The karakurt spider is a dangerous spider from the genus of black widows. Description and photo of the spider karakurt

Karakurt - Black Widow - is one of the most poisonous spiders on the planet. The most poisonous of all arthropods are spiders, and of them the most poisonous is karakurt ("Black Widow"). The second name of the female of this spider was due to a biological feature - after mating, have a bite to eat with her chosen one.

Karakurt Spider Black Widow

Spiders, like scorpions, are evolutionarily endowed not with hemoglobin, but with hemocyanin, which instead of iron contains copper, which stains the blood in an unusual color: venous - blue, arterial - blue.

HOW THE SPIDER KARACURT LOOKS

The body of the karakurt is smooth, the hairline is completely absent, so the insect seems completely harmless. An adult female has a spherical shape 1.5-2 cm in size. The female and the male are not alike in everything: the spider molts 9 times, and the spider only 7, and has more pronounced red spots on its back until the end of its life.

The danger to humans and warm-blooded animals is the poison-producing apparatus of the karakurt.

POISON KARAKURTA

The poisonous glands located in the cephalothorax are connected by thin ducts to the movable sharp claws of the upper jaws. The glands are enveloped in a muscular sheath. Due to the sharp contraction of these muscles, the victim receives a portion of the poison instantly.

According to the biochemical structure, the poison of the karakurt belongs to toxalbumins, spreads through the lymphatic tract, is neurotoxic and contains six bioactive fractions. The sensitivity of warm-blooded animals to the poison of karakurt is not the same.

The bite of a karakurt is very dangerous for horses and camels that die right in the pastures. Sheep, goats and pigs are not sensitive to this poison and can eat an adult karakurt without any consequences. The venom of the karakurt is 15 times more toxic than the venom of a rattlesnake.

People (especially the inhabitants of the steppes) are well aware of the danger of karakurt. To reduce the likelihood of contact with it in the habitat, shepherds have long driven out, driven out and grazed in the steppe flocks of sheep that are not sensitive to the poison of the karakurt, and also practiced seasonal burning of the steppe so that young individuals of the spider would die in cocoons.

DISTRIBUTION OF KARAKURT

Hot countries - Central Asia, Ukraine, Caucasus. The density of its settlement largely depends on regional weather conditions last year, wintering conditions, the number of natural enemies.

The habitats of spiders are diverse: mouse minks, cracks in adobe walls, sagebrush steppes, wasteland salt marshes - both on virgin soil and on arable lands. They even settle in inhabited yard buildings.

In deserts, as well as in very humid places, in dense grasses and shrubs, karakurts do not live.

WHAT WAY OF LIFE DOES KARAKURT LEAD?

Most often, the karakurt arranges a nest at the base of grass stalks or directly on the ground, where it weaves spherical cocoons for eggs and has a trapping net nearby. Trapping nets and cocoons are made of very strong, tightly stretched cobwebs with a stretch factor of up to 30%.

Karakurt builds cocoons in July - August. After 5-7 days, spiderlings appear in the cocoon, but they emerge from there only next year at an air temperature of 30 ° (15-20 ° degrees in the shade).

WHEN AND HOW KARAKURT BITES

The first bites of karakurt occur in May - early June. However, in 2007, on March 5, a message appeared in the press about the first and the only case winter spider bite. Spiders usually hibernate in winter, but warm winter, according to experts, violated their biological clock. The most frequent and dangerous bites Karakurt are observed in July and August. From September to the end of October, when the weather gets colder, karakurts die en masse.

All adult individuals die, only spiderlings hibernate in cocoons, from which they emerge in summer. AT last years there is a movement of karakurt to a zone of relatively dense human habitation. These are sheds, abandoned courtyard buildings, piles of firewood, rural latrines (cases of a bite in the buttocks are known). It is possible for karakurt to penetrate housing during prolonged heavy rains that flood the spider's habitats.

