Driskill Mountain
Louisiana
June 2012
Returning to the summit from exploring the dead end of a nearby trail, I log another first. Perched up there, in the shadow of the eave of the signboard marking the summit of Driskill Mountain in Louisiana, is a black spider with a red mark on the back of its abdomen. Hmm, let me look closer. No, not exactly an hourglass. N’wait, yeah, it is. Yep, it is an hourglass. Behold a black widow! Score! Highest spider in the state! Also my first black widow.
Black widow spiders (Latrodectus) are known to have dangerously potent venom, up to 15 times stronger than the venom of a rattlesnake. (How do they know that?) When bitten, humans will immediately feel intense pain. After twenty minutes, the pain may even increase, there will be severe muscle cramping, weakness, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and fainting. Also chest pain and paralysis of the diaphragm which makes breathing difficult or impossible. Not to mention the tremors; you may shake to beat the band.
Sounds like some of my first dates.
But here is the good news. Although you can die from these reactions, you probably won’t. Unless you are a child, in which case the prognosis is gloomier. If possible I would recommend to any child bitten by a black widow to grow up as fast as possible. More good news is that these spiders are not particularly aggressive and likely won’t chase after you if you run away. But don’t sit on one. Just don’t.
For the heck of it, I tease the spider. No, I don’t. I choose to just take a photo and leave it alone.

Female black widow spiders supposedly kill their male paramour after mating. For this reason, human women who have killed their husbands or lovers are sometimes called Black Widows. Hmm… I look sideways at Lisa but we continue on together as if nothing happened. I’m willing to take the chance.