Spiders In Asia

Hairy and dangerous, the Chinese bird spider is found throughout southeast Asia. This tarantula species has a leg span of up to 8 inches and its toxic venom can be dangerous, especially to rodents and other small mammals. In Asia, at least one baby has been killed by a bite from this highly aggressive spider.

As its name implies, this dangerous spider lives in the sand in parts of southern Asia and Africa. Although closely related to the brown recluse, its venom is more highly toxic and no anti-venom has been developed. If you are bitten, the venom causes the death of tissue around the bite area as well as disseminated intravascular coagulation which causes bleeding. Thankfully, most people have little chance of running into this spider -- and even if you do, the spider is rarely aggressive.

These notorious spiders found in deserts from China through the Middle East are not actually spiders, although they are in the same family. They can be up to 6 inches long and can run at speeds of up to 10 miles per hour. While they are not poisonous, their bite can be excruciating.

In 2012, arachnid researcher Peter Jaeger discovered the world’s first eyeless spider living inside a cave in Laos. The small whitish colored spider is related to the huntsman spiders, a type that is normally larger and includes more than 1,000 different spider species. Because the spider lives in the darkness of the cave, it evolved to no longer need eyes.

Found throughout Asian rainforests, this small spider (less than half an inch in size) is one of many jumping spiders found throughout the continent. The two-striped jumper can be easily recognized because of the two long red stripes on its body. These spiders are not poisonous.

This unusual spider originally from Sri Lanka and India has six pointy parts on its back. This particular spider is not venomous or dangerous to humans, but its large webs built between trees can be a nuisance. Since 1985, this Asian spider can also be found on the Hawaiian islands.