Deadly Spiders, Ranked By Venom Deadliness

Time To Kill:This takes as fast as 15 minutes. It can take several days.

Of the 35 funnel web spider species, theSydney Funnel Web SpiderThis spider is widely known as the most deadly. It lives in the Southeast Coast of Australia. Humans meet it often when it hides in gardens or shoes.

The spider's bite hurts greatly. Large fangs pierce fingernails. The venom contains a toxin that hits the nervous system, making nerves fire fast and the heart rate climb.

Oddly, the venom only kills invertebrates and primates. Pets like dogs and cats usually survive a bite. Scientists made antivenom in 1981. No one has died from this spider bite since.

Time To Kill:This takes as little as half an hour. It might take longer.

The Brazilian Wandering Spider is a big, aggressive arachnid from South and Central America. It doesn't eat bananas, but people call it the Banana Spider because it often hides in banana shipments.

The Brazilian Wandering Spider's bite starts very painful, with a burning feeling near the site. If you don't treat it within half an hour, symptoms become widespread and serious.and include"high or low blood pressure, fast or a slow heartbeat, nausea, abdominal cramping, hypothermia, vertigo, blurred vision, convulsions and excessive sweating associated with shock." At least 10 official deaths have been recorded, though deaths are rare.

The spider bite can also cause a long, painful erection. Scientists study these spiders for potential erectile dysfunction drugs.

Time To Kill:One documented case involved a 7-year-old boy. This took around 14 hours.

The Brown RecluseThis spider lives in the United States. Bites happen often, but they rarely cause death. Its backs have a pattern resembling a violin shape. People often mistake it for other common house spiders.

The bite can cause skin death. Many bites heal on their own. Death happens only if the venom spreads throughout the body.

Time To Kill:Unknown. Severe symptoms show up within a few hours of the bite.

Their bites do not alwayscause death., Black Widows are famous across North America for painful, dangerous bites. Females have a red hourglass on the underside of their jet-black bodies. They get the "widow" name from killing males after mating.

Bites can hurt within 15 minutes. TheSymptoms experienced can includeparalysis of the diaphragm, fever, weakness, chills, nausea, headache, and sweating. Young, elderly, or those with weakened immune systems face the highest risk from Black Widow bites.

Time To Kill:Unknown

The Chilean RecluseThis spider is the most dangerous recluse species. It lives in South America, but it spread to Finland and Australia, likely through fruit shipments.

The bite causes skin irritation and tissue necrosis, ranging from mild to severe. The CDC cites death in 3 to 4% of Chilean Recluse bite cases.3 to 4%This figure applies to Chilean Recluse bite cases.

Honorable Mention:No official bite records exist, but its venom poses a serious human threat. Antivenom is unavailable.

Six-Eyed Sand SpidersThese spiders live in African deserts. They hunt by burrowing into the sand, waiting for prey. They live in remote spots, so they rarely meet people. Recorded bites are rare and unconfirmed.

Toxicology reports show their venom causes hemolytic and necrotic effects—tissue death and red blood cell rupture. Scientists suggest the bite can easily be deadly.

Honorable Mention:Though no deaths are known, their venom is a complex neurotoxin capable of killing humans.

Chinese Bird SpidersAlso called Earth Tigers, these aggressive Old World Tarantulas live in southern China and Vietnam. They usually eat insects and small mammals, not what their name suggests.

Toxicologists studied their venom. They believe the venom's strength is dangerous to humans, and some untreated bites required hospital stays.

Honorable Mention:The Redback bite caused 14 unconfirmed deaths before the antivenom was invented.antivenomThe antivenom was invented in 1956.

Symptoms of a Redback bite include nausea, vomiting, headaches, and lethargy. The effects last hours to days; chest or abdominal pain can occur.Redback biteSymptoms include nausea, vomiting, headaches, and lethargy. The effects last hours to days; chest or abdominal pain can occur.

These spiders live across Australia and look, act, and have venom similar to the Black Widow.

Honorable Mention:The Mouse Spider's venom resembles that of the Funnel Web Spider, which can cause death, though the Mouse Spider bite is considered non-lethal.

This Australian burrowing spider is usually not aggressive toward humans. But if it bites, the results can be bad. Mouse Spiders have venom similar to Funnel Web Spiders' atracotoxin, which causespotentially fatal neurotoxic symptoms.

Only one case of extreme envenomation has been recorded.One case involved extreme envenomation.Experts advise going to the hospital if you suspect a Mouse Spider bite. Antivenom for Funnel Web Spiders works well against Mouse Spider bites.