A Popular Southern State For Vacations Has One Of The Highest Numbers Of Venomous Spider Species

It's the state with the world's largest convenience store, and it's home to one of America's largest ranches. In Texas, everything's bigger, and that also applies to the region's population of venomous spider species. Travelers could run into one of 10 different poison spiders in Texas. By contrast, California (with the second-highest number of venomous spiders) has eight species. Three of the state's venomous spiders are considered dangerous enough to be potentially fatal: brown recluses, brown widows, and black widows. Though you should be extremely cautious around these spiders by all means, actual deaths from spiders are extremely rare — less than three per year, according to the Boston Children's Hospital.

The brown recluse spider is recognizable by a violin-shaped marking on its thorax. It only has six eyes (unlike the typical eight eyes spiders have), is a light brown color, and usually has a leg span of about an inch. You may not notice its bite right away, since it's not initially painful, but it can form a sore over time and lead to symptoms like chills, fever, and nausea. Black widows are jet-black with a red, hourglass-shaped marking. Black widow bite symptoms include cramping, headache, and heavy sweating. Brown widows are similar in appearance to black widows but with a tan or brown color and a more orange marking. Their bites are somewhat weaker than black widows but can still lead to health issues.

The best way to prevent getting spider bites in Texas is to avoid spiders altogether. In general, know that spiders don't bite randomly or out of inherent disdain for humans — they'll only do so when disturbed or threatened. Brown recluses and black widows tend to live in dark, quiet places, mostly come out at night, and are more active during springtime. Avoid their bites by shaking out shoes, clothes, and towels before using them and wearing gloves when reaching into dark spaces.

When you're traveling to Texas, you can uphold these measures by shaking out bed linens, keeping your luggage zipped, and avoiding reaching into crevices while hiking or exploring the backcountry. Popular destinations like this Texas state park, with its pink granite mountain and iconic trails, are beautiful but can also be prime spots for spider encounters. If you're in north or central Texas, the brown recluse is most likely to be encountered in forested areas. In southern Texas, they're drawn to grasslands. Black widows are found all over Texas but typically stick to outdoor structures (like sheds) or natural hollows and nooks (like tree stumps).

If bitten by a venomous spider while visiting the Lone Star State, you should contact the Texas Poison Center Network or a physician. You can also apply an ice pack to the bitten area to reduce pain. Those experiencing more severe reactions may require hospitalization.