The Dangerous Spiders of Anthem
Most of the types of spiders you’re likely to see in Anthem are nuisance species, but there are two dangerous spiders you should be aware of, the black widow and the brown recluse.
The black widow spider is arguably one of the most dangerous species around. Their venom is reported to be 15 times as strong as a rattlesnake’s venom. Black widows are one of the easier species to identify. In addition to their black bulbous body, most species have a red hourglass shape on their abdomen. If you are bitten by a black widow spider, you can expect to experience a fever, an increase in blood pressure, excessive sweating, and nausea. Pain from the bite is generally immediate. It peaks after a few hours but can last for up to three days before subsiding. Luckily fatalities from black widow bites are rare when medical treatment is sought soon after the bite.
Brown recluse spiders also have a dangerous bite and can often be harder to identify. Unlike black widow spiders, it’s a lack of markings that defines the brown recluse. While brown recluse spiders share a similar brown coloring with several other species, most have stripes or markings on their legs, while brown recluses do not. The only marking you are likely to see on a brown recluse is a darker violin-shaped mark on its back. Another feature that’s different from the black widow is that most brown recluse bites are not felt right away. Instead, the intense pain from their bite is generally delayed for six to eight hours following the bite. Other symptoms of a brown recluse bite include a small blister, restlessness, and fever. The tissue around the bite will begin to die over a week or two, leaving an open ulcer and the potential for dangerous infection.