HOW TO PROTECT FROM A KARAKURT BITE

The most reliable protection against deadly poison karakurta - do not do stupid things during outdoor recreation. To prevent contact with karakurt, certain rules must be followed:

1. For parking, you should choose areas unsuitable for the life of a karakurt (lack a large number rodent burrows, cobwebs in soil depressions and on vegetation).

2. No need to walk barefoot in the places where karakurts may live, and not only them.

3. You can not sleep in the steppe on bare ground, you must use a tarpaulin or air mattresses, which are reliable protection against spider bites at night.

4. When collecting hay, straw, brushwood for a fire, clearing forest belts and wastelands, it is recommended to use gloves and protective clothing, tuck trousers into socks and boots.

5. Do not turn stones over and move by feel at night on rocky slopes.

7. Most bites are provoked by the victims themselves. Summer residents and homeowners struggle poorly with wild herbs on the territory of households and adjacent areas, so karakurts and tarantulas often master vegetable gardens. Some take off their shoes in the evening and leave them in the aisles. Spiders mistake left shoes for a desired mink - and morning can be fatal.

TREATMENT IF BITED BY A BLACK WIDOW

When bitten by a karakurt, it is necessary immediately, no later than 2-3 minutes, to burn the bite with a match head (attach the head of an unlit match to the bite site and set it on fire with another match).

The poison of the karakurt penetrates the skin to a depth of 0.5 mm and decomposes when heated. Other methods of destroying the poison are injection into the wound site of 3-5 ml of 0.1% aqueous solution potassium permanganate and lotions to them at the site of the bite.

Only a female karakurt can bite during puberty

For treatment, it is necessary to inject 1-2 doses of serum diluted in 1000 ml of saline intravenously. Specific anti-karakurt serum is produced at the Tashkent Institute of Vaccines and Serums. One dose of this serum costs 37,000 rubles. This is a huge amount for district hospitals.

Wherever a karakurt bite is received, the victim must be immediately taken to a medical facility. With severe intoxication, drinking plenty of water is recommended, with chills, trembling, a feeling of cold and muscle tension - warming the limbs. A cold compress is applied to the bite site, salicylates and any painkillers are used.

The reputation of karakurt spiders in the human world is sinister. First, they are called European black widows. Second, looking at photo of karakurt, some very impressionable persons see some secret sign in the fact that the body is decorated with thirteen red marks.

Portrait of a "black widow"

In fact, this arthropod does not look menacing at all. Immediately it is worth mentioning that females and males are very different in appearance. The male is significantly inferior to the female in size.

With each next molt karakurt grows up. During the life of the male molts 7 times, and the female 2 times more. Adult females grow up to 2 cm, unlike males, the largest of which are no more than 7 mm. There are also very small ones - 4 mm.

A newborn spider is transparent, but after a few days, after the first molt, the abdomen darkens. And on its upper part, nine white dots appear, arranged 3 in a row. The lower part of the abdomen is decorated with a pattern in the form of red hourglasses with a yellow rim.

With each subsequent molt, the pattern on the body also changes. These changes are most clearly seen if we compare how the spider karakurt photo. There is a certain aesthetic in this drawing.

The frequency of links depends on how well spider karakurt eats. With sufficient nutrition, they ripen very quickly. Adult males have a bright color that does not fade over time.

Karakurt of Western Kazakhstan

But in females, subtle white lines remain on the upper part of the abdomen on a black, sometimes varnished, background. Only " hourglass» on the lower part of the abdomen.

And, finally, after the seventh molt, the male karakurt stops eating, and, guided by the instinct of procreation, goes in search of a female. Having found the bride's web, he carefully touches the signal threads, announcing his arrival. This is necessary so that the female does not confuse it with prey, and does not eat ahead of time.

However, after mating, his fate is still a foregone conclusion. That is why they are called black widows. Not all spiders are so merciless, but even those males who managed to survive soon completely lose interest in food and die of hunger.

Where can you find karakurt?

