Deadly black widow found in Kent

Vet Mark Rowland with the deadly black widow

Tuesday, June 07 2011
by Alan McGuinness

Its venom is 15 times more deadly than a rattlesnake, it devours males after mating - and it's looking for a new home... in Kent.

A black widow spider was discovered by workers importing cars from the United States at Chatham Docks at the weekend.

It was trapped and taken to a Maidstone veterinary surgery in a Chinese takeaway carton.

Mark Rowland, the owner of Trinity Vet Centre and an expert in zoological medicine says he has never had to deal with something like this before.

He said: "The first thing we thought when it was brought in was: 'Thank god there are not any holes in this'. At least it was secure.

"The thing about Chinese takeaway cartons is that they have got firm lids you can put on.

"The guys had done a good job in entrapping it in that. Although it was not ideal it was better than it could have been.

"If it was brought in a box that would have been a bit more disconcerting.

"We just had to transfer it to a more secure container and double box it so it would not cause any problems."

A bite from a black widow spider can cause muscle pain and spasms, nausea, vomiting, a coma and even death.

"Statistically the fatality rate is five per cent - the only fatalities occur in older people, very young people or those who do not have as robust an immune system as normal.

"The effects of it can last for up to several weeks after - it is quite a nasty experience," said Mr Rowland.

Now he is searching for somewhere, or someone, to take the spider.

"I have started with the local zoological collections - I have contacted London Zoo.

"I have got quite a few contacts in the zoological world so we should be able to find somewhere for her.

"Wherever she goes they will have to have a dangerous wild animal licence because she is a potentially dangerous animal.

"That is why I am exploring this avenue first and then I will send it out to the general public.

"But that would be both irresponsible and illegal if they do not have a licence. Until that time she will remain here."

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2011-1/june/7/deadly_black_widow_found_in_ke.aspx
(Submitted by Neil Arnold)

'Deadly' spider forces Crosby family from home

20 May 2011

A spider found in a bunch of bananas forced a Merseyside family to leave their home after they learnt it could be one the world's most poisonous.

Mandy and Darryl Ryan and their three young children moved out of their house in Crosby for eight days.

Mrs Ryan thought the spider was dead and before it ran off she took a photo of it. The picture showed it could be a deadly Brazilian wandering spider.

The family moved back in after Mr Ryan trapped it in a sandwich box.

He wore protective gloves and used a small mirror to look behind kitchen units at the family home on College Road North.

Pet shop

After setting sticky insect traps, the spider was found alive in the dishwasher.

Mrs Ryan said: "I brought the shopping home and noticed in a little bag of bananas that it was all black.

"It looked like one had rotted, so I opened the bag and the spider was sitting on top.

"I thought it was dead so I took a few photos of it. Then all of a sudden it jumped over my hand.

"I tried to catch it with a glass but it escaped into the dishwasher."

The spider is to be passed on to a pet shop which specialises in spiders and lizards.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-13476690

Tarantulas eject silk from feet

16 May 2011
By Victoria Gill
Reporter, BBC Nature

Tarantulas eject silk through their feet to anchor themselves to slippery, vertical surfaces, say scientists.

The discovery, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, shows how these large but very fragile spiders avoid potentially lethal falls.

The team designed an experiment to dislodge the spiders' feet slightly, by gently shaking a glass tank as they climbed up the side.

Examining glass slides from under the tarantulas' feet revealed their secret.

Like all spiders, tarantulas have attachment hairs on their feet. But, for very large tarantulas, this system for sticking is stretched to its limit.

The idea that they had this Spiderman-like ability was first proposed in 2006 by researchers in Germany, who published a paper on the topic in the journal Nature.

But this was quickly refuted by another group that claimed the silk came from the spiders' spinnerets - their specialised silk-spinning organs - and had simply brushed on to the tarantulas' feet.

So Claire Rind and her colleagues from the University of Newcastle set out to design an experiment to test the theory.

