And to think I was excited…
Yahoo! News reports that the Brazilian wandering spider found in a Tulsa, Oklahoma Whole Foods market was not of the South American persuasion after all. It was just a harmless Huntsman spider.
Now, instead of finding some consider one of the most lethal arachnids in the world, the Whole Foods produce worker found a large but harmless spider. Barry Downer, who is the curator of aquariums and herpetology at the Tulsa Zoo, strongly believes that this is the case.
“There’s pretty definitive evidence it has been misidentified,” he said.
Why destroy the evidence?
Downer also said the spider should have been preserved for study, rather than being destroyed as it was. “It doesn’t make any sense to me why it wouldn’t be saved.”
A University of Tulsa school spokesman has said that the university is investigating how and why the spider was destroyed.
Richard Grantham, who is the director of the plant disease and insect diagnostics lab at Oklahoma State University, agree with Downer’s assertion that the mystery spider should not have been killed and disposed of.
After careful analysis of photographic evidence, Grantham is firm in his belief that the produce-hobo of an arachnid is not a Brazilian wandering spider. Yet why it was not preserved is beyond him, considering the potential public health concerns that would have required further study. A personal loan of his own facility’s resources would have been forthcoming.
“We preserve it,” Grantham said. “We don’t destroy it.”
Collecting dessicated spider corpses
When a similar spider-sighting happened at a Stillwater, Oklahoma grocery store in 2003, proper procedure was followed, said Grantham. He made sure the spider in question was securely caged at his Oklahoma State University lab until it died. Even now, the preserved body is in the university’s possession.
Beyond proper procedure, both Downer and Grantham dispute the way in which Terry Childs and the University of Tulsa’s Animal Facilities Department classified the Brazilian wandering spider as “extremely dangerous.” According to the opposing parties, studies have shown that death from the bite of the Brazilian spider is rare. “Only victims with compromised immune systems, such as babies or older people, would be at risk,” they said.
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They are seriously wondering how and why the spider was destroyed? That’s an easy one – it was destroyed because it was a spider. How? Probably stepped on. If I found a spider in a crate at work, I’m stepping on it – done deal. I know that might annoy PETA, but I’m not getting bit and risking infection. Sorry, folks!
I disagree; they should’ve preserved the spider for specific studies. They killed a perfectly harmless being because they couldn’t handle the excitement and panicked.
I believe the original news story reported the spider was,”… sent to the University of Tulsa’s Animal Facilities Department, where it was positively identified and destroyed.”
Whoops! My mistake. I didn’t see the bit at the end. In that case, University of Tulsa should run a tighter ship in their lab – by not watching March Madness when they’re supposed to be monitoring their specimens!
“Only victims with compromised immune systems, such as babies or older people, would be at risk.”
Hmm that seems somewhat ridiculous. It is classed as the most deadly spider in the world. A widow bite would do the damage that you are suggesting. This thing, and believe me I have studied spiders for a long time, would
literally kill you. Yes antidote is available but the chance of you getting it within half an hour is basically zero. Obviously if you are lucky and get dry bittien then you may stand a chance, full invenomation?! Pft forget it, you will be incapicitated within minutes and then one by one your vital body parts shut down.
As for it being destroyed, what a watse, it should have been preserved and studied. It’s the most dangerous spider in the world, why would you not want to study it and develope an antidote that is better understood and can be more widely distributed so “accidents” that happen can be resolved as quickly as possible!?