(eerie music)
- Sitting here before me are two capsules.
Each holds a spider.
Now, one of them is completely harmless
and the other hails as one of the most venomous spider
species in the United States.
What if I were to tell you that one of these is a recluse?
Yes. A recluse.
And I will be free handling this dangerous spider very soon.
But first, you need to properly identify which is which.
(ominous tones)
(rocks crumble)
This one as long spindly legs,
has brown coloration and has a small abdomen.
This one is slightly more robust,
has a bulbous abdomen and stockier legs.
Both spiders are creepy, both spiders are brown,
and both of them suffer from a syndrome
that I like to call BBS.
Basic Brown Spider.
And the recluse is one of the most misidentified spider
species in all of the United States.
And that's based on their range, their size
and their similar body structure
to other basic brown spiders.
Can you tell which is which?
Now, if you picked this spider
as the recluse, you were absolutely correct.
Now, there are several recluse species
that exist throughout the United States.
The most famous being the brown recluse.
This is its close Southwestern cousin, the desert recluse,
and for simplicity sake from here on forward,
I'm just going to refer to this arachnid as the recluse.
And yes, like I said, I am going to free handle it
to see if it lives up to its villainous reputation.
When it comes to properly identifying a recluse species,
there are four helpful aspects to consider,
and the first is location.
The brown recluse is the most famous of these spiders
and is only found in the South Central
and Midwestern United States.
Second is size.
Recluse spiders are small.
If your suspect is larger than a quarter,
it's not a recluse.
Bigger doesn't always mean more dangerous.
Third is web structure.
If your brown spider is dangling from a web,
it's not a recluse.
These spiders hide in cool, dark crevices.
Fourth, and finally, are the field marks.
This can be tricky because you would have to be
very close to the spider, but if you can spot
a violin-shaped design on the cephalothorax,
there's a good chance you are looking at a recluse.
Hopefully that helps, but when in doubt,
never interact with a spider
and simply admire them from a safe distance.
Okay, now that you guys have gotten
a healthy dose of education,
I think that you have earned your entertainment.
So I'm going to place this little basic brown spider
off to the side.
And I think it's time.
I'm Coyote Peterson and I'm about to free handle a recluse.
Here we go.
Now, it is fair to note that this spider has
one of the most potent arachnid venoms in the United States.
It has some necrotic components to it,
and you've likely seen some pictures on the internet
that are quite horrific looking.
It's also fair to note that not all spider bites
from recluse are equal.
It all depends how your body reacts to the venom.
Regardless, I do not want to receive
a bite in this instance.
So I'm going to try to be as absolutely calm as possible
and just gently
coax this spider out
(exhales slowly) and onto my hand.
Even though I am pretty sure that I'm not going to be
bitten by this spider, it is still nerve racking
to have it walking across my hands.
Now, when you look at the size of this spider,
it's very small, and small spider means small fangs.
And in many instances, taking a bite from a spider like this
is actually quite difficult.
And this spider is not likely to inflict a bite, unless...
Whoa. That was incredibly fast.
Unless it feels pressure on top of its body
and it feels the need to defend itself.
In almost all instances, spider bites happen as...
Obviously spiders are not feasting upon humans.
So the spider has no reason to bite me
for any reason other than if it feels threatened.
We've got it in a perfect position there.
Right on the edge of my thumb.
They're incredibly fast, so it's better for me
if the spider stays in one spot and stays completely still.
I'm gonna just rest my hand down there like that.
Now, the skin on the top of my thumb is rather soft.
I would be more comfortable if the spider
was on the underside of my fingers,
where they're a little bit more calloused,
a little bit more worn in,
and the softer parts to your skin are where
you're more likely susceptible to be able to take a bite.
Remember, the fangs of this spider are incredibly small.
Smaller in size than even something like a black widow.
And when it comes to recluse bites in the United States,
nearly 90% of the bites that happen heal on their own
and do not result in large necrotic lesions
and it's all based on how your body reacts to the venom.
If you get a spider bite and you are noticing
that you are having some really negative effects,
I strongly recommend that you seek medical attention.
It's important to keep an eye on the bite site
and determine what's happening.
Is it becoming red? Is it becoming swollen?
Is it starting to look pussy?
One of the big fears with brown recluse bites specifically
is that the necrotic components to the venom
begin to break down red blood cells.
If that does end up happening in the case of a bite,
you definitely want to receive medical attention.
However, there is no antivenom for brown recluse
or any recluse species venom.
So while you can go through a potentially painful situation,
it's very unlikely that you're ever going
to be bitten by the species.
Here's something else to consider.
The name recluse basically means that these spiders
are doing their best to stay out of the sight of humans.
If you see one of these spiders, it's most likely
going to be outdoors and usually in a dark, cool place.
The desert recluse, which this species is specifically,
almost is never found indoors.
Brown recluse can be found indoors,
but there's even been stories about people
who have had brown recluse infestations in their houses
and did not receive a single bite
over the course of several months.
It kind of goes to show you
that they aren't necessarily aggressive toward humans.
People across the United States
have stories of seeing brown recluse.
And it's not to say that you haven't seen a brown recluse,
but this is one of the most commonly misidentified
spider species in the United States.
And so many brown spiders look similar.
Now, the way that most spider bites end up happening,
just like with the black widow,
is that the spider is accidentally pressed down upon
and it feels as if it's going to be squished.
If a spider is in a shoe or in a piece of clothing
and put it on, you feel something moving around
and then you swat at it,
that's where the bite ends up happening.
So if you see one of these spiders just crawling around
and you ignore it or move in the other direction,
your chance of having an interaction being bitten
are slim to zero.
So this one, I have to wonder, is the brown recluse
really living up to its venomous and aggressive reputation?
At this point, I would say not really.
The spider's just freely crawling along on my hand and arm
and at this point is not showing
any form of aggression whatsoever.
So what I want you guys to ultimately walk away
from this episode with is the knowledge of how to properly
identify one of these spiders if you come across it,
but also to realize that spiders are not out to get you.
It's also safe to say that you should never try to interact
with a recluse or any spider species for that matter.
Remember, I've got a lot of experience
interacting with these arachnids.
If you see a spider in the wild,
simply admire it from a safe distance
and both you and the arachnid
will go on to have a safe and happy encounter.
I'm Coyote Peterson. Be brave, stay wild.
We'll see on the next adventure.
All right, let's get this little recluse
back up into its container.
And if you're a huge fan of Brave Wilderness,
check out our merchandise at shopbravewilderness.com.
You'll find everything from t-shirts to hoodies,
to backpacks, and even my authentic Coyote Peterson hat.
(animal roars)
(birds tweet) (distant howls)