A close relative of the black widow, the redback spider is most commonly found in its native habitat of urban Australia. Even though they are relatively small -- 1cm long for females and 4mm long for males -- they target relatively large prey. While redbacks usually eat insects and crickets, they have been known to target small lizards.
Signs You Have Been Bit
Redback spiders are most commonly found in dark and dry habitats such as mailboxes, garbage cans, out houses and under car seats. While the spiders usually curl up and play dead when they sense a disturbance, sometimes they will bite if they feel that they or their eggs are being cornered. Since their fangs are so small, the bit is just a prick and may not hurt any more than a common insect sting. However, even the small amount of venom injected into the skin during the bite is highly venomous and can be deadly if not treated with the antivenom.
A Unique Venom
After a bite, the venom travels relatively quickly and is unique in the fact that it can attack the entire nervous system. At first the stinging only occurs at the site of the bite, but after 10 to 40 minutes the pain intensifies and spreads to the rest of the body.
Sweating Limb
The redback spider is also unique in that the bitten limb may begin to sweat profusely after the venom has taken effect.
Time Frame for Symptoms to Present
Typically it takes anywhere from several hours to as long as a day for symptoms to present after a bite. This allows for a window to go see a doctor and receive the antivenom before symptoms get too serious.
Tags: commonly found, most commonly, most commonly found