Spider attack chef saved by mobile phone snap

A Somerset chef who was bitten twice by a highly-venemous Brazilian spider was saved thanks to a snap he took of the beast on his mobile phone, the Times reports.

Matthew Stevens, 23, disturbed the Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria fera) which had stowed away in a crate of bananas and found its way to the Quantock Gateway pub in Bridgwater.

… Unaware that he had just been savaged by a monster which carries enough venom to dispatch 225 mice to the hereafter, Stevens then grabbed a quick pic on his mobe as a keepsake of the encounter. However, he was soon on his way to the local community hospital after his hand swelled “to the size of a balloon” and he began to suffer dizziness.

More at [www.theregister.co.uk] – am I the only person who check through the banana boxes in supermarkets rather gingerly? Are there deadly spiders in the Windward Islands?

Comments

3 responses to “Spider attack chef saved by mobile phone snap”

  1. Dave Walker
    re: Spider attack chef saved by mobile phone snap

    Hmm, first time I’ve heard of Brazilian Wanderers getting mixed into boxes of bananas. There have been a number of documented cases of Tarantulas (rather less deadly to humans, though no less disconcerting) also getting caught up in imported bananas though (see eg http http://www.urbanchillers.com/chillerday/chilleroftheday.asp?date=21/6/2001 – not that I read the Snu), so as I’m not overly partial to bananas myself, I make *damn sure* that whoever I’m with when shopping who might want bananas goes and selects their own bunch!

  2. kelsey

    wow, i never heard of a kind of spider like that and i know most of my snakes and spiders but they look cute but aint nice i would watch out !!!!!!!!!

  3. Jonathan Lee

    Ill make sure sure to check my bannanas next time im at the grocery store

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