How big can a redback spider grow?

Answer 1

A brown recluse is not a large spider. It is about the size of a lead weight that you would put onto a fishing line. The brown recluse and the black widow are two poisonous Spiders found in the US. Neither one has enough poison to kill a person. The danger is that their bites cause infection, which can damage large areas of tissue. The bite of a brown recluse usually turns black within a few days, and swells up around the bite.

The Black Widow venom is approximately 15 times more powerful than a Rattlesnake's venom. The venom is a powerful nuerotoxin. The obvious insight is that a Black Widow is not injecting as much venom as a Rattlesnake could. At 15x the potency though you have a concern on your hands.

A Black Widow bite can potentially cause death in a human being. As noted in other texts, the most common deaths are the very young and the very old. However, each bite is case specific. One individual may not react like another. There may be a strong reaction to the venom in one individual and less severe response in another.

Why take a chance? If you are bitten by a Black Widow go the ER and state up front that you have been bitten by a Black Widow. Antivenin is available should it be warranted.

Answer 2

males are only about 3-4 mm long, females are 1 mm long

Answer 3

40 cm