Spider bites less common than thought

Image credit: sxc.hu

Far from being the stuff of nightmares, spiders are actually more afraid of you than you are of them. Recent studies have revealed that a lot of reports of spider bites have turned out to be something else such as a skin reaction to chemicals or the bite or sting of a different arthropod. Spiders in general tend to avoid people and have no desire to attack or bite anyone, most cases of spider bites occur when the spider is surprised - such as when someone puts on a glove or shoe in which the creature is hiding. Even in the event that a spider does try to bite, often it is either unable to do so or the venom is not toxic to humans.
Out of approximately 40,000 species of spider only 12 pose any real risk. In North America these include the black widow and brown recluse, but thanks to modern anti-venom treatments even a bite from one of these is rarely fatal. Most so-called "spider bites" are not actually spider bites, according to researchers and several recent studies. Instead, "spider bites" are more likely to be bites or stings from other arthropods such as fleas, skin reactions to chemicals or infections, said Chris Buddle, an arachnologist at McGill University in Montreal.

source and credit a unexplained-mysteries