Shaking spider

"They're awesome creatures, and they have this beautiful way of moving that really fascinated me," she told BBC News.

She and her colleagues designed an experimental "arena" for their three Chilean rose tarantulas. This consisted of a glass tank with microscope slides stuck to the bottom.

They placed each tarantula on to the floor of the tank and upended it so that the spider was suspended from its feet on the vertical glass pane.

The crucial test was to find out what happened when they made the spider feel unsteady, so they gave the tank a very gentle shake.

"We couldn't see any traces of silk with the naked eye," said Dr Rind, "but when we removed the slides and examined them under the microscope, we saw up to 30 silken threads at the point where the tarantula's foot slipped.

"So our experiments to dislodge the spider made it release silk through its feet."

The next stage of the experiment was to make sure that the silk had come from the spiders' feet.

This is where Dr Rind's own pet Mexican flame knee tarantula, named Fluffy, came into the study.

Tarantulas moult their skins periodically as they grow and Dr Rind had collected all of the Fluffy's moulted skins.

She examined these - along with moults from the Chilean rose spiders involved in the study and a moult from an Indian ornamental spider - with a powerful electron microscope and saw tiny silk-producing structures, or spigots, sticking out beyond the microscopic hairs on the spiders' feet.

Looking at the tarantula family tree, Dr Rind found that the three species involved in the research were very distantly related.

"So it's likely that all tarantulas produce silk threads from their feet," she said.

"Tarantulas are quite a primitive, ancient species."

They seem to produce just two types of silk - one from their spinnerets and one from their feet.

"Many modern spiders' spinnerets produce several different types of silk, with several different functions."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13382903

Fossilised spider 'biggest on record'

The legs would have spanned up to 15cm, front to back
(scale-bar: 5mm)

20 April 2011
By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent, BBC News

Scientists say a fossilised spider from the Inner Mongolian region of China is the biggest yet found.

The female, which lived about 165 million years ago, belongs to a collection of spiders well known today - the golden orb weavers.

These creatures make webs from a very tough and distinctively golden silk.

The researchers tell the journal Biology Letters that Nephila jurassica, as they have called their specimen, would have had a leg span of some 15cm.

"She is the largest known fossil spider," said Professor Paul Selden from the University of Kansas, US.

"Her body is not the biggest, but if you add in her long legs then she's the largest," he told BBC News.

Today's Nephila species are found around the globe in tropical and sub-tropical regions.

Until this new fossil turned up in Inner Mongolia, the most ancient example from this grouping, or genus, was about 35 million years old.

So, this discovery pushes the existence of the Nephila back to the Jurassic Period, making them the longest ranging spider genus known.

No-one can say for sure how this particular arachnid met her end, but she may have succumbed to a natural catastrophe.

The spider was encased in volcanic ash at the bottom of what would have been a lake. Perhaps the ash fall from an eruption pulled her from her web and smothered her. Whatever the circumstances of the spider's end, the preservation of detail today is exquisite.

"You see not just the hairs on the legs but little things like the trichobothria which are very, very fine. They're used to detect air vibrations. There's a very distinct group of them and they're a very distinct size which is typical of this genus, Nephila," Professor Selden explained.

Nephila females today weave some of the largest orb webs known, up to 1.5m in diameter. The great prowess of the females stands in stark contrast to the rather diminutive males of the genus. Their small form makes the females look like giants.

This disparity in size is an example of what biologists refer to as extreme sexual dimorphism.

Professor Selden and his colleagues are keen to find out whether this characteristic holds true for the ancient Nephila, too.

"The previous oldest Nephilid is a male from the Cretaceous Period found in Spain. That male is normal sized, whereas in the present day the females are giants," the Gulf-Hedberg distinguished professor of invertebrate paleontology at Kansas said.


"So, it looks like we may have this dimorphism going back this great length of time. We'd like to find a male in the deposit to confirm this. All the evidence would suggest the male would be normal size, but we haven't yet located one."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13134505

Spider web fire risk prompts Mazda6 recall

4 March 2011

Japanese carmaker Mazda has announced it is recalling 65,000 cars in North and Central America because of concerns over spiders in the fuel system.

