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| A closer look at one of natures deadliest creatures. |
A common misconception about black widow spider bites is - if bitten, you will die. The truth is a bite can potentially be fatal but only in rare instances. Take for example the man who was bitten around 19 times on the foot by a black widow spider and died. Our body has the ability to break the venom down and dilute it's potency, but complications can arise from the bite making the situation fatal.
Aside from the facts, we still find them disgusting and hold onto our strong fear of them. Watch this short trailer from Animal Planet's "Im Alive" series where a boy was bitten by a black widow spider that was hiding in his sock.
Videos like this can be hard to watch for some people, especially those with Arachnophobia. (Read our other blurb on Arachnophobia here.)
Did you know some of your favorite Celebrities are scared of spiders? Justin Timberlake, Emma Stone and J.K. Rowling have all been public about their fear of arachnids.
So are black widows aggressive? Do black widows hate humans? Do they purposely seek us out? Are they trying to make our life a living hell? Jackson Landers, a contributor for the New York Times, explains his study of these glossy monsters.
Even with the overwhelming evidence, we're not jumping at the idea of getting too friendly with these things. Still, there are some people out there who are trying to prove a point.
Hold a black widow? Are you crazy? No way! Out of the question!
What a show off. Seriously what's the point of handling one? Is there a point? Is the risk worth the reward? In this case, what is the reward?
Do you know someone who was bitten by a black widow spider? Have you been bitten and lived to tell the story? Share your experience with us! Leave a comment below.