Saw a spider in my room! Any one know what kind and if it's dangerous?

Question

It was small in size a light brown maybe tan in color. Legs were around the same size as body, were short and small.

Also, just wondering, are the dangerous spiders the ones with legs that are long and more like limbs (the ones that look "jointed" in a sense?

Answer 1

People are ridiculous. Your description doesn't match anything that could be even remotely dangerous in the United States. It sounds like some kind of common house spider. Look up pictures of brown recluse spiders and black widow spiders, if it doesn't match either of those it's not dangerous. In fact, those are not even always dangerous. Brown recluse are more so only because they're more aggressive and you're more likely to have a bad reaction, but even then they are not fatal and with care infection can be stopped. Black widows usually do not do much damage at all to anyone who is of normal health and not very young or very old, contrary to popular belief. Don't be afraid of spiders, the most they can usually do is give you an itchy bite.

ps wierd the violin shape would be on its back and WD40 is highly unnecessary. Just step on the d**n thing or put it outside.

Answer 2

if it has a viol en shape on its back then is a brown recluse.

if it have a circle shape on its back. then your high.

Answer 3

There are many spiders it could be, but to educate you and the other posters about brown recluses, review this page;

http://bugguide.net/node/view/33493

Importantly, look at the range of the brown recluse.  So many people claim they were bitten by a brown recluse where they have never confirmed naturally finding a brown recluse.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/33494

Even the brown recluse isn't really that dangerous.  Most of the time, in confirmed bites, the wound is small and there are no serious complications.

Also - the Violin shape rule is a pretty crappy rule.  Most spiders can be seen to have a violin shape somewhere on or about them to the person who doesn't know exactly what to look for.  

http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/sp...

Check out this pict;

http://bugguide.net/node/view/117683/bgi...

You can see the violin shape on the cephalothorax (head) part of the body in dark, where the rest of the cephalothorax is a uniform lighter color.

<Also, just wondering, are the dangerous spiders the ones with legs that are long and more like limbs (the ones that look "jointed" in a sense?>

Not really, although that can be said for the brown recluse, but it can also be said for most other spiders.

Answer 4

If you get bit and feel that you are going to die call an ambulance.  If the spider has a violin shape on its belly then I would get a tool like a fly-swatter or a can of WD40 and kill it.  If it doesn't just use some toilet paper to keep your hands from getting messy.  If you are still scared use a fly-swatter.

Answer 5

I see spiders in my house all the time in the summer. Don't freak  out about it. Its probably not dangerous. God have you never seen a spider before?

Answer 6

There's a very small spider with short legs and brown in color called the Brown Recluse which is the second most poisonous spider in North America. It can be fatal for small children and the elderly. It injects a poison that eats oxygen around the bite which causes that area to die and eventually leads to infection. There is no know serum and and the infected area spreads slowly eventually leaving a bruise mark about 10 inches in dia. I will try to find you a link.

I guess your right it does have long legs. I wouldn't worry about it. take a look any ways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_reclu...