A Mazda spokesman said dealers had found 20 cases where webs of yellow sac spiders were found in a vent line.

The company said this could increase pressure in the fuel tank, leading to possible cracks and a risk of fire.

Dealers will check the cars for cracks, clean out any webs and install a spring in the line to keep out the spiders.

About 50,000 Mazda6 vehicles from the 2009-10 model years are being recalled in the United States, with another 15,000 in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Mazda spokesman Jeremy Barnes said it was not clear why the yellow sac spider liked to build nests in the Mazda6.

"Perhaps yellow sac spiders like to go zoom-zoom?" he joked, referring to Mazda's advertising slogan for the car.

The company said it did not know of any accidents or fires caused by the spider webs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12643610
(Submitted by Tim Chapman)

Rare spider discovered in nature reserve in Poole

This incredibly rare arachnid, with a wacky human face
on its back, has been discovered on a nature reserve in
Poole, the first one found in 35 years

2:00pm Monday 28th February 2011

By Lara Tollast

YOU WOULD have thought that finding a tiny, rare, fury animal with the markings of a friendly face on its back would have brought families flocking to see it at the Arne nature reserve in Poole.

Tony Whitehead of the RSPB said: “If this were a bird, rather like the recent oriental turtle dove, the queues would be stretching around the car park.”

So why is this tiny critter so lonely?

Perhaps it’s the fact that it also has eight legs, eight eyes, and the ability to scare Miss Muffet right off her tuffet.

The eloquently named Philodromus Margaritatus spider was discovered by RSPB volunteer Chris Emblem-English on an electricity junction box at the reserve in Poole. What makes this eight-legged beauty so special is that it had not been seen in Dorset for more than 30 years.

“This spider is something of a rarity”, Whitehead adds.

For centuries spiders have been on the receiving end of bad press, when only a small handful are capable of harming a human.

Perhaps the fear of spiders comes not only from their appearance but their cunning predatory methods. The fact they construct a web – a trap invisible to its ill-fated prey, is vindictively morbid and easily creepier than the tactics of other larger predators. If spiders were the size of Alsatians we would have fair reason to live in fear of them, so let’s thank mother nature that she made them so small.

Laura Dunne, 22 from Bournemouth says: “I don’t like them because they are so small, and it’s knowing that they could be hiding under your bed and you wouldn’t even know.”

Strange, then, that this fearful disdain is coupled with the belief that some spiders bring you luck. Money spiders are traditionally thought to bring wealth to those who cross their eight-legged path, and circling the spider around your head three times before tucking it in your pocket may make for more financial sense than buying lottery tickets.

The association between spiders and money stems from the belief that spiders attract wealth to people in the same way those spiders attract their prey. This theory dates back to the Romans, who would carry a little gold or silver spider in their pockets for good luck in trade.

Perhaps the best thing about spiders is that their eating habits stop us from being overrun with other creepy crawlies, such as disease-spreading flies. In Papa New Guinea and South America, spiders themselves are included in some traditional foods.

Eat them, fear them or fling them around your head, remember that spiders are more sacred of you than you are of them. As the old saying goes, “If you want to live and thrive then let a spider run alive”.

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/features/8879618.Rare_spider_discovered_in_nature_reserve_in_Poole/

Mosquito-eating spider likes smelly socks

Not the most appealing-looking house guest,
but it could help combat malaria

Wednesday, 16 February 2011

By Victoria Gill
Science and nature reporter, BBC News

A spider that preys on the malaria-carrying mosquito Anopheles gambiae is attracted to the odour of sweaty socks, according to a study.

Scientists in the UK and Kenya used previously worn socks in an experiment to find out if the spider, like its prey, was attracted to human odours.

The jumping spider appears to have evolved an affinity for smelly human feet in order to help find its prey.
The team reports its findings in the journal Biology Letters.

