here are a few websites on cobras and their venom, because I don't know much about them:\n\nhttp://cobra.ucsd.edu/Research/Cobra%20Venom.htm\nMostly about the chemical make-up of cobra venom, but not the best one. It's pretty short.\n\nhttp://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/kingcobra/index-n.html\nThis one is really reliable, it is an actual National Geographic website! Click on the "Enter if you dare" thing and a pop-up will come up with an interactive cobra explaining the different features. It says the venom kills by stunning the nervous system and stopping your breathing! Also, some king cobras can stand up to look you in the eye.\n\nhttp://www.rochedalss.qld.edu.au/animalprojects/cobra.htm\nHere's just a short little site with information on cobras, king cobras namely.
347054
More imformation would deffinently help. It is pretty much impossible to tell from the info you gave. What do you mean octagon spider? Does that refer to the web? Some helpful info would be the color, size, and shape of the spider, the shape, size, and location of the web, and where you found the spider (state, country, ect.). Any other information would also help. \n\nAnother thing to consider is that all spiders (other than a small, rare family) have venom. It is unlikely that they are very harmful, but again, I would need more information to say that for sure. Try a field guide (library is a good place to look) and see if you can find what kind it is, then research that one. If you want, post some more info here, and I will try to find it.
991719
It depends on the spider...if it is not poisonous, you will probably get something that looks like a mosquito bite. Be careful though, you can get a secondary infection(cellulitus), that may require antibiotics. It looks like a regular bite, but the skin around it gets red and inflamed. If you suspect a spider is poisonous, you should head to the ER asap!
1086335
It is difficult to be sure you have had a spider bite unless you actually saw the spider on your skin.  There are over 50 spiders which can bite you.  Only about 3 of them are harmful.  A black widow does not cause swelling.  It injects a poison which will give you belly pain.  The other spiders can cause local irritation.  There is nothing you can do to limit the size of the reaction.  Just keep the area clean.  Make sure you have had a tetanus shot and see a doctor only if it looks infected, with redness, pain and a fever.  If you have trouble or pain with moving your fingers you should also consider seeing a doctor.  It is very important to keep the arm elevated and keep a cool pack on it at least 4 times a day for 15 minutes each time.  Good luck!
257882
1) Fierce Snake or Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus ), Australia. The most toxic venom of any snake. Maximum yield recorded (for one bite) is 110mg. That would porbably be enough to kill over 100 people or 250,000 mice. These rare snakes are vitually unknown in collections outside of Australia.\n2) Australian Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis ), Australia. One 1/14,000 of an ounce of this vemon is enough to kill a person. \n3) Malayan Krait (Bungarus candidus ), Southeast Asia and Indonesia. 50% of the bites from this snake are fatal even with the use of antivenin treatment. \n4) Taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus ), Australia. The venom delivered in a single Taipan bite is enough to kill up to 12,000 guinea pigs. \n5) Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus ), Australia. \n6) Beaked Sea Snake (Enhydrina schistosa ), South Asian waters Arabian Sea to Coral Sea..\n7) Saw Scaled Viper (Echis carinatus ), Middle East Asia.\n8) Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius ), North America.\n9) Boomslang (Dispholidus typus ), Africa. \n10) Death Adder (Acanthopis antarcticus ), Australia and New Guinea. \n11) Black Mamba, both species of Green Mambas, and the Mojave Rattlesnake.\n\nHope that helps you!
1185892
The poison from the skin of the world's most poisonous known creature-the tiny, 1.5-inch, Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis)-kills the monkey.\n\nAn average P. terribilis contains about one milligram of poison, which is enough to kill 10,000 mice-perhaps enough to kill 10 to 20 humans if the poison reaches their bloodstreams.\n\nThis extraordinarily lethal poison (a steroid alkaloid, called batrachotoxin) almost does not occur in nature. We have found this poison only among three poison frogs in Colombia and two poison birds in Papua, New Guinea.\n\nThe yellow frog stores the poison in skin glands, as do most frogs. Due to their poison, frogs taste awful to predators but P. terribilis' poison kills whatever eats it-except for a snake (Liophis epinephelus). This snake is resistant to the frog's poison but not immune.\n\n"We fed one juvenile frog to a snake and the snake showed great distress and was rendered helpless for several hours," says John Daly, chief of the National Health Institute's bioorganic chemistry laboratory.\n\nThe poison frogs are perhaps the only creatures immune to this poison. The poison attacks the sodium channels of the cells. Through the ages, the clever frog has evolved special sodium channels that the poison can not harm.
