SAS Urban Survival Handbook (103 page)

The venom glands are under voluntary control, so that it is possible for a black widow to bite without injecting any venom. Medical attention should still be sought.

Symptoms: within an hour a dull pain begins to spread from the bite up the limbs and into the back, chest and abdomen. Nausea, cramps, vomiting and increased perspiration may be experienced.
FATAL in young children. Seek immediate medical attention.
An antivenin is available.

4▶Red-back
Latrodectus hasseltii
An Australian relative of the black widow. Its web is a tangle of dry threads. Often found around buildings, especially outdoor lavatories!
Can be FATAL.
Seek urgent medical attention. There is an effective antivenin.

5▶Katipo
Latrodectus katipo
The New Zealand member of the genus, found on beaches of North Island and the western coast of South Island. Lurks under driftwood, stones or well-sheltered plants.
Can be FATAL Seek urgent medical attention.

6▶Brown recluse
(Fiddleback)
Loxosceles
species Found in Asia, the US, South America and Europe. Species are all similar: various shades of brown and a faint ′violin mark’ on the centre of the mid-section. Common house pests, they inhabit dry dark corners or closets, and often hide in piles of clothes or paper. Most bites occur when people put on clothing or shoes the spiders have crawled into. ALWAYS shake out items of clothing before putting them on.

The venom is necrotic, destroying muscles and fat. At the time of the bite there is a slight burning sensation. Over the next 8 hours the pain increases, the wound turns red and blisters. Bites are slow to heal (usually about 2-3 weeks) and leave a scar—gangrene can set in if untreated, leading to amputation.
Serious complications occur in a small but significant percentage of cases, in which the kidneys are affected and death may result. Seek URGENT medical attention.
Usual treatment involves excision of the tissues at the site of the bite followed by skin grafts.

7▶Centipede
Scolopendra
species Found worldwide under stones, in piles of wood and damp places. Most species outside of the tropics are 2.5 - 7 cm (1 - 2¾ in) long. The hook-like fangs are located under the head and are used to grasp prey and inject venom. Bites may puncture the skin and cause discomfort, swelling and infections, but they are rarely fatal. DON’T swat a centipede with bare hands. If one gets on you, avoid being stung by brushing off in the direction the animal is moving.

8▶Spanish fly
Lytta vesicatoria
Found in southern Europe. Not technically venomous, but possess a chemical called cantharidin which makes them dangerous to handle. Produce intense skin irritation when crushed, causing painful blisters.

WATER CREATURESTS

RIVERS

1▶Electric eel
Electrophorus electricus
Rounded, olive to black in colour with paler underbelly. Native to Orinoco and Amazon river systems of South America. Often prefer shallow water, where there is more oxygen. Length: up to 2m (6 1/2 ft). The shock from a large one can be 500 volts, enough to knock you off your feet—lethal to a small child.
Very dangerous if you are shocked while swimming.

2▶Piranha
Serrasalmus
species Found in the Orinoco, Amazon and Paraguay river systems of South America. They vary in size, some are very small, but all are deep-bodied and thickset, having large jaws with razor-sharp interlocking teeth. Length: up to 50 cm (20 in).
They attack in groups and can be very dangerous, particularly in the dry season when the water level is low.

3▶Candiru
Vandellia cirrhosa
Not much thicker than a pencil lead, a scaleless, parasitic catfish of South America. Said to have an affinity for urine and to seek to enter the urogenital openings of the body, their rear-pointing spines causing great pain. Length: 6.5 cm (2 1/2 in).
Wear tight protective clothing over genitalia if tempted to bathe in suspect rivers and streams.

SEAS/RIVERS

4▶Stingray
Dasyatidae
A danger in shallow waters worldwide. There are marine and freshwater species, the latter occurring in tropical South America and West Africa. Very variable, but all share flat shape and long narrow tail with one or more barbed venom-producing spines along its length. Usually lie buried in mud/sand. When stepped on by an unwary wader they swing their muscled tails with enough force to drive the spine into the foot or leg of the victim. The wound is very painful and slow to heal. If untreated, secondary infections can rapidly develop.
Amputation or death may result, seek urgent medical attention.

In waters where stingrays are known to be found, waders should shuffle their feet along the bottom to avoid stepping on them.

SALT WATER

5▶Tang
(Surgeonfish)
Acanthuridae
Found in tropical oceans where they often form large schools. Thin-bodied oval fish, often colourful. Small venom glands in the dorsal spines, but the danger comes from the razor-sharp spines near the tail, which in some species open like a flick knife.

6▶Weeverfish
Trachinidae
Tapering, dullcoloured, they lie partly buried in shallow sandy bays along the coasts of the North Sea, Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast of Africa. Length: 30 cm (12 in). The most venomous fish in temperate and northern seas. Spines on the back and gills inject venom.
Secondary infections and gangrene may develop. Can be FATAL.

7▶Toadfish
Batrachoididae
Bottom-dwelling fish, found almost worldwide in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate waters—marine and freshwater. All species look much alike—dullcoloured with large mouths. Length: 7-10 cm (23/4-4 in). Spines on either side of the head inject venom (though not all varieties are poisonous). Stings are painful but not dangerous.

8▶Zebrafish
(Lionfish)
Pterois
species Lives amongst reefs, rocks, or in sand, in tropical and sub-tropical seas, particularly the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Spectacular, usually with bands of reddish brown and white, large filamented fins and long dorsal spines. Length: 10-20 cm (4-8 in). Contact with the spines causes intense pain and swelling.
Heart failure may result. Seek urgent medical attention.

9▶Stonefish
Synanceiidae
Found in tropical Indo-Pacific waters and the Red Sea—especially common along the northeast coast of Australia. Their drab colours, lumpy shape and sedentary lifestyle make them difficult to see amongst the rocks and reefs they inhabit. Length: 40 cm (16 in).
When stepped on, the dorsal spines inject enough venom to cause agonizing pain, convulsions, unconsciousness and even paralysis of the limb. Recovery may take months. Sometimes FATAL.

1▶ Portuguese man-of-war
Physalia
species Not a jellyfish, but a colony of semi-independent cells. Mainly sub-tropical—commonest in waters of high salinity like those around Australia and Florida—but the Gulf Stream may carry it to more temperate waters. The transparent float or umbrella is harmless—the numerous tentacles with their stinging cells may stream out for 15 m (49 ft) beyond the 20 cm (8 in) float.
The stings are intensely painful and may cause breathing difficulties. Even ‘dead’ ones can still sting.

2▶Sea wasp
(Box jellyfish)
Chironex fleckeri
A cube-shaped bell, 25 cm (10 in) across, with clusters of tentacles trailing from the corners. These may be up to 9 m (30 ft) long. Large swarms sometimes invade public beaches in Australia between October and March.
Venom can be FATAL in large doses—can kill within five minutes. Stings are intensely painful—there is a risk of victim losing consciousness and drowning. An antivenin is available. Seek urgent medical attention.

3▶Yellow-bellied sea snake
Pelamis platurus
One of the most widely distributed of all sea snakes and one of the smallest: 72-88 cm (28-35 in).
Highly-toxic venom causes respiratory paralysis and muscular pain and weakness. Can be fatal.

4▶Banded sea snake
Laticauda colubrina
Range extends from Bay of Bengal, Japan, and around coasts of Australia and New Zealand. Grows to maximum length of 1.4 m (41/2ft). Grey above with creamy underparts, a series of black bands around the body and a paddle-like tail. Partly terrestrial.
The bite is said to be painless, but venom is twice as toxic as cobra venom. Seek urgent medical attention.