They say that people might be able to "recruit" this East African jumping spider, Evarcha culicivora, in the battle against malaria by encouraging the arachnids to live in their homes.

Smelly experiment

Fiona Cross, from the University of Canterbury, and Robert Jackson, from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Kenya, carried out the study.

They were interested in this species because it is the only known predator that specifically preys on blood-carrying mosquitoes.

"We had a suspicion that human odour was attractive to the spiders before we even ran the experiment," Ms Cross told BBC News. "We generally find these spiders in the tall grass next to houses or other buildings occupied by people."

To test this suspicion, the team devised an aroma-based experimental set-up called an olfactometer.
They put each "test spider" into a small holding chamber into which air was pumped, either from a box containing a clean sock or one containing a worn (and therefore smelly) sock.

Each spider was able leave its holding chamber at any time and escape into an exit chamber, which did not have sock-scented air pumped into it.

The spiders supplied with the aroma of worn socks always remained in the holding chamber for longer than those exposed to the freshly washed sock.

Ms Cross said it was "unprecedented that a spider should find human odour attractive".

But, she added, the discovery tied in with some of the spiders' remarkable behaviour.

"When they smell blood, they can launch into feeding frenzies where they kill up to 20 mosquitoes in rapid succession, and not necessarily to eat all of them," she explained.

"We need to learn more about why they do this - they really do go quite crazy when they are in the vicinity of blood."

Anti-malaria arachnid

It may be a rather ugly, bloodthirsty little creature, but Evarcha culicivora could help in the ongoing and complex battle against malaria.

"It's something that's there in the environment for free," said Ms Cross. "So why not do what we can to find out about this remarkable predator?"

She and her colleagues are currently trying to find out what exactly people might be able to do to attract the spiders into their homes, without also attracting the mosquitoes.

The scientists say that, in malaria zones, people should welcome these particular creepy crawlies into their houses.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9398000/9398408.stm
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)

Wheelchair bound man diagnoses spider bite after watching documentary

A businessman who spent three years in a wheelchair with a mysterious flesh-eating condition was finally cured after a television documentary about spiders revealed the cause of his condition.

By Caroline Gammell 6:25PM GMT 04 Jan 2011

Brian Holman spent three and a half years unable to walk and facing the prospect of amputation after he developed what he thought was a blister on holiday in Turkey.

Doctors struggled to cure the 55-year-old former owner of a marine business and the wound on his ankle only seemed to get worse.

After two operations to remove the infected skin, refusing amputation and taking morphine to ease the pain, Mr Holman happened to watch a programme on the Discovery Channel in which a woman had suffered a similar fate.

It turned out that she had been bitten by a Brown Recluse Spider, a small but poisonous spider found in Turkey.

"A woman on the show who suffered the same gash had turned out to have been bitten by a poisonous spider,” he said.

"The spider was no bigger than an inch.”

Mr Holman, a father-of-four from Fareham in Hants, had gone on holiday with his wife Catherine to Side in southern Turkey.

"We were only a couple of days into the holiday and we had been swimming in the pool," he said.

"I dried off when I got back to the sun-bed and when I pulled the towel away I noticed a little blister. I looked as if I had burnt my leg but it did not hurt at all.

"My wife just said I had better keep it covered up but we did not think any more of it. I did not realise it was a spider bite at the time.

"I did notice two or three around the pool – they were very tiny with spindly legs but I never put two and two together until I saw the programme months later.”

Doctors initially thought he was suffering from a combination of bad sunburn and varicose veins.

After watching the programme Mr Holman consulted his GP who told him to see Pauline Edney, a lead clinical nurse at Fareham College's Community Leg Care Centre.

He said: “I will never forget the look of horror on her face when she saw the wound. She told me straight she didn't think she would be able to heal it."

However, after six weeks of cleaning, dressing and compressing the wound which was several inches wide, it started to heal and has now almost completely recovered.

