If a person gets bitten by a tarantula, the bite will probably feel a lot like a bee sting, with pain in the area of the bite. It will look like a bee sting, too, with redness and some swelling. Because the tarantula's venom (poison) is weak, it's unusual to have more severe reactions involving other parts of the body.
Even pet tarantulas should not be handled if at all possible, although fans of spiders as pets often handle them anyway. A tarantula does not recognize its handler and often considers people as threats, so the chance of having hairs flung into your face or a bite delivered will always be there.
In general, the effects from tarantula bites are mild. A greater health risk is from contact with the spider's hairs. Contact of the hairs with the skin causes lots of inflammation including pain, redness, itching, and swelling that can last for weeks.
Tarantulas are quite docile and rarely bite people
Symptoms from most species range from local pain and swelling to stiffness of joints or muscles. 1 However, tarantula bites can be lethal to birds and some mammals.
Description: There are currently seven tarantula species described in Australia from four genera, Selenocosmia, Selenotholus, Selenotypus, and Phlogiellus, with six species occurring in Queensland. Tarantulas range widely in size with a leg spans between 5 to 16 cm.
If you come across a tarantula, don't bother it or try to play with it. These spiders will not bite you unless they feel threatened — if you leave them alone, they will leave you alone.
Generally, tarantulas respond to daily handling. They crawl freely when placed on an arm or shoulder, but they definitely are not a pet that an owner can cuddle. Tarantulas are very timid and bite only when provoked.
They do not have venom glands, fangs or any other mechanism for chemically subduing their food. Therefore, they do not have injectable toxins. Some have defensive secretions that might be toxic to small animals if ingested.
Tarantulas Just Aren't That Into You
Spiders do have feelings, but unlike a dog or a cat, they won't bond with you. In fact, they likely won't even recognize you. They simply aren't hardwired to be companions to humans and should never be bought at pet stores, online, or anywhere else.
According to the Guinness World Records, the Sydney funnel-web spider, Atrax robustus, is the most dangerous spider to humans in the world. Native to Australia, this poisonous spider is found in moist habitats such as under logs or in gardens.
They can also leave a painful bite, and some species have irritating hairs. In general, tarantulas should only be observed, not picked up and handled.
Tarantulas are not dangerous, but their bite is painful. While these spiders are large, they can be easily harmed if dropped or stepped on.
A Tarantula Never Remembers
Though some may develop unique behavior patterns that approach the definition of “personalities," they do not learn to recognize their keepers or alter their behavior based on who is holding them.
Tarantulas
Tarantula venom causes pain at the bitten area. It can also cause oral pain if your dog bites down on the spider. In addition, ingesting the tarantula's stiff hairs can cause dogs to drool or vomit. Despite bringing pain and illness, tarantula bites typically don't cause lasting damage.
Since wolf spiders are large, their bite may be painful. If you have mild pain, swelling, or itchiness around the bite, it shouldn't last long. The pain should go away within minutes. The swelling should go down slowly, and the itching may last a few days as the skin heals.
Banana spiders may look intimidating, but they're actually timid and not considered dangerous. Though they aren't poisonous, their bite can be painful.
The Daddy-long-legs Spider, Pholcus phalangioides, is found throughout Australia. It is a cosmopolitan species that originates from Europe and was introduced accidentally into Australia.
Spiders do not have vocal cords and, thus, cannot scream. They can make purring or hissing sounds to communicate with each other or threaten potential danger or predators.
Huntsman spiders are a non-aggressive group of spiders. They are very timid and will try to avoid and when encountered can move at lighting-fast speed to escape human contact. However, a large individual can give a painful bite. Beware in summer when the female Huntsman Spider is guarding her egg sacs or young.
While the theory is unproven, it is likely that spiders can detect human fear. However, there are only few studies about this topic and it is not yet known for certain. Different animals have sensory organs that are able to identify different stimuli.
Tarantulas have been found to "swim" in both the wild and captivity, using their front legs as paddles to "row" on the surface of the water. They won't be deep diving, but they can paddle.
While human food is not in their natural food chain, spiders are easily attracted to human food scents. Also, the insects that spiders eat seek out your crumbs. Spiders are sure to follow. If you can't resist the urge, do so as neatly as possible.