Talking about the area where he lives karakurt wikipedia notes that traditionally these are hot regions with an arid climate, such as the desert zone of Kazakhstan, the Crimea or the south of Russia.

However, since recently found in large numbers karakurts in the rostov region and in the Moscow region. Such spiders look especially exotic in Altai and in the Novosibirsk region.

True, in these regions, karakurts do not survive low winter temperatures. Educational work is being carried out in atypical arthropod habitats. Specialists use the media to inform the population what a spider looks like karakurt. Video and leaflets are used as visual aids.

Female karakurt with a cocoon

For living, these spiders choose abandoned burrows of small rodents, or dry ditches. Can also be located in a crevice clay wall. Climatic changes force spiders to change their homes.

Sometimes, in connection with this, specialists register invasion of karakurts. Spiders do not live in dense grass because high humidity, but the naked desert scorched by the sun is also not for them. These arthropods feel most comfortable in sparse thickets of wormwood.

The female's house is spacious, and is formed from a dense web pattern. Males weave less intricate, and not so dense nets. Should I be afraid of meeting with karakurt?

The most poisonous females in May - June. The spider attacks when it feels a potential threat. Only by invading its space, a person or animal runs the risk of being bitten.

Male karakurt

Considering these spider features, it becomes clear to whom and why it owes its name stun gun karakurt. In fact, the aggressive behavior of the karakurt can be regarded as self-defense.

But this does not make it any easier, because most often a person quite unintentionally invades the territory where he can be attacked. poisonous karakurt. Animals often suffer from bites.

Only a few of them, such as dogs and hedgehogs, easily tolerate exposure to the toxin. The poison of an adult female is capable of killing a camel or a horse, is it worth talking about the danger to humans.

Within a quarter of an hour after a painful bite, a person shows the main symptoms of severe intoxication: dizziness, suffocation, chills, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. Timely administration of antivenom is a prerequisite for a favorable outcome.

Experts say that if you burn the bite with an extinguished match within two minutes, you can neutralize the poison. The fact is that the poison is based on a protein that simply curls up from exposure high temperature.

Female karakurt

In order to prevent the advice on first aid for bites from being useful, precautions must be taken especially carefully during the migration period of female spiders. After all, the modest size of the spider fully confirms its dangerous reputation.

Karakurtpoisonous spider. But only the bite of a female is dangerous for human health. Its venom is neurotoxic and causes an intense release of acetylcholine at various neuromuscular synapses, as well as at CNS synapses. It will not lead to a fatal outcome if the victim knows what symptoms appear when bitten by a karakurt and seeks medical help in time.

The first symptoms of a karakurt bite

The bite of a karakurt is not painful. In most cases, it is perceived as a prick with a needle or is not even felt. At the same time, a local reaction to spider venom is also absent or very weakly expressed - the skin in the bite area may be slightly pale. Most often, there are no local changes and it is difficult to find the bite site. Due to the subtle soreness of the bite, many victims (especially those who were bitten during sleep) do not associate their sudden ill health with a bite poisonous insect and go to a medical institution only after general manifestations of intoxication.

The first general toxic signs of a karakurt bite appear quickly, after about 5 minutes, and progress very rapidly. These include:

  • burning pain at the site of the bite;
  • pain in;
  • pain radiating to the joints of the legs;
  • dizziness.

The severity of pain varies from relatively mild to extremely severe. It all depends on the toxicity of the poison. If the poisoning is severe, after a bite of a karakurt, symptoms such as:

  • excruciating muscle pain (may be combined with paresthesias in the lower back, abdomen or chest);
  • nervous excitement;
  • pronounced fear of death;
  • pallor of the skin;
  • lacrimation.

