The state of Texas is one big hunk of land that encompasses a number of climates due and is a major climate transition zone. You can go from being in the hot desert on the western side of the state to swamplands in the east, with a slew of various habitats throughout, making it a host of one of the most varied spider populations in the entire world. Texas contains more than a thousand different spider species, with most of them (around 900) making their home in South Texas. Of course, this means there are also plenty of venomous spiders living there such as the brown recluse and the dreaded black widow. These are spiders you definitely want to avoid, so what venomous spiders should you be looking out for in Texas?
The infamous black widow spider comes in first place for being one of the most common venomous spiders in Texas. These spiders live both indoors and outdoors with a venomous neurotoxin in their bite that causes severe systemic reactions and even death in rare cases to humans that are unlucky enough to be bitten. They are black in color and have a reddish or yellowish marking on their abdomen that resembles an hourglass.
Brown recluse spider the next ones you need to be mindful of in Texas. They are quite small in size and are a golden brown color. Luckily for us humans, brown recluse spiders avoid us at all cost, secluding themselves in dark, undisturbed, sheltered areas such as basements and garages where they hide amidst boxes, firewood, any kind of clothing or towels, and between boards. You really have to go looking for one of these guys to get bitten. This usually happens when people are in their garage and happen to brush their hand over or into the spiders hiding spot without even noticing the spider is there or that they got bitten. Their bite can cause nausea, fever, chills, and lead to necrosis of the skin where the bite is located.
Texas wouldn’t be a desert state without having some tarantulas hanging around the place. Texas has 14 species of tarantulas, with most of them living in South Texas. Tarantulas are those big, black or brown, hairy spiders that are often depicted in films set in desert areas. Their large size (between 1.5 to 3 inches in length) and frightening looks are what make this spider so iconic. They tend to live in burrows or other natural cavities under stones and logs. Thankfully, while their bite is venomous to their prey, it is not poisonous to humans.
What other venomous spiders can you think of that live in Texas?
