Nature

Top 10 Scariest Spiders in the World

Scariest Spiders

In the centre of a web
Are several trapped flies
What goes to eat them all?
A bug with bulgy big eyes.

Yes! You guessed it right, a spider. Whether you are an arachnid enthusiast or someone suffering from arachnophobia, you definitely cannot deny the dangers posed by certain spider species. Presenting to you, the list of top 10 SCARIEST SPIDERS IN THE WORLD!

SCARIEST SPIDERS

1. BRAZILIAN WANDERING SPIDER

A copy of the 2010 Guinness Book Of World Records would reveal that the Brazilian Wandering Spider (also called Banana Spider) is considered the most venomous spider in the whole wide world! No wonder it is at the top of our list among the top 10 scariest spiders. They are also considerably big, having a leg span of 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) and their body length ranges from 17 to 48 mm (0.67 to 1.89 in).

Though these spiders are native to tropical South and Central America, they made their headlines a bunch of bananas were infested with these spiders in Essex! These spiders are agile and pugnacious and unlike most other species, they won’t run away from combat but instead stand their ground. In fact, 60% of all spider bites in Brazil are caused by this poisonous animal species. So, it is best to steer clear of them at a hint of their sight. It is one of the dangerous and largest spiders in the world.

Related: 10 Most Dangerous Australian Spiders

BRAZILIAN WANDERING SPIDER

2. SYDNEY FUNNEL -WEB SPIDER

Sydney Funnel-web spider usually found within 100-150 kilometres around Sydney, Australia, is as much aggressive and venomous as the Brazilian Wandering Spider and a single bite from this spider can also be lethal! It is medium to large in size, with a body length ranging from 1 to 5 cm (0.4 to 2 in).

The rare distinction among these and other spider species is that males are more deadly and have very sharp fangs (which is not common among spiders) and are more likely to pounce and attack an enemy whereas the female spiders are comparatively less toxic. Being the most venomous spider in Australia, its venom is twice as strong as cyanide!

Talking about the appearance, both males and females are glossy and darkly coloured that ranges from blue-black, to black, to brown or dark-plum coloured. There is a finger-like spinneret at the end of their abdomen with an average leg length of for the spider in general is six to seven centimetres. Along with Sydney, the spider can be seen into the Central Coast and south to the Illawarra region. They can also be seen in the west to the Blue Mountains in New South Wales and moist microhabitats that includes under logs and foliage.

Also Read: 12 Deadliest Insects In The World

Scariest Spiders

3. BLACK WIDOW SPIDER

The prevalence of sexual cannibalism, a behaviour in which the female eats the male after mating, has inspired the common name “widow spiders”. Though it looks considerably small, it proves that appearances can be deceptive, inflicting a severe bite. Its venom is 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake’s! A single bite can cause extreme sweating, muscle aches, severe pain in the abdomen, hypertension and paralysis of the diaphragm. A lot of pain…all at once, sounds pretty scary, right?

These spiders are widely distributed across the globe and can be composed of both black widow spiders and brown widow spiders. It belongs to the family Theridiidae family and genus consist of 31 species that includes the North American black widows as well. One of the scariest spiders varies greatly in size, however, in most of the cases females are dark-coloured and readily identifiable by reddish markings on the abdomen.

Scariest Spiders

4. GIANT HUNTSMAN SPIDER

This is the kind of spider which gives you the creeps. Huntsman Spiders, usually found in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, Florida and Hawaii and possibly in many other tropical and semi-tropical region has eight scary eyes and by leg span, the Giant Huntsman is considered the largest spider around just barely beating the Goliath Birdeater Spider (which also makes our top ten list).

It has a huge 30 centimetre (12 in) leg span and around 5-centimetre body length (2 in). Its venom is not deadly and it is timid and does not really attack humans but by the bare sight of the spider, you will want to get as far away from it as possible.

