Quote from: Mongoose on August 24, 2012, 08:52:03 AM
if you want to see spiders, come up with an excuse to explore some derelict buildings. I worked for a while as an assistant building surveyor and some of the ones I saw..... lets just say that despite being slightly arachnophobic I am no longer concerned by anything you meet in an inhabited house.

Quote from: Leon on August 24, 2012, 09:09:11 AM

Quote from: Mongoose on August 24, 2012, 08:52:03 AMI am no longer concerned by anything you meet in an inhabited house.

I feel the same after a year in Australia chasing huntsmen spiders so they will jump towards a friend
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QuoteLike practically all spiders apart from the Uloboridae, Sparassidae use venom to immobilise prey and to assist in digestion. They have been known to inflict defensive bites, but are not widely regarded as dangerous to healthy humans.[6] Huntsman spiders are widely considered beneficial because they feed on insect pests such as cockroaches.

There have been reports of members of various genera such as Palystes,[7] Neosparassus (formerly called Olios) and several others, inflicting bites. The effects vary, including local swelling and pain, sometimes with nausea, headache, vomiting, irregular pulse rate, and heart palpitations, indicating some systemic neurological effects, especially when the bites were severe or repeated. However, the formal study of spider bites is fraught with complications, including unpredictable infections, dry bites, shock, and nocebo effects. An investigation into spider bites in Australia, in which Sparassidae figured prominently, did not note any severe or unusual symptoms resulting from confirmed bites from some of the most notorious genera, particularly Neosparassus.

It is not always clear what provokes Sparassidae to bite people, but it is known that female members of this family will aggressively defend their egg sacs and young against perceived threats. The frequency of bites on various body parts suggests that by far the most are accidental or incidental, resulting from inadvertent handling.[2] Bites from Sparassids usually do not require hospital treatment and apparently do not cause necrosis[citation needed].

Quote from: Leon on August 24, 2012, 09:09:11 AM

Quote from: Mongoose on August 24, 2012, 08:52:03 AMI am no longer concerned by anything you meet in an inhabited house.

I feel the same after a year in Australia chasing huntsmen spiders so they will jump towards a friend
(Image removed from quote.)