Tarantulas
Genus Aphonopelma
Treatments of Tarantula Bites
and Related Injuries
If you're not a tarantula enthusiast, your risks of suffering a bite by the
spider or experiencing the irritating contact of its hairs are minimal. Even
if you incur an injury from contact with a tarantula, you will likely suffer
no more discomfort than you would from the sting of a bee or contact with stinging
nettle. You may still wish to minimize that discomfort.
Treating the Bite
If you suffer a tarantula bite, which, typically, will cause redness, localized pain, swelling and a weal, you should promptly:
- Wash the site with soap and water to minimize the chance of infection
- Apply a cool compress or even an ice cube to induce numbness and reduce swelling
- Apply a paste of powdered meat tenderizer mixed with water to reduce irritation
- Apply a topical cortosine or Benadryl cream to reduce irritation; and
- Be alert for symptoms of an infection or allergic reaction (see below).
Treating Hair Contact
If you come into contact with a tarantula's "urticating" (barbed and mildly venomous) hairs, which can produce intense irritation, especially if they enter your breathing passages or eyes, you should promptly:
- Be careful not to inhale any of the loose hairs
- Where possible, apply duct tape or wax to pick up as many loose urticating hairs from your skin as possible
- Use tweezers to pluck out as many hairs from your skin as possible
- Apply steroid creams to the affected area for several days
- Seek medical care if you think you may have inhaled the hairs into your lungs or gotten them into your eyes
- Be alert for symptoms of an infection or allergic reaction (see below)
You may experience more serious consequences from contact from a tarantula's hairs than from the effects of its bite. According to Dr. Scott D. Fell, writing for the emedicine from WebMD Internet site, you could experience allergic rhinitis (which causes cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, congestion, sneezing and sinus pressure, according to Mayo Clinic) should you inhale the hairs into your breathing passages, or you could suffer ocular injuries lasting for some time if you get the hairs in your eyes.
Treating Allergic Reactions and Infections
You should seek medical care if you experience allergic reactions such as:
- Abdominal cramps and nausea
- Chest tightness and breathing trouble
- Headache
- Rash (hives), or
- Headache, especially if accompanied by anxiety
Common Questions About Tarantulas
What are some of the basic facts about tarantulas?
Are tarantulas poisonous?
How can I keep tarantulas out of my home
and yard?
You should also seek medical care in the event of infection, which may be indicated by:
- Localized pain
- Reddish streaks and warmth at the injury site
- A yellowish discharge from the site
- Lumps in the groin or armpits
- Generalized aching and fever
Common Questions About Tarantulas
What are some of the basic facts about tarantulas?
What should I do if a tarantula bites
me?
How can I keep tarantulas out of my home
and yard?
Useful Sources
Barron's Tarantulas and Other Arachnids
Tarantula Facts Internet site
American Tarantula Society Internet site
Carolina Biological Supply Company Internet site
Cambridge Enclclopedia Internet site
More pictures of Tarantulas by Kenton Elliott at Calico. They were photographed on Main Street at Calico Ghost town in California.
Watch video of a Tarantula and a Tarantula Hawk.
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View Video about The Black Widow Spider. The female black widow spider is the most venomous spider in North America, but it seldom causes death to humans, because it only injects a very small amount of poison when it bites. Click here to view video.
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Bobcat
Despite its pussycat appearance when seen in repose, the bobcat is quite fierce
and is equipped to kill animals as large as deer. However, food habit studies
have shown bobcats subsist on a diet of rabbits, ground squirrels, mice, pocket
gophers and wood rats. Join us as we watch this sleepy bobcat show his teeth.
The Mountain
Lion
The Mountain Lion, also known as the Cougar, Panther or Puma, is the most widely
distributed cat in the Americas. It is unspotted -- tawny-colored above overlaid
with buff below. It has a small head and small, rounded, black-tipped ears. Watch
one in this video.
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