Talking about the appearance, the colouration of the species is yellowish-brown with several irregularly distributed dark spots on the rear half. The legs of one of the scariest spiders in the world have wide dark bands before the first bend. Also, the legs are long as compared to the body. The spider species is the largest member of the family Sparassidae and the largest known member of the Sparassidae known prior to the discovery of H. maxima was the Australian Beregama aurea (L. Koch, 1875) with a body length of about 4 centimetres.

Scariest Spiders

5. BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER

These spiders are well known for their appearance and their poisonous bite and are distinguished from the others by the fact that they have six eyes arranged in three pairs. It is the most common and widespread of the brown spiders-which is even scarier because at a single glance, humans cannot distinguish between normal spiders and the Brown Recluse and unlike normal spiders, if bitten immediate medical attention is required without which it causes severe damage and also prove to be fatal- but it is found only in the south and the central United States. Also. read about New Species Of Marine Spider.

The Brown recluse spider usually grows between 6 and 20 millimetres, however, it may grow larger. Also, the colour of the spider species varies in size from light to medium brown and from whitish to dark brown or blackish grey. The markings on the dorsal side of their cephalothorax can be seen with a black line coming from it that looks like a violin with the neck of the violin pointing to the rear of the spider and hence called by different names such as fiddleback spider, brown fiddler, or violin spider.

Scariest Spiders

6. GOLIATH BIRD-EATER

Despite their name, it is uncommon for these species to eat birds and their appetite is usually based on insects, worms and other spiders. The Goliath Bird-Eater Spider is actually one that belongs to the Tarantula group and it is the world’s biggest tarantula and the heaviest spider weighing around a massive 170-200g! The rainforests of South American are the native locations for the Goliath Bird-Eater Spider. They can be very quick and are easily spooked. They are big and scary but are potentially harmless. Their hairs will make your skin very agitated and their fangs are extremely dangerous.

One of the most massive and scariest spiders in the world with a body length that can reach upto 11.9 cm and some of them can even reach a length of 11 inches. As a defence mechanism, they will shoot tiny barbed hairs from their abdomen as a defence mechanism. Also, the species is harmless to humans and only time when they attack humans when they are threatened. If you keep a distance from them, you will be safe.

Scariest Spiders

7. ZEBRA SPIDER

Although these scariest spiders can grow up to only around 7-9mm, they pack a few scary and surprising tricks in their arsenal. These spider species have superb jumping skills and can jump up to almost 20 times their own size! This supersedes the need for them to build webs and they have 4 pairs of huge eyes to locate their prey. The name Zebra Spider is because of the black and white stripes on their back. These spiders are found almost all over the world but mainly in Europe and America. It is very agile and can react very quickly to danger. You wouldn’t want a spider jumping on you now, would you?

Scariest Spiders

8. WOLF SPIDER

Wolf Spiders can be seen almost everywhere in the world and are especially common in grasslands and meadows according to BioKids. They are solitary, nocturnal creatures that prey during the night. They attack when threatened but their toxins are not very harmful and can be treated using the right anti-venom.

Scariest Spiders

9. BIRD DUNG CRAB SPIDER

This spider looks like bird dung that is exactly what it’s going for. Found generally in the forests of South East Asia, these species spend almost the entire day, sitting lifeless almost as if it’s paralyzed which acts as a perfect decoy to catch prey. They have a glossy body and their ability to even smell like poop attracts unsuspecting insects. Once they get closer, it becomes painfully obvious that it isn’t harmless poo after all!

Scariest Spiders

10. HOBO SPIDER

The Hobo Spider is very threatening and rapacious in nature. Mostly found in Europe and parts of Central America, it is right up there with Black Widow and the Brown Recluse spider when we consider what people generally identify them for. But, these spiders best defensive mechanism is to hide and avoid any combat but it does have mild toxic venom which these days, can be cured. These species are widely considered as scary because of the reputation it gets from its appearance alone.

Scariest Spiders

So, there it is, the top ten list of the scariest spiders in the whole world. Hopefully, you won’t find any in your room or under your bed tonight. These are the top 10 scariest spiders in the world. Do post your comments.

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