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Camera phone saves man from deadly spider

Leslie Katz Former Culture Editor
Leslie Katz led a team that explored the intersection of tech and culture, plus all manner of awe-inspiring science, from space to AI and archaeology. When she's not smithing words, she's probably playing online word games, tending to her garden or referring to herself in the third person.
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Leslie Katz
2 min read
If you happen to come across giant spiders in your kitchen every now and then, you might want to pay attention to this one. A British chef bitten by the world's deadliest arachnid was saved after snapping a photo of it with his camera phone.

According to a story in the Times Online, Matthew Stevens was bitten twice on the hand by a Brazilian Wandering Spider as he cleaned behind the freezer of his pub. The creature, not generally associated with life in England, is believed to have arrived as a stowaway in a box of bananas.

Brazilian Wandering Spider
Brazilian Wandering
Spider

Before the swelling and dizziness hit, the 23-year-old snapped a picture of his assailant to prove to friends just how big it was (very big--about 5 inches).

Later, as Stevens' condition deteriorated and doctors fought to save his life, they were able to send the picture to experts at the Bristol Zoo, who identified the spider and told doctors which type of anti-venom was needed.

The Brazilian Wandering Spider, or Phoneutria fer, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most poisonous spider, with venom glands up to 10mm long (just under half an inch) containing enough poison to kill 225 mice.

Not good news for patients at the Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, where Stevens was treated. In a follow-up story, the BBC News reported today that the spider, which had been captured and brought to the hospital, was accidentally released onto the grounds by a staff member who thought it was harmless. However, the freed spider is not thought to pose a health risk as experts say it would have died soon after its release.