An interesting video has emerged of a man provoking a large, aggressive spider he discovered in a Bolivian forest.
Naturalist and academic, Jean-Luc Sanchez, was travelling through the Bolivian Chaco region in late September when he identified a Brazilian Wandering Spider and and decided to film his encounter.
He makes repeated jabbing motions with his fingers towards the spider, which responds by raising two of its front legs and running towards his hand.
According to Jean-Luc, who is an expert in natural, medical and anthropic risk factors for the guyano-Amazonian region, the spider is a ‘Phoneutria nigriventer’ and this could be its first reported sighting in the south of Bolivia.
Describing his encounter, Jean-Luc wrote online: “There are eight known spiders of the Phoneutria species. They are especially dreaded for their aggressiveness and the painful symptoms of their neurotoxic venom.”
“A toxin found in the venom of Phoneutria nigriventer, PnTx2-6, is known to lead to a spontaneous erection of the penis. Some researchers believe that this toxin could lead to a new cure for erectile dysfunction and even replace viagra in the future.”
“When they feel in danger, Phoneutria adopt this typical position where they raise their front legs, meaning that their body is almost vertical. They copy the movements of their aggressor, ready to bite and can jump several centimetres.”
“Their Brazilian name is “aranhas armadeiras” or simply “armadeiras” which means “Brazilian armed spiders” in English. In contrast to other arachnid species like Latrodectus (black widows), both male and female Phoneutria nigriventer spiders are able to deliver a bite”.
An interesting video has emerged of a man provoking a large, aggressive spider he discovered in a Bolivian forest.
This spider is the same one as that seen in the video titled "Handeling a Banana Spider". This shows clearly that the aggressiveness of a species towards men depends on various factors including the way it is handled.
Naturalist and academic, Jean-Luc Sanchez, was travelling through the Bolivian Chaco region in late September when he identified a Brazilian Wandering Spider and and decided to film his encounter.
He makes repeated jabbing motions with his fingers towards the spider, which responds by raising two of its front legs and running towards his hand.
According to Jean-Luc, who is an expert in natural, medical and anthropic risk factors for the guyano-Amazonian region, the spider is a ‘Phoneutria nigriventer’ and this could be its first reported sighting in the south of Bolivia.
Describing his encounter, Jean-Luc wrote online: “There are eight known spiders of the Phoneutria species. They are especially dreaded for their aggressiveness and the painful symptoms of their neurotoxic venom.”
“A toxin found in the venom of Phoneutria nigriventer, PnTx2-6, is known to lead to a spontaneous erection of the penis. Some researchers believe that this toxin could lead to a new cure for erectile dysfunction and even replace viagra in the future.”
“When they feel in danger, Phoneutria adopt this typical position where they raise their front legs, meaning that their body is almost vertical. They copy the movements of their aggressor, ready to bite and can jump several centimetres.”
“Their Brazilian name is “aranhas armadeiras” or simply “armadeiras” which means “Brazilian armed spiders” in English. In contrast to other arachnid species like Latrodectus (black widows), both male and female Phoneutria nigriventer spiders are able to deliver a bite”.
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This scene was filmed in the area of Bolivian Chaco. It is perhaps here Phoneutria nigriventer and in this case the first report of this species in the south of Bolivia.
The spiders of the Ctenidae family all live in the tropical areas of the Americas. Exclusively of Central and South American, the Phoneutria kind, to date contains 8 species especially dreaded by their aggressiveness and painful symptomatology related to the toxic components of their neurotoxic venom. In its biotope, the fortuitous and direct meeting with the man frequently results in a bite.
A toxin of the venom of Phoneutria nigriventer, the" brazilian wandering spider", the PnTx2-6, is known to involve at the man during a bite a priapism (spontaneous erection of the penis). Researchers estimate that this property could replace in the future and in certain cases the use of will viagra.
They are solitary and wandering species, which do not build cobweb, driving out its preys actively normally made up of arthropods as of the insects (flies, himenopterous, cockroaches…), but also of other spiders. Of a twilight or night activity, they are dissimulated during the day in obscure places.
When they feel in danger, Phoneutria adopt a typical position which consists in taking support on their two last pairs of legs, thus raising their body almost with the vertical, while raising at the same time their two other pairs of ambulatory legs like its pedipalps, chelicerae open. They copy their movements on those of their agressor, ready to bite, while jumping several centimetres, including on an object which could be used as protection.
In this offensive position, one says that they arm and from there their Brazilian name of “aranhas armadeiras” or simply of “armadeiras” (“brazilian armed spiders” in English). The aggressiveness of these spiders is found in the scientific name of the species Phoneutria fera (“will make to be translated by “bestial” or “wild”). Contrary to other species like Latrodectus ("black widows), males and females are able to bite.
