Nothing can put a damper on your outdoor adventure like an unexpected bite from one of Mother Nature’s most dangerous creatures. Here are four nasty little creatures that you should know about before starting out on your next outdoor adventure.
The Brown Recluse Spider
Just like their name suggests, Recluse spiders are reclusive and are only a threat if bothered. They like to hide beneath rocks, woodpiles, dead leaves, and bark. Recluse spiders are most active at night when they come out to hunt.
The Recluse Spider has a pale brown to reddish color, with long slender legs. They are also known as a violin spider, because of its violin shape markings. While bites are extremely rare, if bitten the venom can cause organ damage, and sometimes even death.
The Black Widow Spider
Black widow spiders are also highly venomous spiders that can be found in the western regions of the United States. They can be found beneath rocks, dead wood, dead leaves and bark, and in thick undergrowth. You can easily identify this spider by its shiny black body, and red hourglass marking under the belly.
The bite actually causes little pain when first attacked. Within the first hour, expect severe cramping in the abdomen and back, anxiety, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and heavy sweating. It is actually very rare for a Black Widow bite to cause death, but the symptoms are still nothing to take lightly. Watch where you’re putting your hands, and try to wear thick gloves when picking up wood for a campfire.
Rattlesnakes
There are over 30 different types of Rattlesnakes in the United States.
Bites are serious and can cause swelling that moves up toward the heart. This can cause numbness, swollen lymph nodes, increased heart rate, blurred vision, headaches, light-headedness, sweating, and chills. Bites often occur when someone scares the snake, steps on it, or provokes it.
If you come across a rattlesnake while out on the trail, keep your distance and allow the snake a good amount of room to move away. Keep your hands and feet away from any areas that you cannot see.
Scorpions
Scorpions can be found in the desert regions of the Southwest United States: Arizona, New Mexico, California, Utah and Nevada.
There are a number of different types of scorpions; in fact, experts say there are around 2,000 different species. Of all the scorpions in the United States, there is only one that you need to worry about, the Bark Scorpion.
The Arizona bark scorpion is the only scorpion capable of causing a deadly reaction in humans. They are about 1-3 inches in length and are actually one of the most commonly encountered house scorpions in the Southwest.
When hiking, make sure to shake out your boots and sleeping bags before use. It is not uncommon for a scorpion to take up residents inside an empty boot.
moving to Vegas from Maryland and you guys are freaking me out. However I did live in Florida for a decade and knew many people that were bitten by brown recluses and even small snakes….The scorpions have me afraid to sleep in the dark. Lights on and television. Sorry hubby.