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Spiders
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by Joseph K H Koh
What are spiders?
Where to find spiders?
How to collect & perserve spiders?
How to rear spiders?
Links and further readings
Buy the guidebook
Are spiders venomous?
With a few exceptions, all spiders are venomous in the sense that they are equipped with a pair of venom glands. Most spiders depend on the venom to overpower their prey, and when necessary, to defend themselves against their enemies.

However, no one in Singapore is known to have died from spider bites.
More about spiders

What are spiders?

Scientific names of
spider parts

 How to identify spiders?

How are spiders
named and classified

heteropoda venatoriaMost local spiders are harmless because they are not aggressive and will not bite indiscriminately, or their fangs are simply too small to nip through our comparatively thick skin. Some Singaporeans believe that the "urine" of the Domestic Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria (left), often seen scuttling swiftly inside houses at night) can cause blindness. This is an old wives' tale.


Nevertheless, you should treat all larger spiders (with a body length of 15mm or above) with caution. You should avoid flicking them away from your body or catching them with your bare hands. When provoked, some can retaliate by inflicting a painful bite. If you are allergic to bee stings, you may react more strongly to the bite of a spider than an ordinary person. Some spider venom can cause an ulcer-like sore at the bite site which takes a long time to heal. In more serious cases, some victims may also experience headaches or dizziness.

LINKS

From "A Guide to Common Singapore Spiders" by Joseph K. H. Koh
BP Guide to Nature Series published by the Singapore Science Centre and sponsored by British Petroleum<
© 2000 Joseph K H Koh