Deadly Spiders Invade Indian Village – Which Georgia Spiders Are Venomous?

Swarms of deadly, aggressive spiders are being blamed for two deaths and numerous injuries in an Indian village, The Daily Mail reports.

The spiders, which have yet to be identified, suddenly invaded the town in Sadiya, Upper Assam India last month. Scientists describe the aggressive arachnids as being similar to tarantulas.

"As of now, we cannot give a specific name,” Dr. L R Saikia said in a Times of India interview. "It's similar to the tarantula, but it could be a whole new species. There aren't any arachnologists in the northeast, so it will take us a while to identify it. But whatever the species, it is a highly aggressive spider. It leaps at anything that comes close.”

While Georgia does have venomous spiders, none are close to being as terrifying as aggressive tarantula-type arachnids.

Venombyte.com lists four venomous spiders known to exist in Georgia. Those spiders are:

• Southern black widow – These spiders have a distinctive red hourglass pattern on their bodies and are found throughout the United States. Only the female is considered dangerous.
• Northern black widow – These spiders also have the red hourglass markings. They are nocturnal and are not considered dangerous unless threatened.
• Brown widow – Unlike black widow spiders, brown widows are tan to brown in color. Though they have a hourglass marking, the pattern is usually orange or yellow instead of red. As with other widow spiders, only the female is considered dangerous and will likely only bite if threatened.
• Brown recluse – These brown-colored spiders are most easily identified by the violin pattern on the top of the cephalothorax. A bite from a brown recluse can cause tissue destruction known as necrosis. The bite can also cause other symptoms ranging from nausea to kidney failure.

The Georgia Poison Center offers several tips to help prevent spider bites:

• When camping, picnicking or engaging in other outdoor activities, wear long pants, long sleeves, gloves, and shoes; avoid walking in tall brush and shrubs.
• Apply insect repellent containing DEET to your clothing and sparingly to your skin; always read the label before using.
• Before dressing, shake out clothing, shoes, and hats that have not been worn for a while.
• Get rid of clutter in basements, closets, attics, and garages.
• Dust and vacuum around windows, corners of rooms, under furniture, and in storage areas regularly.
• Do not reach into rocky cracks, under logs or large rocks.

You might also be interested in reading:

 a $25 Visa gift card. Contest is open to new and existing subscribers.  for details.