Poisonous spider conquers Austria: will this tarantula also come to Germany?
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OfOlaf Kubasik
conclude
The southern Russian tarantula has conquered the Czech Republic and Austria. Does the big poisonous spider have its sights set on Germany next?
She is considered the epitome of spider horror. And her name and sight causes sheer terror not only for arachnophobics. Movies like Jack Arnold’s 1955 “Tarantula” or Stuart Hagmann’s “Tarantulas – They Come to Kill” (1977) fueled the terrible reputation of the big hairy eight-legged creatures. One of these poisonous spiders has been spreading away from its homeland, the Eurasian steppe, for years – to neighboring German countries such as the Czech Republic or Austria. To the horror of many people, will the South Russian tarantula possibly make it to Germany like the curled-up spider?
The South Russian tarantula also frightens people with its immense size. Females reach a body length of up to four centimeters, with a leg span of up to seven centimeters. This includes the family of wolf spiders Lycosa singoriensis next to the Deserta tarantula and the Greek tube spider, the largest representative of the web spider order in Europe. No wonder there was panic in Austria as more and more of the animals suddenly appeared in parts of the country.
Arts | South Russian tarantula (Lycosa singoriensis) |
family | wolf spiders |
Body length/leg span | up to four centimeters/up to seven centimeters |
Occurrence in Europe | Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania |
food | Arthropods, smaller vertebrates |
Poisonous spider conquers Austria: will this tarantula also come to Germany?
In contrast to the deadliest spider in the world, because of which supermarkets in Germany have to be evacuated again and again, the southern Russian tarantula is anything but aggressive. On the contrary: the frightening animal is nocturnal and hides in its burrows during the day. And contrary to all horror films, like a monster from the desert, humans are DEFINITELY not on his menu, just other arthropods or smaller vertebrates. The Austrian spider expert Gerhard Polaschek therefore says opposite today.at: “Even if you meet the animal, you don’t need to be afraid.”
The fact that spiders are now increasingly spreading to countries far from their original origin is the consequence of global warming, restriction of their usual habitat and steadily increasing globalization. Thus, through his own actions, man brings animals into the country that he actually does not necessarily want. Great Britain can sing a song about it. Thanks to an introduced spider, whose bite can lead to amputations of limbs or even death in humans for a very special reason.
South Russian tarantula in Germany – what is the probability?
If you are bitten by a southern Russian tarantula, you must have irritated the animal to the point of bleeding – as must a small tarantula that lives in Germany. And even then there is no need for an antidote: the brief pain, redness and swelling at the site of the bite and the associated fever quickly subside. dr Christian Komposch, a specialist in arachnids at the Institute for Animal Ecology and Natural Regional Planning in Graz, points out to RTL that a bite can easily be treated with a high dose of calcium and heat.
The South Russian Tarantula’s super ability
The South Russian tarantula’s thick hair allows it to swim, while crossing larger rivers and staying on the water’s surface for up to a week. It is also possible for her to stay in her burrow for a long time even if it is completely flooded.
But what about the South Russian tarantula and Germany now that it has been sighted again and again in neighboring Czech Republic? Will people in this country also have to live with the large eight-legged creature as with the nurse’s thorn finger, which is also poisonous? Komposch calms down, but keeps a final answer open – because he says to RTL: “Global warming helps the species. It may be that it continues to make progress towards the west – but the probability is not very high.”
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