Signs of a karakurt bite

If the patient is not given first aid, soon after the bite of the karakurt, other symptoms begin to develop. The victim develops muscle weakness. It is especially pronounced in lower limbs, resulting in a person with difficulty moving or not being able to stand on his feet at all. Drawing and aching pains of different localization can be combined with pronounced muscle tension. Very often, the abdominal press is very tense. Signs of a karakurt bite include dryness of the tongue, pronounced leukocytosis, intestinal paresis and fever. All of them imitate the picture of an acute abdomen, which is why there are cases of erroneous surgical intervention when poisoned by the poison of this type of spider.

Many victims also experience nausea and vomiting, tension, and severe muscle dysfunction in the limbs or back. If no treatment is given at this stage, the following may occur:

  • positive Kernig's syndrome;
  • spasm of sphincters;
  • tremor or convulsive twitching of the occipital muscles;
  • dysfunction of the respiratory muscles;
  • increase in blood pressure.
Symptoms of extremely severe poisoning

In severe cases, other symptoms of a karakurt spider bite occur. In the victim, excitement is replaced by apathy and depression. He has confusion (in some cases with psychotic reactions) and progressive dyspnea with (moist rales, crepitus, frothy sputum).

Most of those bitten develop a rose-colored rash on the skin. The acute phase of intoxication is also characterized by the phenomenon of layering pains of different localization and nature on top of each other. This condition is complicated by a strong sense of fear, tension in various muscle groups and severe muscle weakness. There may also be violations of peristalsis or urination.

In mild forms of poisoning after a bite of a karakurt, the painful phenomena are completely stopped by the end of the first day. If the poison has severely affected the body, the victim may feel pain for 3-4 days.

Spiders (arachnids) are silent killers, causing instant death of their victim in the event of an attack. Patient and prudent arachnids (all spiders belong to this class) weave trapping murderous nets from invisible sticky threads. Up to 30 thousand species of spiders are known. They live next to a person - in the house, forests, fields, reservoirs. And, of course, a spider bite is not uncommon, especially if a person is in the habitats of spiders.

All spiders are poisonous. Poison glands are located on two head appendages - chelicerae. They need poison to kill and digest the victim. The main prey is insects. In some tropical spiders, the net reaches 2 m in diameter and can even interrupt the flight of a small bird. They feed on frogs, mice, small birds, fish, and even their brethren - cannibalism among spiders is quite common. Most spiders are not capable of causing significant harm to humans. Although the poison is strong, its small amount and underdeveloped injection mechanism limit the number of species dangerous to humans. For people, only those that can pierce the skin are dangerous. The most common species include karakurt (black widow), tarantula, scorpion, hermit spider, cross spider, tarantula spider, house spider.

spider bite the next day

Most spider bites are General characteristics, such as a small blister (blister) in the middle, swelling and swelling surrounding the bite site, and a large circle of redness. On the outside the redness is paler from the bite site. It's important to note that a spider can only bite once, so if you have multiple bites, it's likely that someone else didn't bite, or several spiders at once. A typical spider bite resolves within a few days and, in most cases, does not require special attention.
However, if the bite site looks different - a large bubble appears, bright redness spreads quickly to the sides, blueing of large areas of the skin - these are serious signs that you need to respond immediately and contact a medical facility urgently.
In the photo you can see the differences - what a bite of a safe spider looks like and a bite that is dangerous to health.

What to do if bitten by a spider

  1. First of all, don't panic! Although all spiders look scary, there are only about 12 species whose bite has a serious effect on humans or animals. The two most dangerous are the black widow spider and the brown recluse.
  2. Check the wound. After the bite, pay attention to the bite site for redness, swelling, and burning pain. There may be abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, fever, dizziness. The most dangerous reactions are shortness of breath and shock. If there is anything more than just a bite mark, slight redness and pain, call ambulance or see a doctor.
  3. Spider identification - if it is possible and safe to do so. Some spider bites require serious treatment, including antitoxins. If you are unable to identify the spider, this will be helpful in determining the appropriate treatment. It will help a lot if you can catch the spider in a jar or box (just remember about safety). Or at least take a picture of him and show the photo to the doctor.

