is this type of spider dangerous? details below. its in my house!!?

Question

well its big - about the size of a quarter. its dark on its head part with a goldish/yellow stripe. and then its got another bottom half and its dark and fuzzy. its got thick arms. im scared! is this dangerous? i hope the cat got it.

Answer 1

Don't panic. It's probably a wolf spider. Myths and a few fatal poisonings have made many people afraid of ALL spiders. The only dangerous spiders in the US are the very rare black widow and brown recluse spiders. The brown recluse is from the southwestern United States and the black widow is from the southern United States. They occassionally get transported elsewhere, but it is rare. Neither like it indoors. Other spiders may be annoying due to their webs, but, unpopular as they are, most spiders are shy and harmless to humans. Most have fangs too small or weak to puncture human skin. They usually will not attempt to bite unless accidentally trapped or held. Spiders are beneficial, feeding on harmful insects (flies, crickets, etc.) and mites in and around the home, yard, garden and field.

As for your spider, if it is a wolf spider, the female wolf spiders are large, hairy, running spiders, often confused with tarantulas. They may be brown, black, gray, white, yellow, orange or green. Many have a stripe or pattern the length of the first, and sometimes the second, body segment. They are nocturnal and usually occur outdoors but may wander indoors, especially into cellars and basements in late summer and fall when cooler temperatures prevail. These hunting spiders, which do not construct webs, carry the large, globular egg sac attached to spinnerets under the abdomen. Upon hatching, the spiderlings climb onto their mother's back and ride there for several days before dispersing. They do not establish themselves indoors and are not aggressive, but may bite if handled or molested. So leave it alone and you will probably be fine.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

It sounds like a tarantula to me: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula

But, without a picture I can't be sure.

Tarantulas can be dangerous to pests and venom, they hunt them. Their bite can hurt: :While the bites of many species are known to be no worse than a wasp sting, accounts of bites by some species are reported to be very painful. Because other proteins are included when a toxin is injected, some individuals may suffer severe symptoms due to an allergic reaction rather than to the venom. For both those reasons, and because any deep puncture wound can become infected, care should be taken not to provoke any tarantula into biting."

They are very common pets. I think your cat should avoid the spider because it may be able to seriously injure it. If you find it then use a broom to push it outside. If it tries to climb the broom then throw the broom outside.

Tarantulas are good spiders who hunt problem animals, they will rear up and can be scary, but they are mostly bark not bite. They are hunters and are more afraid of you then you are of them (you are a lot bigger and can easily kill them).

Female tarantula can carry their young on there back so you don't want to just crush the spider and let the young run amok.

Answer 3

You people are too much. That poor little spider is probably terrified of you. All this killing. It is so easy to kill, people, That is why we will always have war. Stamp out those who look different than you. Anyway, I'm with Adam D on this one. Find yourself a wide mouthed glass jar with a cover. Slip the jar quickly over the critter and then slide the cover on and bring it outside. Put the jar down on the ground, take the cover off and the spider will simply walk away and probably slink into the bushes.

Answer 4

If you dont have any bug spray or just dont want to use it go get the Windex (glass cleaner) out of the cupboard - I promise, once spidey is soaked in Windex she will start dissolving and eventually die.
Dont let your cat get it - mine got bitten in the nose before by a non-poisonous spider and had a swollen nose for days. And by the way: If the spider is really poisonous your cat will take one look at it up close and then walk off uninterested so that's a good sign YOU NEED TO KILL THAT THING!!

Answer 5

It sound's like it might be a Hobo spider, which does have a dangerous bite. Check out the site below and see if it matches any of the spiders in the top row.

Answer 6

Sounds like a jumping spider....

Nope, not dangerous, but probably an itchy bite.

Sick the cat on him, squish him, or if you're into the whole 'let it live' thing, scoop him up with a cup and paper and take him outside.

Answer 7

Actually, very few species of spiders are dangerous. What you most likely saw was this: http://www.gardensafari.net/english/picpages/tegenaria_atrica.htm

Simply harmless.

Spiders are so beneficial at getting rid of mosquitoes that spread disease, that the numbers of flying insects would be staggering without spiders.

We need them.

My adults friends who are mildly arachnophobic seem very silly to me when they act nervous around a harmless spider.

Study what you are afraid of and end the fear.

Answer 8

i could be wrong but it sounds like a golden garden spider. if that's what it is they are not dangerous. they just look so scary. when they are outside they spin a beautiful web that looks like lace. when i was in grammar school there was one in a bush outside my bedroom window. i used to hurry home from school every day to see how much the spider had spun while i was gone.

Answer 9

I accually looked online about that and there are like four danerous black and yellow spiders not accually seeing it i would take a piture of it and ask a pet store or kill it

Answer 10

Absolutely.