Watch the video: population is increasing – the most poisonous spiders in Germany.
Spiders cause anxiety in many people. According to estimates, around 4 million people in Germany alone suffer from what is known as arachnophobia. So far, spiders that were native to Central Europe were considered mostly harmless, but the more global warming progresses, the further poisonous spiders migrate from more southern regions to the north.
Here is an overview of the most venomous spiders in German-speaking countries and their danger to humans.
Anyone who thinks that tarantulas only exist in terrariums is wrong. Because there is a poisonous spider that has already been sighted in Germany and is one of the tarantulas: the common wallpaper spider, Atypus affinis. However, it is only a maximum of 1.5 centimeters in size and lives underground, but it can penetrate human skin. It usually only causes itching, less often discoloration and fever.
Also poisonous is the Nosferatu spider, Zoropsis spinimana. It originally comes from the Mediterranean region. Their bite is painful but harmless, comparable to a bee or wasp sting.
The European black widow, Latrodectus tredecimguttatus, is quite different. It, too, has spread from the Mediterranean region to Switzerland, Austria and Germany and is now the most dangerous spider species in this country. It is black with a distinct red marking. The females are only about 7 to 15 millimeters long, but their bite is fatal in very rare cases.
The garden spider, Araneus diadematus, is more widespread and better known, although it is also a poisonous spider, it is completely harmless to humans.
The nurse’s thorn finger, Cheiracanthium punctorium, has been native to Austria, Switzerland and southern Germany for a long time. For a long time it was considered the most poisonous spider species in Central Europe. However, the bites of the nurse’s thorn finger are only painful, they are not deadly.
It is obvious that the mighty fishing web spider, Segestria florentina, can trigger fears. Its body is up to two centimeters long and its bite can penetrate human skin. However, it is only painful, not fatal.