Number 15 Kim Boxwell Kim Boxwell, from Cornwall, England, had to
be rushed to the hospital after she was bitten by a Brazilian wandering spider. The arachnid
had made it into her home in a bag of supermarket bananas. Boxwell had felt something drop on
her arm, as she was eating one of the fruits. At first, the arachnid’s bite reportedly
felt like a pinprick. Before long, Boxwell’s arm got horribly swollen and caused her severe
pain. The 24-year-old woman then developed a high fever and she had trouble breathing.
Fortunately, she arrived at the hospital before her condition could worsen and was given anti-histamine
treatment. Even though the spider was just a juvenile, and didn’t have much venom,
it still could’ve claimed the woman’s life.
Number 14 Brazilian Wandering Spider Brazilian wandering spiders are often cited
as being among the most venomous arachnids on Earth. In fact, by some estimates, these
creatures own venom over 30 times more potent than that of a rattlesnake. They’re best
known for their aggressive nature and the defensive posture they adopt by raising their
frontal legs high. Mainly found in Central and South America, they’re also commonly
known as “banana spiders” as they sometimes travel outside their natural range as stowaways
on banana shipments. Symptoms of envenomation may include severe pain and breathing difficulties.
For men, the bite has an additional effect, as it can cause painful erections lasting
several hours. Death may occur in less than 2 hours of Brazilian wandering spider envenomation.
Number 13 Attacks in Negev Desert Over the course of one week, in April of 2020,
two scorpion sting victims were hospitalized in critical condition, in Israel. They both
hailed from areas in the Negev Desert and, in both cases, the attacker had been a species
commonly known as the deathstalker. The first victim was an 18-year-old girl from a Bedouin
village. Then, several days later, a 6-year-old boy was picked up by paramedics near a highway
after he was stung. Both victims were ultimately stabilized but the scorpion’s venom had
caused them significant distress in the form of excruciating pain and breathing complications.
Number 12 Deathstalker Scorpion Much like its name would suggest, the deathstalker
is a fearsome arachnid that’s perfectly capable of killing a human being. This is
especially true for children, the elderly or people suffering from allergies or heart
conditions. A small, yellow-colored scorpion, the deathstalker can be found in deserts and
scrublands ranging from North Africa, through the Middle East, and into some areas of central
Asia. Its venom is a remarkably potent mixture of neurotoxins. Death may come as a result
of anaphylaxis, which is an extreme allergic reaction, or pulmonary edema. According to
one study, there’s also a high risk of victims developing pancreatitis post-envenomation.
As such, stings sustained from this scorpion species must be treated as a medical emergency.
Number 11 Branson Carlisle In November of 2014, a toddler from Alabama,
in the US, died after being attacked by a brown recluse spider. 5-year-old Branson Carlisle
was bitten on the shoulder blade by a spider that had snuck into his new pyjamas. In the
past, the boy’s mother had been bitten by the same spider species and knew the dangers.
The child was rushed to the emergency room where he was treated with antibiotics and
steroids. He had a high fever and doctors were concerned that the venom had gone systemic.
The boy was transferred to two different hospitals as his condition worsened. His blood was no
longer clotting and he suffered massive internal bleeding. His heart ultimately stopped and
over a dozen revival attempts were fruitless. Number 10 Brown Recluse Spider
The brown recluse, also known as the violin spider from the black line on its cephalothorax,
is among North America’s most dangerous arachnids. Even though it’s only slightly
larger than a US penny, the bite of a brown recluse can cause death or the amputation
of a limb. The venom chews through soft tissue causing necrotizing ulcers. Even if amputation
doesn’t occur, the wounds may take months to heal and leave behind deep scars. Brown
recluse venom is hemotoxic, meaning that it targets blood cells. In very rare cases, envenomation
may even result in hemolysis, which is the actual bursting of red blood cells. Many bites
occur when the spider is pressed against the skin of its victims, as a result of the creature
wandering into clothing or shoes. Number 9 Kailyn Kirk
In the aftermath of a tick bite, 5-year-old Kailyn Kirk spent hours unable to speak or
move. The child had awoken with numb legs and, upon trying to get up, had fallen out
of bed. Her mother initially assumed that the child’s legs were asleep. However, as
she was brushing her daughter’s hair, she noticed a tick embedded in her scalp. It wasn’t
long before the child started slurring her words. The toddler was rushed to the hospital
where doctors diagnosed her with tick paralysis. They assured the mother that Kailyn would
be back to her regular self once the tick was removed. After 12 hours of agonizing waiting,
the child began to recover. However, if the tick hadn’t been discovered in time she
could’ve died from respiratory failure. Number 8 Joseph Elone
In 2013, New York teenager Joseph Elone was following his mother into their house when
he suddenly collapsed. Early the following day, the 17-year-old was pronounced dead.
