What species of spider is this and is it poisonous?

Question

I've never seen a lime green spider with red eyes before! This was found in my backyard walking around on my daughters' Little Tikes climber at around noon time (Houston, TX USA). It was roughly about the diameter of a nickel. It seemed particularly interested in walking all over the clean, damp diapers I'd just laid out to dry and sun out. Here's a picture:

http://onfinite.com/libraries/1394397/3ca.jpg

http://onfinite.com/libraries/1394398/6cf.jpg

http://onfinite.com/libraries/1394399/121.jpg

http://onfinite.com/libraries/1394400/a73.jpg

http://onfinite.com/libraries/1394401/75f.jpg

http://onfinite.com/libraries/1394402/62c.jpg

Can anyone identify it? Is it poisonous? Thank you!

Answer 1

That looks to me like a Green Lynx Spider, found throughout North America.

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

And as to whether it's poisonous or not, firstly, spiders aren't "poisonous" so much as "venomous". A poison refers to something that is toxic when ingested, while a venom is toxic when it enters the bloodstream. For example, rattlesnake venom is one of the deadliest kinds in the world. A rattlesnake bite could possibly kill you in a matter of hours. If you drank rattlesnake venom however, you would have no negative effects, because it needs to enter the bloodstream to do its damage.

All spiders are venomous, every single one. Its just that most spiders' fangs are too small to penetrate human skin.

hope that helps!