First aid for a spider bite

  1. To reduce blood flow in the affected area, it is necessary to fix the arm or leg with a belt or scarf - as in a fracture. This will prevent the poison from spreading rapidly into the bloodstream and spreading throughout the body.
  2. Wash the bite with soap and water. Whether the spider is harmless or poisonous, rinse thoroughly as soon as possible. Even common spider can infect the wound when bitten.
  3. Apply a cold compress or ice to the bite site.
  4. Drink plenty of fluids - this will ensure that the poison is quickly eliminated through the kidneys.
  5. Take a pain reliever such as analgin or ibuprofen.
  6. As well as an antihistamine drug that will reduce allergic symptoms - itching, burning, rash.

If you suspect you've been bitten by a venomous spider, you can put a tight bandage over the bite if it's on an arm or leg, making sure you haven't completely cut off the circulation.

The goal is to slow the spread of the poison, not stop blood flow to the limbs. If the bite is on another part of the body, apply cold and get to a medical facility immediately. Hospitalization is required for most of these types of bites.

recluse spider bite

One of the four spiders whose bite is dangerous to humans is the recluse spider. The brown recluse is generally not aggressive and generally bites humans as a defense mechanism, usually when a human's leg or arm is accidentally brought too close.

The brown recluse has a clear violin pattern on its back in the middle part of the body - pictured.

Recluse spider venom contains powerful cytotoxins and hemolytic enzymes that destroy red blood cells. Although the sting is usually not painful at first, there is a burning sensation similar to a bee sting during the first few minutes after the sting.
A small white blister may also appear at the site of the bite.

Additional symptoms usually develop two to eight hours after a recluse spider bite. Sometimes it takes up to 12 hours before bite symptoms develop. Signs:

  • severe pain at the bite site
  • severe itching
  • nausea
  • vomit
  • fever
  • muscle pain

local symptoms

Initially, you can see slight signs of redness at the site of the spider bite.

In most cases, after the skin at the site of the bite hardens, the formation of scar tissue can take several days. More severe local reactions also occur and can cause blistering, discoloration of the skin, and necrosis of the skin area.

Treatment

Because The reaction to the bite of a hermit spider can be sudden and severe, it is necessary to contact specialists for treatment. A visit to the doctor should not be delayed until symptoms appear, see a doctor as soon as possible.
If possible, capture the spider and bring it to a doctor or emergency room for evaluation.

There are no known antidotes for brown recluse stings, so a doctor may prescribe pain relievers, antihistamines to relieve itching, or recommend ice packs to reduce pain and swelling.

spider bite

The cross is a small creature harmless to humans that lives quietly, preying on insects that fall into their nets. The sharp poisonous fangs of the cross are primarily a hunting tool and serve as a defense against other spiders. The victim, falling into a trap, is quickly paralyzed by poison, and then the spider devours it.
The cross spider looks quite harmless - it is distinguished by its characteristic pattern of a cross on its back. The color varies from green to gray, depending on the habitat. The cross is very common - it lives almost everywhere.

A human bite can only be accidental. Their teeth are unable to cut through hard skin, but thinner areas of the body are not a problem. Most often, this situation can occur during a walk in the forest, picking mushrooms or trips. Crosses grow quickly and at the end of summer they can grow to an impressive size.

They stretch webs between the trees on high human face. An inattentive mushroom picker gets into the net being laid and completely destroys it. Then the insect willy-nilly tries to escape or hides under the clothes. AT this moment, we can accidentally crush the insect and that's when the spider bites.

Sometimes these situations occur during sleep. Spiders are nocturnal creatures and often move in search of good places for hunting. A sleeping person, feeling a slight tingling on the body, instinctively trying to scratch, crushes it, exposing himself to a bite. Erythema or swelling may occur on the body in the spider bite area. Usually these symptoms go away on their own.

