Zoo re-homes two black widow spiders hidden in a car imported from California
Last updated 12/13/2011 10:19:28 AM
Zoo re-homes two black widow spiders hidden in a car imported from California
Two venomous black spiders have been re-homed at a UK zoo after hitching a ride into the country in a car imported from California.
For almost a year a pair of black widow spiders concealed themselves in the bodywork of a 1964 Ford Falcon, imported by Bicester-based motorsport company, Damax.
The spiders were only discovered when the bodywork of the car was stripped for restoration. Robin Ward, manager of Damax, explained: "We found the first spider tucked under the fuel tank and carefully put it in a plastic container and looked on the internet to try and identify it."
The spiders are around 1.5 inches long and have distinctive red hourglass markings on their under-belly, which Robin was able to identify with some certainty. He added: "Fortunately I'm not scared of spiders, but I had quite a shock when we first suspected it could be a black widow. We continued stripping the car with a great deal of caution, and couldn't believe it when we found a second spider under the dashboard."
"It is quite common for insects to be unknowingly imported into the country, but it is very rare for it to be something as dangerous as a black widow spider," said Mark Bushell, assistant curator of invertebrates at Bristol Zoo, where the spiders were taken. "I imagine they were spiderlings when they came into the UK, and they have survived by eating flies and other small bugs while they were in the garage. They are fully grown adults now, if a little bit thin, but we'll feed them up and they will be perfectly happy and healthy here.
"Black widow spiders are not as deadly as people think as we now have the medicine to treat the effects of the spiders' venom. Having said that, they could still do some quite serious harm and their bite would certainly cause health problems, so it is for the best that this pair has come to us as we have the knowledge and facilities to look after them."
The new arrivals have come at the right time for the Zoo as its previous black widow spider died of old age in October. Black widow spiders live for around two years and are native to the Unites States. They are venomous but not deadly, as is commonly thought. The venom from a black widow causes cramps and fever.