which one are dangerous - big or small????

now that we had the snakes and sharks let's come to a very personal thing: spiders!
i am a arachnophobic and hate spiders exept tarantulas - e.g. the "mexican red" (redknee tarantula) which are particularly beautiful!
i would like to know whether there are really dangerous spiders in east africa and whether they are aggressive!
i kill every spider which enters my privacy - i consider my tent privacy - because i don't know them i want to make sure i GOT IT!
your information and experiences will be highly appreciated!

Ha, Irma the Hunter?? You kill every creature you find, although you don't even know if it can harm you??

Why don't you do the same thing you do with the scorpions?
Spiders don't do no harm. Of course the odd poisonous exists, but I hardly ever heard of tragic encounters. In Africa you should worry more about centipedes (or however you write them). Hurt sh*** like scorpions when they sting you.

Original von Carsten
Ha, Irma the Hunter?? You kill every creature you find, although you don't even know if it can harm you??

Why don't you do the same thing you do with the scorpions?
Spiders don't do no harm. Of course the odd poisonous exists, but I hardly ever heard of tragic encounters. In Africa you should worry more about centipedes (or however you write them). Hurt sh*** like scorpions when they sting you.

carsten - I KNOW...but as i wrote i am a arachnophobic and therefore i am just terrified by spiders!!!
i have tried to cure myself by looking at our "kreutzspinne" which had been cought by kai and put into a jar in order for me to have a look and "train" myself to get used to it....but i did not succeed! of course i know especially in northern europe there are no spiders which can harm humans seriously. i just cannot stand it!
i did my very best but if i know there is a spider in the vicinity i go nuts!

nevertheless i would like to know whether there are some dangerous stuff in east africa. i could try to get a staff member to take it out of tent (contrary to scorpions i would never ever be able to catch a spider myself....i would drop the glass after i cought it....typical arachnophic behaviour! - but i have to "monitor" the action because i would not trust anybody - like the story with the scorpions.....

To be honest I don't know if there are any dangerous spiders in East Africa. I am sure they exist, but I never heard of any, not to mention any incidents of humans getting bitten by one.

I know what you mean with the phobia. A friend of mine has a phobia with butterflies and moths. It's hilarious for spectators how nuts she can go, but she really suffers. And we are talking about someone who grew up in Kenya !!

Oh yes - there is the very dangerous black forest spider. Not common however usually hunts at night. This spider does not use webs as it is know to be able to move at very high speeds in order to capture and kill its prey. It should not be mistaken for the normal common African Black Spider which has a small red spot on its back. This is harmless but the latter Black Forest - is very toxin and its venum effects the central nervous system. Once bitten very high temperatures arise. No anti venum is possible to be made.
Found in grass land areas, open fields - therefore warm tropical countries especially Kenya and Tanzania; sometimes found in shoes, tents, hats and in toilets.
It enjoys the warmth of 36.5% celcius body temperature at night and the Black Forest Spider typically looks for German ladies that call themselves Pippa.
Latin name for the spider is similar to the Venumous Snakes found on the West Coast of USA - called the "Hollywooderius Spiderius...."

Sorry Pippa - just kidding.... no such spider.
You can tell my restaurant is closed for a couple of weeks....

you guys obviously don't take me seriously
if you were me you could feel what's like facing a spider:
- adrenalin goes up until into my fingertips
- start sweating
- start paniking if it runs towards me
- finally getting almost a nervous breakdown!

there was a boy living next door who new of my phobia. one day he was waiting for me outside a "daddy long leg" in between his fingers and started coming up to me .............i was carrying some empty bottles of coke. i grab a bottle and when he was close i rose my hand and that guy stopped immediately because by looking at my face he realised it was becoming seriously for him if he went further............

i just cannot control myself if a spider "threatens" me....

and you guys are just making jokes......

looking forward to read some more of your east african hollywood bollywood dangerous stuff