The poison of the cross does not cause any harm to a person. However, people who are allergic and sensitive to spider toxins should consult a doctor.

tarantula bite

The bite of a tarantula (Lycosa, Theraphosidae) is not dangerous to humans, but may be accompanied by pain and swelling. After being bitten, the animal performs a defensive maneuver, shedding hairs from its abdomen. Fine hairs, falling into the eyes and on the skin, cause pain and an urticarial rash. A variation of the tarantula is the tarantula spider.

The bite of a tarantula spider

There are 400 species of tarantulas different colors. Cobalt blue to gray or dark brown, sometimes black. The tarantula reaches sizes from 9-10 to 17-23 cm, although its body is no more than 10 cm. The rest falls on the legs.
Tarantulas live a very long time - from 25 to 40 years, but this depends on the sex of the spider. He is one of the most terrible spiders (outwardly) - his weight is 80 grams! The tarantula does not weave a web like other spiders, but pursues its prey with its long legs and paralyzes it with poison. It feeds on small insects - grasshoppers, beetles, spiders, even small lizards.

Incredibly, the spider has eight eyes - two in front and two each on the left, right side and back! They usually dig holes in the ground and build a house there.

Tarantulas are venomous, but most types of venom are not strong enough to seriously harm someone.

The bite of a tarantula can be compared to the stings of a wasp or a bee. In most cases, it is harmless, although an allergic person may react like a bee sting.
AT recent times some began to get a tarantula spider as a pet. A human bite can happen through negligence when trying to escape a spider from a terrarium.
First aid for a tarantula bite is no different from other bites - you should consult a doctor if there is an allergy or signs of infection of the wound.

Karakurt bite

Karakurt (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) - a poisonous spider, lives in Moldova, Crimea, Central Asia. For humans, females are dangerous, which have a pair of tubular poisonous glands located on the upper jaw. The poisonous segment (chelicer) ends in a movable sharp claw with an opening for the duct of the poisonous gland. The female has a spherical dense black abdomen with reddish spots. The length of the karakurt is about 10 mm.

Symptoms of poisoning with karakurt poison

After a bite, a small, quickly disappearing speck forms. After 10-20 minutes, severe pain develops at the site of the lesion, which spreads to the abdomen, lower back, and chest. Observe strong mental agitation, headache, dizziness, suffocation, nausea, vomiting, weakness, shortness of breath, cyanosis, tachycardia, arrhythmia. There may be severe salivation. Respiratory arrest is possible.

Black widow bite

The black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) lives in the United States. The females of this species are very large: the paw span reaches 5 cm, and the body length is 1.5 cm. There is a red hourglass pattern on the black back.

Males are smaller, with a white mark on the back, the small size of the poisonous apparatus and mild aggressiveness make them practically harmless to humans. When disturbed, they fall to the ground, tuck their paws in and pretend to be dead. Black widow females are poisonous from the moment they are born. If they guard the laid eggs or feel imminent danger, they prefer to attack. Spiders use their venom to paralyze prey, from which they then suck out the hemolymph.

The period of postcopulatory passivity of the female allows the male to escape from the partner if she is not very hungry. If the female is hungry, then after mating she eats her "wife", which is why she is called a "widow".

Karakurt poison - protein with molecular weight 130,000. Under the influence of poison in presynaptic membranes nerve cells ion channels are formed through which Ca 2++ ions enter the cell. Under the influence of the toxin, exocytosis of synaptic vesicles is facilitated and the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), norepinephrine, and acetylcholine is enhanced.

Changes in intracellular homeostasis and an increase in the content of biologically active substances in the blood affect the functional state of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

In case of poisoning with karakurt poison, clinical manifestations develop within 30 minutes. The victim usually feels the sting and describes it as a "puncture". Severe pain is noted in the spider bite area, erythema and increased local sweating gradually increase.

Bite karakurt degree

When bitten by a black widow, there are three degrees of severity of the disease.