“I don't think I will ever be the same again because of the damage the spider's venom did to the nerve endings,” he said.

“But at the end of the day, Pauline has given me back my life and saved my leg.”

Miss Edney said: "All we did here is wash it, put cream on, redress it in a new dressing, and kept it compressed in a bandage.

"Once you get into the cycle of treatment doctors then tend to over-treat and forget to go back to basics. Maybe it just needed some fresh eyes.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8239391/Wheelchair-bound-man-diagnoses-spider-bite-after-watching-documentary.html

Wheelchair bound man diagnoses spider bite after watching documentary

A businessman who spent three years in a wheelchair with a mysterious flesh-eating condition was finally cured after a television documentary about spiders revealed the cause of his condition.

By Caroline Gammell 6:25PM GMT 04 Jan 2011

Brian Holman spent three and a half years unable to walk and facing the prospect of amputation after he developed what he thought was a blister on holiday in Turkey.

Doctors struggled to cure the 55-year-old former owner of a marine business and the wound on his ankle only seemed to get worse.

After two operations to remove the infected skin, refusing amputation and taking morphine to ease the pain, Mr Holman happened to watch a programme on the Discovery Channel in which a woman had suffered a similar fate.

It turned out that she had been bitten by a Brown Recluse Spider, a small but poisonous spider found in Turkey.

"A woman on the show who suffered the same gash had turned out to have been bitten by a poisonous spider,” he said.

"The spider was no bigger than an inch.”

Mr Holman, a father-of-four from Fareham in Hants, had gone on holiday with his wife Catherine to Side in southern Turkey.

"We were only a couple of days into the holiday and we had been swimming in the pool," he said.

"I dried off when I got back to the sun-bed and when I pulled the towel away I noticed a little blister. I looked as if I had burnt my leg but it did not hurt at all.

"My wife just said I had better keep it covered up but we did not think any more of it. I did not realise it was a spider bite at the time.

"I did notice two or three around the pool – they were very tiny with spindly legs but I never put two and two together until I saw the programme months later.”

Doctors initially thought he was suffering from a combination of bad sunburn and varicose veins.

After watching the programme Mr Holman consulted his GP who told him to see Pauline Edney, a lead clinical nurse at Fareham College's Community Leg Care Centre.

He said: “I will never forget the look of horror on her face when she saw the wound. She told me straight she didn't think she would be able to heal it."

However, after six weeks of cleaning, dressing and compressing the wound which was several inches wide, it started to heal and has now almost completely recovered.

“I don't think I will ever be the same again because of the damage the spider's venom did to the nerve endings,” he said.

“But at the end of the day, Pauline has given me back my life and saved my leg.”

Miss Edney said: "All we did here is wash it, put cream on, redress it in a new dressing, and kept it compressed in a bandage.

"Once you get into the cycle of treatment doctors then tend to over-treat and forget to go back to basics. Maybe it just needed some fresh eyes.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8239391/Wheelchair-bound-man-diagnoses-spider-bite-after-watching-documentary.html

Scorpions and tarantulas found in Preston alleyway

1 October 2010

Two scorpions and 15 baby tarantulas have been found abandoned in an alleyway in Preston, Lancashire.

A member of the public spotted them on Saturday and took them to the police who alerted the RSPCA.

The RSPCA has released details about the discovery to try to trace their owners.

"They had obviously been kept by someone who knew about spiders because some of them are quite unusual," animal welfare officer John Littlewood said.

"We are hoping that the owner will come forward," he added.

"People should not abandon dangerous exotics like this.

"Anyone who found them - including a young child - could still have been bitten, even though the spiders are very young."

'Lucky still alive'

The scorpions - an Asian forest and an emperor - are one cm in length.

Among the tarantulas was a sunburst, which is one of the most aggressive tarantulas.

They are all being cared for at the Bugworld Experience in Liverpool.

Curator Jenny Dobson said: "Most that we've managed to identify are not commonly kept tarantulas and would be very difficult to look after.

