Venomous snakes, scorpions, and black jumping Spiders are some of the more exotic ones in the Canary Islands.
Humans consider jumping spiders harmless.They are small spiders that live on walls and other flat surfaces and catch their prey by jumping.
None of the species listed in books, websites or in information sources in the Canary Islands are dangerous.
If you are bitten by a small black jumping spider, you may end up in the hospital, according to residents of the island.There is a mystery as to why there is no warning in books or websites about jumping spiders.
The species of spider that is causing a danger to people by biting them is a mystery.No one seems to know if the spiders are black or jet black, but they all say they are.
It is known that some people are allergic to spider bites and that they can suffer a very bad reaction if bitten but this doesn't explain why so many people in Tenerife say they have terrible reactions to the bites of these spiders.Is the island full of people with spider allergies?
There are lots of websites that will confirm that jumping spider bites can cause allergic reactions, but not all of them claim that the spiders are a real danger.It isn't true that jumping spiders bite and that they are harmless, according to some sources.
Due to the sheer number of reports on Tenerife, this cannot be correct, and many of these reports say that the victim of the spider bite had to see a doctor or even end up in hospital.
People who say they have been bitten by black jumping spiders say that there are two small bite marks and that the area around the bite can swell up.It can take days or even a week before the swelling goes away if a limb becomes paralysed.
It is not a good idea to scratch the area by the bite because this can make things worse.
If you are bitten by a spider, people say you need to see a doctor.One form of treatment is antibiotics.
The flesh of a spider may become necrotic if it is not treated.
There are several species of spiders on the island, and the most likely culprit is the Macaroeris nidicolens.It may have white markings on its back.Many reports say that the black jumping spiders have a white dot on their backs.
The book Historia Natural de las Islas Canarias does not say anything about the spiders being venomous.
If this is the spider that is biting people there is no warning about it and no reports anywhere else.
Maybe it is some other species.Most people are not experts in spider or wildlife.
Many people who claim to have been bitten say it happened when they were asleep so didn't actually see the spider but they point to the evidence of the puncture marks from the bite and how small black jumping spiders live where they are.
It is possible that the spiders have bitten people who have rolled onto them while sleeping, and also that victims have sat on them or put their hand on one.Spiders will bite if they are put under pressure.It is a form of defense.
Some spider bite victims claim that the spiders jumped on them and attacked them.This is not known of as a form of behavior from jumping spiders though the spiders are curious and will jump on you but not to bite and attack you.These small spiders will usually run or jump away.
What is going on here?What species of spider is biting people?It is a real mystery.
The descriptions of the reactions with necrosis seem to be in line with the species on the islands.
The majority of people who report spider bites don't have to have the spider preserved for identification.People cannot tell the difference between a beetle and a spider.
Latrodectus tredecimguttatus, also known as the black widow, lives on the islands, which makes the Steatoda "false widow" irrelevant.
I have been bitten 3-4 times in the last 3 years in Tenerife at night.I didn't have any bites until I moved to Las Chafiras.My girlfriend's kids were bitten several times and she lives in Los Abrigos which is the same area.The last time one bit me, it did bite me directly on top of a vene, which made it quite bad, and a sepsis started.Antibiotics, other medicaments and cream stopped it.Is there a way to keep them outside of the house?
I found this topic after returning from a holiday.I told my wife to look and pointed at the spider that reared up.It bit me on the tip of my finger.It was a shock but no side effects.What are you talking about?
I am sorry to hear that!It sounds like a reaction to something.These painful reactions are caused by the identification of the spider.
I woke up and thought it was a spider, but after a night's sleep, I have pain in my ankle area, no energy, and using antibiotic cream is not doing much.Tina is named Tenerife.June 2016
I told it again and wondered if anyone else had done the same.I jumped on my hand as I played on the arcade machine in the hotel.It bit me, the pain was sharp, I sucked the bite, and I had something in my mouth.I felt unwell for a while but it was over.I went back to my game.
The pincers absolutely attacked me for no reason.Glad to hear that others have had this as well.I will return to Tenerife for the first time in 15 years if it happens again.:D
I had a false black widow spider in the cupboard for seven years.They can bite in defence.They live in the webs.
The noble false widow spider is thought to be the cause of most of the problems over here.Maybe the Brits are getting bitten more often in Tenerife because they are not used to where the local spiders live and how they behave.
I wish it was more detailed and I could name the species that is causing problems here, but so far I have not met anyone who can tell me apart from saying it is a black jumping spider.When I came to Tenerife nine years ago, I had never heard of any danger from these spiders and I have personally held many of them.
There is a lot of information in this that is useful when jumping spiders are present.Unless they are outside, I am not a fan of spiders.Not moving in my direction.
British people are getting bitten here too.I have been studying natural history since I was a child and have never heard of any dangers from jumping spiders.