  • I degree; moderate soreness at the site of the bite, there are no general clinical manifestations of intoxication, all laboratory parameters are normal.
  • II degree: muscle pain in the bitten limb. Spread of pain to the abdomen when a leg is bitten or to the chest when a hand is bitten. Profuse sweating at the site of the bite. Vital signs are normal.
  • III degree: generalized muscle pain in the back, chest, abdomen. Strong mental excitement. Headache, dizziness, suffocation, nausea, vomiting, weakness, shortness of breath, cyanosis, arterial hypertension, tachycardia, arrhythmia. General profuse sweating. Strong salivation. Respiratory arrest is possible. In blood tests, an increase in the content of creatine phosphokinase (CPK), leukocytosis, proteinuria is noted. In the absence of treatment, the maximum severity of symptoms lasts for 12 hours, the duration of intoxication is 48-72 hours.

in the photo on the left - a bite at the beginning, on the right - on day 3

Muscle spasms and tension in the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall sometimes lead to an erroneous diagnosis of peritonitis and the performance of unnecessary laparoscopy.

scorpion sting

The scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus) is a venomous spider that is widespread throughout the world. In Russia, lives in the southern latitudes. A feature of the structure of the scorpion, unlike other arthropods, is the presence of pedipalps with claws, at the end of the abdomen there is a curved sharp sting, where the duct of poisonous glands opens. The most dangerous is the black scorpion, its size is 50-100 mm.

Scorpion venom binds to sodium channels cell membranes causing reactivation of neurons. This is accompanied by an elongation of the neuronal action potential in the synapses of the autonomic nervous system, which leads to an increase in the content of catecholamines, renin and aldosterone in the blood.

Symptoms of poisoning from a scorpion sting

The bite causes severe pain, which quickly spreads along the nerve trunks. The victim screams in pain, a sharp weakness develops, convulsions of individual muscle groups occur, blood pressure rises, the body is covered with cold sticky sweat. An urticaria rash appears in the bite area. In severe cases, motor excitation develops, arterial hypertension turns into hypotension, tachyarrhythmia, ventricular extrasystoles, vomiting, profuse sweating, priapism, salivation occur.

There is a growing visual impairment, ptosis, involuntary contractions of the muscles of the tongue, speech becomes slurred. Within 2-3 hours after the introduction of poison into the body, breathing is disturbed, pulmonary edema develops. Death occurs with symptoms of increasing acute cardiovascular and respiratory failure.

When assessing the degree of toxicity of arthropod venom, the following was noted:

Spider bite treatment

To reduce the spread of poison from the bite site throughout the body, immobilization of the limb is indicated. Pain is relieved by novocaine blockade, painkillers are administered: non-narcotic and narcotic analgesics. Cold is applied to the bite area.

Hormones, antihistamines are administered: H1 receptor blockers (promethazine (diprazine), chloropyramine (suprastin), etc. and H2 receptors (cimetidine, ranitidine (acylok), etc.), vitamins. Benzodiazepines are prescribed when excited. Serum In severe cases, equine immunoglobulin (IgG) is administered.The antitoxin (from horse serum) prevents the venom from binding to presynaptic membranes and remains effective even 46 hours after the bite.

With a scorpion sting, Ca-channel blockers, ACE inhibitors are prescribed. Propranolol (anaprilin) ​​effectively and quickly stops tachyarrhythmia, but does not improve hemodynamic parameters. With respiratory depression, oxygen is supplied, with the development of acute respiratory failure, artificial lung ventilation (ALV) is performed.

The karakurt spider, called the "black widow", is related to the family of web spiders and to the Spider order. These arthropod invertebrates live 10 to 14 months for males and females, respectively. In nature, you can find several varieties of these insects - white karakurt, as well as black spider and others. The considered class of insects is the most poisonous in the world. Females are called black widows because they have a common biological feature- biting the head of males after mating. The bite of a karakurt can cause mortal danger to any person exposed to it.

External characteristics of the spider-karakurt

Consider a detailed description of adults. For appearance, there are several characteristic features what does a karakurt spider look like.

