[Urban Myth] White-tail spiders

http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s926733.htm

Stop summarily killing them.

Sincerely,

Xor

 

But it's not true if you read it on the internet and cut&paste links!

Let the killing continue!!!!

muahahahahaha

Damien (sorry about that)
GPX250 (stolen) -> CBR600

 

Nice, but what sort of bikes do they ride?
--
Deevo

Geraldton
WA, The Nanny State (® Corks)
http://members.westnet.com.au/mckenzie

 

Apparently, they're not at all fussy.

Of the 8 bikes that I've owned, three have been found hitching. These
being an FLHTCUI Ultraclassic Electroglide, a Ducati 900SS, and a Suzuki
ER185. One, inside my helmet when I stopped halfway across the Nully,
(guess which bike I was on), stopping for a fill. Which means that it
*could* have been there for some time. Two hours at least.

Point being is this. Don't go tank-slapping, or high-siding, just
because you catch sight of a tight piece of white arse.

I've been bit three times by a white tail. Two of the three times was
by the same little dude some hours apart. (I only noticed the second
time, but the bite characteristics were utterly the same to the
pathology.) My singular bee sting was worse than that by far.

Sincerely,

Xor
(itch like a bitch)

 

Heh. 'Funny shit is, the same bastards that started the hysteria have
now stopped and said, "Hey... Has anybody done any research into this?".

Sincerely,

Xor
(the forwarding of science - it's not *all* about BHP/KW at the wheel)

 

This is a transcript of an IRC conversation...

Hyundai_Man: is anyone good at identifying bugs?
NZinAUS: hi ed
Hyundai_Man: I got a pic
Hyundai_Man: of a bug
Hyundai_Man: I need to know what the bug is
Hyundai_Man: and how dangerous they are
BeNcHo-ED|MODS: yer send my way
NZinAUS: ask the crocodile hunter
Hyundai_Man: and if I could die
Zantetsuken: heh
Hyundai_Man: its a weird looking bug
Hyundai_Man: it made my foot go numb
Hyundai_Man: lol
NZinAUS: **** I'm never gonna tell you what it is ed
Hyundai_Man: is it that bad
Hyundai_Man: lol
NZinAUS: oww that's a white tail :/
Hyundai_Man: white tail?
NZinAUS: ya
NZinAUS: white tail spider
Hyundai_Man: what's a white tail
Hyundai_Man: spider?
NZinAUS: ya
Hyundai_Man: ur ****en joken
NZinAUS: I know what a white tail is
Hyundai_Man: lol
BeNcHo-ED|MODS: [****!!!]
Hyundai_Man: ****, are they dangerous?
BeNcHo-ED|MODS: oi you better go doctors
NZinAUS: hell yeah!!
BeNcHo-ED|MODS: der **** dangerous as
Hyundai_Man: holy ****
Hyundai_Man: lol
NZinAUS: really
Hyundai_Man: damnit
NZinAUS: they make people get parts amputated
Hyundai_Man: oh ****
Hyundai_Man: I'm a dead man
Hyundai_Man: is it once u got one u say bye bye to foot
Hyundai_Man: I might tell mum
Hyundai_Man: I'm afraid now
BeNcHo-ED|MODS: [****!!!]
BeNcHo-ED|MODS: serious man
BeNcHo-ED|MODS: don't joke around
Hyundai_Man: ok
Hyundai_Man: I might go now
Hyundai_Man: and go to a doctors
Hyundai_Man: cos its going all blistery
NZinAUS:
Hyundai_Man: and watery stuff is coming out of nowhere
relik: yer go to doctors immediately

* Hyundai_Man has quit IRC (Exit

Zantetsuken: rofl
NZinAUS: NZinAUS: I wouldn't have a clue what the bug is
NZinAUS: Zantetsuken: lol
NZinAUS: Zantetsuken: you prick
NZinAUS: lol
relik: hahaha
relik: you're a bastard
Zantetsuken: poor bastard is probably crapping himself all the way to the
emergency ward
relik: probably haha

