what would happen if you feed a black widow, or any spider to your frog?

[IvoryReptiles]

We don't feed our frogs what is out there in Nature......they are captive bred & raised and I wouldn't take the chance of said insects carrying pesticides that would harm or kill the frog. But it's up to each individual owner to feed what they please.

I have been bitten by a Widow, I am terrified of them as a result. In high school, we had out-door lockers....in Las Vegas, no less! Reached into my locker first day of school and got nailed by a HUGE Widow at the back. Went directly to emergency room with anaphylactic shock....airway closing up and freaky red rash & hives all over. By the time I got to emergency room, the cramping started........mainly my legs & arms.....muscles contracted so hard they almost broke my bones. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks and had residual pains for 4 months........it was the WORST pain I have ever experienced!!

THIS is the reason I would never feed one to ANY of my pets. Granted they would react differently than a human, but again.....why take the chance?

[KingCam]

We don't feed our frogs what is out there in Nature......they are captive bred & raised and I wouldn't take the chance of said insects carrying pesticides that would harm or kill the frog. But it's up to each individual owner to feed what they please.

I have been bitten by a Widow, I am terrified of them as a result. In high school, we had out-door lockers....in Las Vegas, no less! Reached into my locker first day of school and got nailed by a HUGE Widow at the back. Went directly to emergency room with anaphylactic shock....airway closing up and freaky red rash & hives all over. By the time I got to emergency room, the cramping started........mainly my legs & arms.....muscles contracted so hard they almost broke my bones. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks and had residual pains for 4 months........it was the WORST pain I have ever experienced!!

THIS is the reason I would never feed one to ANY of my pets. Granted they would react differently than a human, but again.....why take the chance?

That's a scary story!!! Good lord O_O I'm glad you didn't exeperience any permanent damage, except of course acquiring a new phobia.

[Heatheranne]

Wow Jess! I'm glad you made it through. That's pretty scary :/.

[IvoryReptiles]

Thanks guys.......they scare me, but I still find them beautiful & fascinating!! I own 2 tarantulas and the fangs are much bigger, but they don't make me jump & cry like a Widow does!!

[DonLisk]

Interesting thread.

Spiders definitely are not my choice of pet or for feeding.
As Ivory experienced, spiders can cause some pretty nasty damage through the process of a bite.

While I was in Japan I was bitten while sleeping and woke up with the right side of my body paralyzed and intense burning pain. Ended up with a nice size hole cut out of my thigh and a drain tube hanging out of it for a week.
We also had the occasional large poisonous centipede charging through the house so they also have been put on the I don't need list.

[Heatheranne]

That's what happened with the gentleman I cared for... They filleted off around the bite site.

I'm glad you ended up okay. How long did it take for your mobility to return?

[motiszm]

Don't assume that widow venom has the same effect on amphibians as it does on mammals. I know that native toads can eat them, that doesn't necessarily mean that other amphibians can do the same though. To echo the thoughts/feelings of others: feeding wild inverts to your captive animals is always a bad idea, especially if they are potentially dangerous.

[DVirginiana]

I'm actually spending the day laying on the couch because of a spider bite. Probably just a bad reaction to a more harmless species since I'm only feeling slightly horrible and it's getting no worse. Eh, I'm sure wild frogs eat spiders all the time, but we have no way of knowing how often that ends badly.