"It's not the kind of thing that should be dumped in a back street".

She said all the creatures were lucky to be alive in the cold weather.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-11457332
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)

Scorpions and tarantulas found in Preston alleyway

1 October 2010

Two scorpions and 15 baby tarantulas have been found abandoned in an alleyway in Preston, Lancashire.

A member of the public spotted them on Saturday and took them to the police who alerted the RSPCA.

The RSPCA has released details about the discovery to try to trace their owners.

"They had obviously been kept by someone who knew about spiders because some of them are quite unusual," animal welfare officer John Littlewood said.

"We are hoping that the owner will come forward," he added.

"People should not abandon dangerous exotics like this.

"Anyone who found them - including a young child - could still have been bitten, even though the spiders are very young."

'Lucky still alive'

The scorpions - an Asian forest and an emperor - are one cm in length.

Among the tarantulas was a sunburst, which is one of the most aggressive tarantulas.

They are all being cared for at the Bugworld Experience in Liverpool.

Curator Jenny Dobson said: "Most that we've managed to identify are not commonly kept tarantulas and would be very difficult to look after.

"It's not the kind of thing that should be dumped in a back street".

She said all the creatures were lucky to be alive in the cold weather.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-11457332
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)

New Spider Species Found in Kalimantan

Fidelis E. Satriastanti | September 16, 2010

Jakarta. The discovery of four new species of spider in Kalimantan was announced on Thursday, adding to the country’s already rich catalog of fauna.

The findings, by Cahyo Rahmadi, a zoology researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), and two colleagues, Mark S. Harvey, from the Western Australian Museum, and Jun-ichi Kojima, from Japan’s Ibaraki University, were published in Zootaxa, a taxonomy journal.

The four new species of whip spiders, or tailless whip scorpions, known here as kala cemeti, were found in the Sangkulirang caves in East Kalimantan and around Mount Muller in Central Kalimantan.

One of the species was named Sarax yayukae, in honor of Yayuk R. Suhardjono, an Indonesian scientist specializing in cave biology who helped the researchers during their work.

Sarax sangkulirangensis was found to be the most widespread of the new species, existing in three regions — Talabar, Lake Tebo and Pengadan.

Sarax mardua, which was found in Mardua Cave in Pengadan, has a pale-colored body and eyes that are smaller than those of Sarax sangkulirangensis.

The last of the new species, Sarax cavernicola, got its name because it is found only in caves.

It is considered the most unique of the new species because the spine composition on its pincers are all the same length, while other whip spiders have gradually longer spines.

Cahyo warned that three of the species endemic to the limestone regions of Sangkulirang were threatened by human activity, including mining and land redevelopment.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/new-spider-species-found-in-kalimantan/396560

New Spider Species Found in Kalimantan

Fidelis E. Satriastanti | September 16, 2010

Jakarta. The discovery of four new species of spider in Kalimantan was announced on Thursday, adding to the country’s already rich catalog of fauna.

The findings, by Cahyo Rahmadi, a zoology researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), and two colleagues, Mark S. Harvey, from the Western Australian Museum, and Jun-ichi Kojima, from Japan’s Ibaraki University, were published in Zootaxa, a taxonomy journal.

The four new species of whip spiders, or tailless whip scorpions, known here as kala cemeti, were found in the Sangkulirang caves in East Kalimantan and around Mount Muller in Central Kalimantan.

One of the species was named Sarax yayukae, in honor of Yayuk R. Suhardjono, an Indonesian scientist specializing in cave biology who helped the researchers during their work.

Sarax sangkulirangensis was found to be the most widespread of the new species, existing in three regions — Talabar, Lake Tebo and Pengadan.

Sarax mardua, which was found in Mardua Cave in Pengadan, has a pale-colored body and eyes that are smaller than those of Sarax sangkulirangensis.

The last of the new species, Sarax cavernicola, got its name because it is found only in caves.

It is considered the most unique of the new species because the spine composition on its pincers are all the same length, while other whip spiders have gradually longer spines.