Over an hour and a half later

* Hyundai_Man has joined #eseries
Hyundai_Man: where r u ****erz
Hyundai_Man: damnit
Hyundai_Man: where's karl
Hyundai_Man: the son of a bitch
Zantetsuken: oh...
Hyundai_Man: ****en spider my ass
Zantetsuken: lol Ed
Hyundai_Man: the thing has ****en 6 legs
The_Goodz: Hyundai Man? What's wrong with you Ed?
The_Goodz:
Hyundai_Man: It appears I have been bitten by a sap sucking garden insect
Hyundai_Man: I couldn't find a 24 hour surgery
Hyundai_Man: so where do I go
Hyundai_Man: the ****en hospital
Hyundai_Man: he's gonna cop it when he comes on again
Zantetsuken: lol ED
Hyundai_Man: I'm serious
Hyundai_Man: I wasted half a tank of fuel
Zantetsuken:
Hyundai_Man: when I could've waited till the morning and gone round the
corner to my doctor
Hyundai_Man: that **** is seriously gonna cop it
Zantetsuken: lol Ed
Hyundai_Man: I'm serious
Hyundai_Man: I'm really pissed off
SiX_iN_a_RoW: lol what did karl do?
Hyundai_Man: I gotta scunge money off my parents for fuel
Hyundai_Man: so i can get to work next week
SiX_iN_a_RoW: oh ok
Zantetsuken: Ed was freakin out coz something bit him
SiX_iN_a_RoW: then what?
Hyundai_Man: ****en ****
Hyundai_Man: well I freaked
Hyundai_Man: lol
SiX_iN_a_RoW: lol
SiX_iN_a_RoW: and then
Hyundai_Man: fluid and shit is coming out of it
Hyundai_Man: so I went looking for a 24hour surgery
Zantetsuken: so he drove somewhere
SiX_iN_a_RoW: LMAO
SiX_iN_a_RoW: and then
Hyundai_Man: and couldn't find one
Hyundai_Man: and when I did
Hyundai_Man: they said go the hospital cos they don't have anti venom
Zantetsuken: rofl
SiX_iN_a_RoW: LMAO!!!!! r u serious??
Hyundai_Man: so I go to the RBH into the emergency ward cos it was all I
could find
Hyundai_Man: and they take one look at it and go its not a spider
SiX_iN_a_RoW: LOL r u serious?
Hyundai_Man: yes
Hyundai_Man: I'm dead serious
SiX_iN_a_RoW: LMAO!!!!!!!!!! sorry but that's the funniest thing i have
heard all day
Zantetsuken: it is funny, lol
Hyundai_Man: no not for me
Hyundai_Man: but i did get to see a doc
Hyundai_Man: and they gave me free medication
SiX_iN_a_RoW: yeah I know hyundai, but imagine if u heard of someone else
doing it
Hyundai_Man: I suppose
Hyundai_Man: but he's gonna get a ****en earfull from me
SiX_iN_a_RoW: lol I bet he is
SiX_iN_a_RoW: did u describe what it looked like to karl?
Hyundai_Man: he better give me a discount on the dash
Hyundai_Man: i sent him a ****en pic of it
Hyundai_Man: i scanned the ****en thing cos I was getting worried
SiX_iN_a_RoW: of the creature?
Hyundai_Man: and sent it to people in here
Hyundai_Man: u wanna see it
SiX_iN_a_RoW: or your arm?
SiX_iN_a_RoW: lol yeah
Hyundai_Man: it got my foot
SiX_iN_a_RoW: ah ok
SiX_iN_a_RoW: LOL how'd u scan it?
Hyundai_Man: well I caught the bastard
Hyundai_Man: and left it in the bag
Hyundai_Man: and just put it on the scanner
SiX_iN_a_RoW: hehe ah well
Hyundai_Man: anyway
SiX_iN_a_RoW: it has 6 legs
Hyundai_Man: 6
Hyundai_Man: of the ****erz
Hyundai_Man: but i didnt count them
Hyundai_Man: in my freaked out state
SiX_iN_a_RoW: lol too panicy
Hyundai_Man: so I looked like a total fool
SiX_iN_a_RoW: lol so karl told u it was a white tail spider?
Hyundai_Man: yeh
Hyundai_Man: and he must of got relik to join in too
SiX_iN_a_RoW: looks shitty in that pic though
Hyundai_Man: cos he said the same ting
SiX_iN_a_RoW: LMAO
Hyundai_Man: lol
Hyundai_Man: ****en bastards
Zantetsuken: LOL
Zantetsuken: Zantetsuken: poor bastard is probably crapping himself all the
way to the emergency ward
Hyundai_Man: I was man
Hyundai_Man: and I was driving
Hyundai_Man: I was like what if I have to stay here
SiX_iN_a_RoW: LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! man that's good
Hyundai_Man: **** him
Hyundai_Man: I'm goin to bed
Hyundai_Man: cyaz
* Hyundai_Man has quit IRC (Exit

 

Yep. You'd be surprised how many of my collegues continue to peddle this
myth.
S.

 

Yeah - but if you go to a doctor with a necrotic bite on your hand
(like I did a couple of years ago) and he tells you it is a white tail
spider bit, then I for one am going to tell people that is what it is.
BTW - I haven't been killing them, still never actually seen one.
Figure that the bite on my hand was something in my bike glove when I
put it on, don't know what it was then but it took a loooong time to
heal. Still have the scar.

Cheers


-------------
Kevin Gleeson
Technical Director
Blue Rocket Productions
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
www.blue-rocket.com.au

 

I read an article recently that White-Tailed spiders were being given a bad
rep for the necrotic bites. Research on a few thousand reported bites
showed the white-tailed spider didnt have anything in its venom that could
cause the bites that were necrotic. Apparently there are only a couple of
spiders with necrotic venom capability in the world, and neither are in
Australia.

One theory I have heard floated is that some people are more predisposed to
the necrotic reaction to your average spider bite, and that the white-tailed
copped the reputation because it is so common, and active (wanders around a
lot).

That said, I have a cousin who has just had surgery to have a necrotic bite
excised, and the blame is being handed to the white-tailed. I understand it
was the spider found when she was bitten.

Personally, I am sceptical about the White-tailed spider rep, but the next
one found wandering on the inside of my visor will get the living shit
pounded out of it to be sure...

Cheers,

Rod.........Out Back

P.S. Brush-footed trapdoor (whistling or bird-eating) spiders also have a
reputation for being dangerous, but I understand the venom is harmless to
humans, and very few people have ever been bitten. I suspect the reputation
is that a lot of people have a heart attack when they see this brown hairy
angry thing reared up facing you. They are way bigger than any spider has a
right to be........