I appreciate the message that most spiders are harmless, but it’s still too much to claim that 2 are dangerous. They’re not.
I haven’t had any opportunity to work with recluses, but widows are shy little sweethearts. They have a potent venom, but they’re seriously reluctant to use it. I let mine scurry all over my bare hands and arms, and have never been bitten, because I treat them gently and with respect.
I’d say of 3,000 species, there are 3,000 to be cautious about, and none to be afraid of. Save the fear for dogs and cats, which are much more dangerous.
How detectives caught a ‘black widow’ in her deadly web of lies
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.
What if you inadvertently were to squash one a bit? Oopsies.
Surely the potential is the thing, not the general rule.
The exceptional cases where you are injected with venom, reluctant or not.
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In an antipodean mode, I note Atrax robustus
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_funnel-web_spider#Bites_to_humans )
Seems also to be very US centric.
Cats are dangerous? I have neighborhood cats in my yard all the time and the worst that has happened is a mutual jump scare. Dogs at large can kill you and often terrorize neighborhoods, biting people and killing cats. Almost makes one want to carry a Glock.
I’m not getting hands on with widows and still fear recluses, sorry. But I adore flatties in my house and like the orb weavers around my yard. Wish I had cute and inquisitive jumping spiders in my house.
I guess pet cats represent a potential bite or severe scratch danger and carry parasites that can infect humans. Dogs can kill their owners or their kids.
Still too soon. Way too soon! New respect for the relative tranquility of neighborhood cats. So chill.
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately 400 deaths attributed to cats each year in the United States alone. While this number may seem surprisingly high, it is important to note that the majority of these deaths are caused by infections and diseases transmitted by cats, rather than direct attacks.”
larpar @5
Fair point. I was thinking more of the menace of direct attacks by neighborhood tabbies and those cute bunny hopping Manx on that one street in my neighborhood. Scary!
But yeah I can see disease is an issue with cats. For me allergies are enough of a deal breaker to never own one again. But I can enjoy cute cat videos on YT without fear of disease transmission or getting censused by a vicious kitten with rabies. Or wheezing.
Google search AI suggested one might accidentally trip over a cat and such a thing could be fatal. A cat on the stairs? Linked to a Quora I didn’t read.
I would say spiders couldn’t trip a human, but an overreaction to seeing a spider could cause a fall or car accident.