 The spider's bite can cause violent muscular spasms and vomiting |
One of the world's most poisonous spiders has been found in a crate of bananas on a Walsall market stall. The Wandering Spider, which had travelled all the way from South America, was taken by the stall holder to Dudley Zoo in a plastic bag.
It has since been rehomed in an alarmed cage at Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm, in Warwickshire.
A spokesman said the deadly arachnid has the largest venom glands of any spider and a very toxic poison.
Shock seizures
Tim Jenkins, from the farm, said: "People shouldn't get too worried. It is extremely rare for wandering spiders to turn up in the UK.
"Death from this species is still very rare as only 10 deaths have occurred in the past 20 years.
"Other kinds of spiders do very occasionally turn up in fruit but these are usually harmless species."
A bite from the wandering spider can cause violent muscular spasms, vomiting and - in extreme cases - shock, seizures and cardiac and respiratory collapses.
The spider shares his cage with the farm's deadly Deathstalker Scorpion and a Giant African Centipede.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