327486
The issue is still very much controversially discussed among biologists.  But it is true, the strongest venoms are found in Australian snakes.  Even seasnakes with their hgihly effective and potential venom are of Australian origin.  \n\nVenoms are highly diverse in their biochemical composition throughout the recent snake taxa (or taxonomic groups, like "family", "genus" etc.), which makes developing anitoxins so challenging, but which also offers great possibilities in drug development in biomedical sciences.  what it tells us in regard to your question is that possibly the composition of the toxins can hint at their evolutionary origin.  it is, what in phylogenetic research (the study of the evolutionary relationships of organisms) is referred to as a characteristic.  \n\nOne thing you have to keep in mind is that Australia is geographically separated from other continents.  Unless living in the water or the air and being able to migrate long distances across long stretches of ocean, species will neither get nor out of Australia very easily (the seasnake being a case in point; it made its way all over the south sea).  In other words, what is there, will evolve further there.  \n\nVenoms usually evolve in a complex process also known as co-evolution.  What determines change in the venom's composition and strength is the evolutionary adaptations of those organisms that get exposed to the poison.  In other words, if a snake evolves a strong poison, but its main prey evolves an immunity to the toxin in response, a new and stronger poison would be necessary.  And so, in co-evolution, certain traits can become extremely "heightened".  \n\nNow, given that Australia is such an isolated part of the world (a giant island), co-evolution is likely to occur more often and easily.  Elsewhere, a snake could simply try to migrate on and find other food. But more importantly, the diversification of snakes has pretty much one point of origin.  It is one "monophyletic" group.  The family of Australian snakes is the Elapidae.  And these critters now evolve with already strong venom.  You can see how the isolated geographic situation will intensify the process and produce strong venoms.  This is also supported by the fact tha not only snakes but all other venmous critters have evolved more poisonous in Australia than elsewhere in the world.  \n\nAnd ultimately, that means that one of the former comments has a valid point: Australians are tough to kill!  Only that I am not thinking of human beings...\n\nHope that helps.
995715
Spiders can bite and sometimes do for no reason.  They also are usually nocturnal (coming out at night).  \n\nMost spiders can not bite through human skin.  The ones that can are fairly rare and are usually known locally and eradicated.  (At least in the US)\n\nBefore you fear something, its a good idea to look to those with more experience (time).  I've lived with spiders for more than 4 decades and have only been bit once, and it wasn't much worse than a mosquito bite.  So ask those around you to lay your fears to rest.
575018
Pholcus phalangioides\n\nThe Pholcidae, or daddy long legs spiders, is a large family with a worldwide distribution. In South Africa there are 3 genera; Pholcus, Smeringopus and Spermaphora. These spiders are harmless to man as their jaws are unable to penetrate human skin and the venom dose is also too minute. Spider specialists are often asked if it is true that, of all the spiders, the pholcids have the deadliest venom and the only reason there are no human fatalities is because of the small size of the jaws. There is no documentation on this. The venom is neurotoxic and is deadly to the prey. The pholcids, as well as other spiders, should be encouraged in the home as they control various insect pests such as mosquitoes, flies, fishmoths, ants and moths.\n\nmore info in the link below!
812064
Well if it was similar in appearance to a black widow it is most likely in the same family (Theriididae) they are actually a very common family throughout the world. Many juvenile and male widows are colored in this manner, typically mottled, with red, yellow and black markings. It is possible that the spider you saw is in fact a widow (Latrodectus spp.).\nWhen young spiders are present, there is no real danger, they are not aggressive and can actually be handled without danger, but if the species in question is new to you, just handle it like you did, that was the best way to handle the situation.\nIf in fact the nest belonged to that spider, then it is most likely not a true widow, becasue in that area, the adults are the typical black with red hourglass, so then there would be no need to worry.\n\nhere are some images of young widows to compare it to\nhttp://bugguide.net/node/view/80826\nhttp://bugguide.net/node/view/73801\nhttp://bugguide.net/node/view/26128\nhttp://bugguide.net/node/view/13097\n\n\n\nhope this helps!
15072
"Over 38,000 species of spiders have been identified, but because of their great ability for hiding, it is believed that about 200,000 species exist. All species are venomous (with the exception of the families Uloboridae and Heptthelidae), but only 40 species are known to be potentially deadly to humans."
342335
You definitely can.  Spiders seek out warm, damp, dark places to make their nests or wait for prey.  On average, we eat lots of things we wouldn't normally think of eating.  We eat a pound or more of dirt each year found in our fruits and vegetables, for example.  Hate to say this... but we also ingest fecal materials (to put it gently) every year as well!  \nCome to think of it, I think I rather eat a spider than the variety of other things we find in and on our everyday foods!  It's nothing to worry about though so relax.  Ok, have a great night and sweet dreams!
36146
NO. The human body does not contain a condition conducive to spiders. There are thousands of species of spiders, the majority prefer to live outside.  A few spiders prefer to live indoors; common 'house spiders' or 'cobweb spiders' can be found in anyone's home but do not need nor desire a human host.
95941
http://www.usq.edu.au/spider/info/guide.htm
662891
Some fascinating facts about spiders\nLittle Miss Muffet of the nursery rhyme really existed. She was the daughter of Dr Mouffet who believed spiders had healing powers when eaten.\nThe weight of insects eaten by spiders every year is greater than the total weight of the entire human population.\nThere can be up to nearly 5 million spiders per hectare.\nThe combined length of thread in a spider's web is about 20-60 m and it can take the spider up to 3 hours to make an orbweb.\nOn an equal weight basis, spider silk is twice as strong as steel. In addition, spider silk is\nvery elastic. It is this combination of strength and stretch that makes the energy-to-break of\nspider silk so high. Simply put, it is the toughest material known.\nSpiders have 48 "knees": 8 legs with 6 joints on each.\nA jumping spider can jump up to 25 times its own body length.
750933
Yes y am familiar with this kind of spider.y am from Romania and we have a lot of them around.it is called the metal spider.yes is poison es but it is very slow but he can camouflage itself very well.