Kan Dail
Spiders are considered to be the scariest animals in the world. Though small in size, these eight-legged creatures are among the most fear-striking creepy-crawlies on the earth. There are about 40,000 known species of spiders on our earth. Most spiders use a web to catch their prey, which is usually insects; some of them even hunt on their own. We will discuss 10 most scary spiders in the world.
The largest spider is the Goliath tarantula, which is big enough to catch birds! Some spiders are poisonous and have fangs to inject venom. While most spider species are harmless and can be kept as pets, there are a few spider species, such as the Black Widow, that can bite humans and inject venom, while others can inflict serious injuries. Below we discuss the top 10 most scary spiders and the reasons that make them so much feared.
Most Scary Spiders
1. Black Widow
This species of spiders have distinct females that can eat their mates. The females have shiny black bodies and a red hourglass-shaped marking on their abdomen. Hence, they are known as Black widows. They are considered the most venomous spider in North America. According to National Geographic, their venom is reported to be 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake’s. Black widows bite humans only when disturbed, but are highly poisonous. They may be found in dark, dry shelters such as barns, garages, basements, etc. This variety has a unique comb-foot. The black widow’s bite is a quick painful prick on your skin. Very soon the pain begins and spreads rapidly to other parts of the body, causing swelling and lesions.
Image Source: Wikimedia
2. Goliath Bird eater Tarantula
Regarded as the King of Spiders, this is the largest existing species of spiders on earth that belong to the Tarantula family. These spiders are mostly found in the northern parts of South America. They can grow as big as 30 cm and can be as heavy as 170 grams. They have large leg spans of about 12 inches and can easily prey upon small birds like the hummingbird! These spiders have harpoon shaped hair on their legs that help it while attacking enemies. It is one of the most scary spiders in the world.
Image Source: Wikimedia
Also Read: Top 10 Best Looking Tarantula Breeds
3. Wolf Spider
One of the most scary spiders in the world, Wolf spiders are found all across the United States. They are large and hair and have eyes that shine in the light. Due to these characteristics that resemble those of a wolf, they are given the name of a “Wolf Spider”. They are usually grey with brown markings. They are robust hunters and can move fast, and are gifted with excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude and do not spin webs. These spiders are not deadly, but they can still bite and cause uncomfortable symptoms.
Image Source: Wikimedia
4. Eriovixia Gryffindor
These spiders are found in the Western Ghats of India. They were discovered in 2015. The discoverers of this new spider found it to resemble the Sorting Hat of the Harry Potter books, so they named it after Godric Gryffindor, the original owner of the Sorting Hat at Hogwarts. This is the most recently explored spiders which have an oddly-shaped brown-patterned body. They have an intriguing appearance with their body rising from a wide base to a pointed peak above the spider’s back. Although they look scary, they are not poisonous.
Image Source: CBSNEWS
5. Brazilian Wandering Spider or the Armed Spider
These spiders belong to the class Phoneutria. They are impressive spiders reaching body sizes up to 3.5 cm and leg spans up to 15 cm. They are a dying breed that can kill people in a matter of hours. These spiders are known to nest on the ground. Victims of a Brazilian wandering spider bite can get killed in an hour. It is regarded as the most dangerous spider in the world with the most neurologically active venom of all spiders. Brazilian Wandering Spiders are agile hunters and can travel over long distances.
Image Source: Brazilian Wandering Spider(Flickr)
6. Giant Huntsman
One of the most scary spiders in the world, The Giant Huntsman Spider, found in Laos, is a species of Huntsman spider. They are also found in Africa, Australia, and South America. These spiders are large in size and actively hunt down prey. It is considered the world’s largest spider with a leg span that can reach up to 1 ft. These spider bites are not fatal, but the effects vary and can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting and irregular pulse rate.
Image Source: Wikimedia
7. Zebra Spider
The Zebra Spider is a common jumping spider of the Northern Hemisphere. Like other jumping spiders, it has a large pair of forward-facing eyes. It uses them to locate and stalk its prey. It has black and white stripes on its body like a zebra. They are jumping spiders, i.e. they catch their prey by pouncing on it. They can leap a distance of up to 10 cm. They appear as aggressive because of their jumping behaviour, but are not venomous and can cause skin irritation and injuries with their bites.
Image Source: Wikimedia
8. Recluse Spider
The Recluse Spiders are also known as Fiddle-backs or violin spiders, because of their brown uniquely shaped bodies. They are venomous spiders known for their bite. They occur in the south-eastern and central United States. They commonly occur at home in cardboard boxes or behind baseboards. The most serious effect of brown recluse venom is the production of necrotic lesions in the skin, some of which may get skin-deep. These lesions are can take many months to heal. The venom contains several toxic enzymes.
Image Source: Wikimedia
9. Tiger Spider
One of the most scary spiders in the world also known as the Funnel-web Tarantula, the Tiger Spider is known for its black stripes on its abdomen. It has a leg span of about 8 cm. These spiders occur in various South American countries, especially in Argentina and Chile. It is also well known as “long-legged spider”. You can find these spiders inside houses in dark and hidden places and also outdoors. It has a distinct method of hunting at night. It stealthily approaches its prey and then contracts its abdomen to project an extremely sticky spider-web thread. This entangles the prey even if it is larger than the spider; then, the spider injects its poison, secreted from its venom gland.
10. Yellow Sac Spider
These spiders get their name from their yellow or beige-colored abdomen. They have long legs dark –coloured feet with venomous fangs. They are the most common spiders found in homes and gardens, and as predators in the fields. These spiders can be mildly venomous bite aggressively. They can inflict painful bites, swellings, and lesions in humans. These spiders are found widely across Europe, North America, South Africa and Japan with more than 200 existing species.
Image Source: Wikimedia
These are some of the scariest spiders that can be found all over the world. Some scare with their appearance, some with their aggressiveness while some are straight-forward poisonous. Whatever be their nature, spiders have been intriguing us for hundreds of years and will continue to do so.