  • Smooth body without hairline, which gives the insect a noble appearance, similar to a harmless creature;
  • In females that have reached middle age, the body looks like a ball and has a size of 1.5-2 cm. The male has slightly different indicators.
  • Only the male spider is distinguished throughout its life by the presence of pronounced red spots on its back.

The deadly threat to human life is the poison of this insect, which, penetrating under the skin, slowly kills.

Spider venom

The poison of the karakurt is located in the cephalothorax, its glands are connected by ducts with small claws in the upper jaws. There is also a muscular membrane in the glands, due to the fact that there is a sharp contraction of the muscles, the victim instantly receives a portion of the poison. The female and the male pose an identical danger, and based on biochemical data, the karakurt has poison - TOXABULMIN, it spreads along the paths, and there are several fractions. The sensitivity of warm-blooded victims to poison substances varies. The karakurt spider “appearance is shown in the photo” especially affects camels, horses, and people.

Where is the spider common

White karakurt, as well as black individuals and their other varieties, are found mainly in hot countries in which good conditions. Most often they can be found in Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia, in the Crimea, such spiders were also found in Rostov region. Features of the settlement of individuals depend on individual climatic conditions. Usually these poisonous creatures live in the holes of mice, in the area of ​​cracks in mud concrete walls, as well as in sagebrush steppes, on wastelands and in other places. Such individuals do not live in deserts, in places with excessive humidity. In the Crimea and in the Rostov region, spiders are especially common because of the weather conditions that are attractive to them.

Karakurt lifestyle

Karakurt (from the genus of black widows) prefers to create a nest near the stem base on the grass or on the ground. They are engaged in weaving spherical cocoons, eggs are placed in them, and trapping net. The last elements are made, like cocoons, from tight cobwebs, which have a tensile coefficient of 30%. The construction of cocoons begins at the time of July or August. A week later, small spiders appear there, but their release occurs only next year, when the air temperature reaches 30 degrees.

How a spider bites

The bite of a karakurt carries serious danger but this statement is not 100% true. Human skin cannot be bitten by a male, but a female representative can easily cope with this task. However, it is her glands that are poisonous. The white karakurt and the black individual are of particular danger in mating season when nesting occurs.

Bite symptoms

A person bitten by a karakurt suffers from several symptoms that manifest themselves quite clearly.

  • 10 minutes after the bite, the breaking of the body begins, chills appear;
  • there is a severe headache, an unpleasant sensation in the lower back;
  • the chest area, abdominal area, upper and lower press suffer;
  • after the first signs, an inexplicable weakness may appear;
  • the person begins to turn pale, tears flow, nausea appears;
  • there is a clouding of the general consciousness, especially at the last stage;
  • there is a state of severe depression and overwhelming fear.

First aid for a bite of a karakurt involves the introduction of an antidote - a special serum. This event must be done the first 10 minutes after the bite in order to prevent the death of the bitten person.

In favor of the spider, we can say that the first insect never attacks. A bite occurs when a person steps on a nest or on a female.

What to do with a bite

If you decide to take a walk around the outskirts of your city or go on a picnic, it is recommended to take matches with you. If a spider has bitten you, you need to quickly burn the affected area with a match, this will make the poison formulas destroyed. If the spider is labeled, you need to go to the nearest specialized medical facility and administer an antidote. Serum is quite expensive, so funds are often used to replace it.

  • Introduction to the subcutaneous region of 0.1% potassium permanganate, 5 ml;
  • performing household chores.

It is worth remembering that after the first procedures, the poison (it doesn’t matter who bit - Crimean or Caucasian karakurt) will not be completely neutralized, relief will come only after a few weeks. Everything will depend on the season and age of the individual, as well as on the amount of poison injected under the skin.

Thus, a biting spider poses a danger to humans. We examined what a karakurt looks like from his photo, and you can also get acquainted with the features of life that the karakurt spider leads on the video.