Cahyo warned that three of the species endemic to the limestone regions of Sangkulirang were threatened by human activity, including mining and land redevelopment.

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/new-spider-species-found-in-kalimantan/396560

Official: spiders are not afraid of conkers

Friday July 16, 02:46 AM

LONDON, July 15th (Reuters) - For years, people have put conkers around their houses, believing their shininess or smell kept spiders away, but now a group of shoolchildren have proved the theory is false.

Year 5 and 6 pupils at Roselyon School, in Par, Cornwall won a nationwide challenge by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) -- and a 300 pound prize -- to discover the truth about spiders and conkers.

They put spiders in boxes with conkers and stones, and noted that most of them climbed over the conkers.

Spiders were also put in a water tank with a choice of escaping across a bridge made of wood or conkers, and most chose the conker route.

The results were videoed and presented to the Society.

"They should be proud of their fair mindedness, scientific rigour and logical thinking," said RSC spokesman Jon Edwards.

Andrew Ferguson, science teacher at the school, said: "Apart from being good fun, the project provided an invaluable learning experience.

"Many people are terrified of spiders, but one other thing our video also demonstrated is that Roselyon children are not among them."

(Reporting by Rianna Walcott; Editing by Steve Addison)

http://nz.entertainment.yahoo.com/100715/5/ka5o.html

Spiders shown to girls with arachnophobia in Austrian experiment

Girls who suffer from arachnophobia will be shown pictures of spiders in an Austrian experiment into how fear affects the processes of the brain.

Published: 4:35PM BST 30 Jun 2010

Researchers are looking for girls aged between 8-13 years who are "very fearful of spiders and/or who feel sick at the sight of them," the University of Graz said on its website.

The children will be shown pictures of the eight-legged crawlers and their brain waves will be registered. They will also undergo free fear therapy with specialists.

The researchers hope the results will help them develop phobia treatments.

"Spiders provoke revulsion for many people and even set off fearful panic. Girls in particular are frequently affected," the university said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/7863618/Spiders-shown-to-girls-with-arachnophobia-in-Austrian-experiment.html

Scorpions and parakeets 'found living wild in UK' (Via Lindsay Selby)

Scorpions, parakeets and turtles have all been found living wild in the UK, according to a new study.

The study, led by the University of Hull, studied sightings and population numbers for creatures introduced into Britain over the last 150 years.

It found 13,000 yellow-tailed scorpions and between 30,000 and 50,000 ring-necked parakeets in south-east England. About 10 coatis, which are also known as Brazilian aardvarks, and about 20 snapping turtles were also found.

Breeding population

The coatis, which are members of the racoon family and hail from North America, are thought to be living wild in Cumbria. The snapping turtles, also from North America, are believed to be living in parts of Kent, London, the West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

The scorpions originate from north-west Africa and southern Europe and the ring-necked parakeets come from Africa and Asia. Report author Dr Toni Bunnell, of the University of Hull, said it was thought some of the animals had originally been kept as pets but were released when their owners could no longer look after them.

"If you get enough turfed out in the same area and they can survive and the habitat suits them, then you have got a breeding population. That seems to be what's happening." She added that other species were thought to have escaped from private collections.

The report was commissioned by the Eden television channel.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humberside/10365422.stm

Mum’s terror as a scorpion joins her on the family sofa

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/mumrsquos-terror-as-a-scorpion-joins-her-on-the-family-sofa-14765162.html

Mum’s terror as a scorpion joins her on the family sofa
Tuesday, 13 April 2010

There was a sting in the tale for a mother and her baby son when they settled down for a night in front of the telly and were confronted by a 5cm long scorpion. Carolyn was relaxing on Friday night in her Cavehill Road home, when she suddenly discovered she was sharing her sofa with a creepy crawly. Her fearless husband Joe heard her screams and quickly leapt into action.