Elone was a nature lover who, a week prior, had spent time in the woods as part of an
environmental fellowship. It was there that he’d suffered a tick bite. While Lyme disease
is a known complication of the arachnid’s bite, Elone had developed a more severe and
rare form of it called Lyme carditis. He’d gone to a doctor but was only prescribed treatment
for a cold. About a week after the onset of his symptoms, Elone succumbed to worsening
respiratory complications. Post-mortem examination of his body revealed traces of Lyme bacteria
in Elone’s liver, lungs, brain and heart. The latter was what had cost him his life.
The bacteria had created blockage in the teen’s heart, by interrupting the electrical impulses
that kept it beating in rhythm. Number 7 Tick
Since they share the same class as spiders and scorpions, the deadly potential of ticks
is sometimes overlooked. However, these creatures are incredibly dangerous. They feed on human
blood, which may result in the transmission of infectious bacteria, viruses and protozoa.
There’s an extensive list of potentially deadly diseases for which ticks are vectors.
These include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, Lyme disease,
Q-fever or Colorado tick fever. Tick paralysis is the only condition actually transmitted
by the tick and it’s caused by a toxin in the arachnid’s salivary gland. The transmission
of diseases typically requires a long feeding session and the chances of infection drop
significantly if the ticks are removed within the first 36 hours.
Number 6 Evelyn Ehrenstrom An Arizona toddler was left fighting for her
life in the aftermath of a scorpion sting. Evelyn Ehrenstrom was playing in her room
when the arachnid attacked her. Since no one in her family had spotted the Arizona bark
scorpion responsible for the sting, they didn’t know what was causing her symptoms. As the
venom started to spread through Evelyn’s body, she became unresponsive, her eyes rolled
back in her head and she started convulsing. The child’s mother wasted no time in taking
her to the hospital. It was this sense of urgency that would end up saving Evelyn’s
life. Even after they’d arrived at the emergency room, it still wasn’t clear what had happened
to the toddler. Thankfully, her mother asked the doctors if it could’ve been a scorpion
sting. They concurred that the girl’s symptoms did correspond with Arizona bark scorpion
envenomation. Within minutes of getting the antivenom, the child’s condition had already
started to improve. Number 5 Arizona Bark Scorpion
The Arizona bark scorpion owns extremely potent venom that victims have described feeling
as if electricity was surging through their bodies. The severe pain associated with its
sting can last for up to 72 hours. Severe reactions to Arizona bark scorpion envenomation
include paralysis, frothing at the mouth, convulsions and death. Like the majority of
scorpion species, these creatures will glow under ultraviolet light. This enables people
using UV LED flashlights to detect them more easily, especially since the scorpions are
predominantly active during the night. Number 4 Matthew Mitchell
While helping his father clean out a shed, 10-year-old Matthew Mitchell was bitten on
the finger by an Australian funnel-web spider. The boy’s family used his T-shirt as a tourniquet
to curtail the spread of venom and rushed him to a hospital. Matthew’s condition was
critical as he’d suffered multiple seizures and started frothing at the mouth. The child
survived after being treated with 12 vials of antivenom, one of the largest doses ever
administered in Australia. Number 3 Australian Funnel-Web Spider
Named after the unusual webs they produce, Australian funnel-web spiders are utterly
terrifying. There’s been at least one instance of Atrax robustus, commonly known as the Sydney
funnel spider, claiming a life within 15 minutes of envenomation. A neurotoxic component, called
atrocotoxin, blocks the normal transmission of electric signals throughout the body. Certain
features shape the Australian funnel-web spider into the perfect human-killing arachnid. Its
neurotoxins don’t affect the nervous system of other mammals but wreak havoc on primates.
Because of their large fangs, funnel-web spiders often deliver full envenomation and may strike
repeatedly. They strike with power and may penetrate through fingernails and soft shoes.
It’s not uncommon for a spider to latch on until it’s forcefully removed. Symptoms
may include extreme hypotension, muscle twitching, unconsciousness and elevated intracranial
pressure leading up to death. Number 2 Dean Armstrong
After arachnopile Dean Armstrong was stung by Sue, his pet scorpion, his health began
to drastically decay. The process culminated with him having most of his stomach and part
of his pancreas removed in an operation which left him with a 20-inch scar. After he was
stung, Armstrong arrived at the hospital in severe condition. He was treated and recovered
so doctors sent him home. Over the course of the next weeks the scorpion’s poison
attacked his pancreas. Then a cyst on the organ burst and Armstrong started vomiting
blood so he was once again rushed to the hospital. It was then that he had the surgery which
would leave him attached to a colostomy bag for the rest of his life.
Number 1 Fattail Scorpions Fattail scorpions are, according to the Guinness
Book of Records, the most venomous type of scorpions. Even Androctonus, the name of the
genus, is a reflection of their deadly potential. The Ancient Greek term translates as “man-killer”.
The arachnid’s’s common name is derived from its distinctly fat tail. Androctonus
scorpions claim several human lives every year through their venom, which is a remarkably
potent cocktail of neurotoxins. Thanks for watching! Would you rather be a
locked in a closet with a dozen funnel-web spiders or have your family go through your
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