What you are looking at is according to the Guinness World Records, the world's most venomous spider.
Phoneutria,or banana spider is also known as the Brazilian wandering spider because it actually wanders the jungle floor at night looking for prey, rather than just kicking it in its web.
(Phoneutria greek for "murderess.)
This extremely aggressive spider is mainly found in Central and South America in places like Costa Rica, Argentina, Venezuela and recently it has been introduced to Chile and Urugay.
They can grow to have a leg span of 5 -- 6 inches, with a body length of up to 2 inches.
One way to clearly define that is a specimen of phoneutria is by its characteristic defensive posture where the body is lifted up into an erect position and the first two pair of legs lifted up high as the spider sways from side to side with its hind legs in a cocked position.
During the day this creepy arachnid hides inside termite mounds, under fallen logs, or in banana plants which is how they got their nickname the banana spider.
In one notable case from 2005, a man in Bridgewater England was bitten by a spider that had stowed away in a crate of bananas, but due to quick medical care the man survived, but it took over a week for him to recover following treatment.
(Matthew Stevens )
The spiders venom contains a potent neurotoxin which at high enough concentrations causes loss of muscle control, and breathing problems with the end result being paralysis and eventual asphyxiation.
(While venomous, the spider only injects venom in 1/3 of its bites with only 10 people out of 7,000 cases dying.)
One strange but true side effect of the venom other than death or intense pain can be erections that can last for many hours and cause impotence. Good thing an effective anti-venom is available and few fatalities or painful boners occur.
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