He ran downstairs and killed the creature which was believed to be the first one of its kind found in Northern Ireland. Joe said: “She ran upstairs to me, screaming that she was scared because there was a scorpion on the sofa. I said she was talking rubbish, that it was probably just a big spider.

“It wasn’t that big but was a scary looking thing. We have a young baby who had been on that sofa just half an hour before. Who knows what a sting from a scorpion could do to a child of four months?”

A quick internet search identified it as possibly being a European yellow tailed scorpion. It’s not deadly, but its sting could be lethal for a very young child. The yellow tailed scorpion is indigenous to Europe and some parts of southern England but is not native to Northern Ireland. Carolyn is so shaken that she and baby Connor are staying with her mother. Until the scorpion is identified they are unsure whether they are safe to return home.

“It’s totally bizarre,” said Joe. “The only thing we can think of is the fact we had a friend from London staying recently so it could have crawled into her luggage and escaped while she was here.” Belfast City Council said: “Scorpions are not considered as vermin or a pest and therefore could not be dealt with by pest control

Silky Skills

Spiders' silk could turn ordinary wood into a super-strong material. The creatures are masters of nanotechnology, spinning webs with a unique crystal structure that is proportionally stronger and less brittle than steel, say US scientists. It is hoped the pattern can be copued to make incredibly tough yet flexible materials from existing elements, such as wood, straw or hemp. The research is published in Nature Materials.

http://e-edition.metroherald.ie/2010/03/15/ - p8.

Danisco turns to snakes, spiders for potent enzymes

Thursday March 11, 08:28 AM

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danish food ingredients and enzymes maker Danisco said on Wednesday it would investigate whether snakes, spiders and carnivorous plants could provide new powerful enzymes to improve consumer goods.

Danisco said such overlooked species could be key to discovering new potent enzymes for use in everyday products such as laundry detergents and food.

"When a spider catches a fly in its web, it injects digestive enzymes into its prey to liquefy it," Danisco said in a statement. "This makes it easy for the spider to devour the fly."

"The digestive enzymes are highly effective and we are very keen on looking into the dynamics of these enzymes," the company said, adding that similar mechanisms occur in snakes and carnivorous plants.

It said a research project, which it would conduct together with domestic rival Novozymes and Swedish-Danish dairy group Arla Foods, would run for four years.

"The commercial possibilities are endless," Danisco said.

More powerful enzymes could, for example, enable laundry to be washed at lower temperatures, saving on energy.

(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

http://nz.entertainment.yahoo.com/100310/5/hq2v.html

Deadly new attractions at Blue Planet Aquarium

by Julian Hamilton. Published Fri 26 Feb 2010

Dozens of the animal kingdom’s most dangerous creatures have arrived at the Blue Planet Aquarium in Cheshire Oaks.

Entitled 'Venom,' the new editions will feature everything from black widow spiders and venomous lionfish to stinging jellyfish and vipers in a series of innovative new displays – including ‘Tarantula Tower’ where visitors will be able to step inside a Perspex tower surrounded by more than 50 giant spiders.

The new feature contains so many potentially deadly creatures that staff have had to undergo emergency first aid training and bring in life-saving anti-venom kits.

Blue Planet Aquarium’s Paul Renolds said: “Venom will contain one of the highest concentrations of venoms, toxins and poisons anywhere in the UK.

“Every member of our zoological team that will come into contact with the animals has undergone specialist training and will wear protective clothing to ensure their safety,” he added.

A number of the new arrivals are deemed so dangerous that Blue Planet Aquarium will have to notify officials at each local authority through which they will be transported en route to the aquarium.

Venom will be divided into three sections featuring marine creatures, spiders and insects, and reptiles.

Other displays will be home to stonefish – considered to be one of the marine world’s most lethal fish, venomous vipers including the eyelash viper and white lipped tree viper, scorpions, giant tarantulas, golden web spinning spiders, assassin bugs and a whole host of other venomous creatures.

http://www.clickliverpool.com/living/family-fun/128177-deadly-new-attractions-at-blue-planet-aquarium.html