Brown Recluse range change

[ashling]

http://www.livescience.com/13909-brown-recluse-spider-range-climate-change.html

Climate change may give America's venomous brown recluse spiders a choice: Move to a more northern state or face dramatic losses in range and possible extinction, a new theoretical study suggests.

#####
If the projections are correct, by 2080, perhaps only 5 percent of the spider's current range — which extends from Kansas across to Kentucky and from Texas across to Georgia, including the states in between — would remain suitable for it. However, climate change could make portions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Nebraska and South Dakota habitable to the spiders.

The shaded region represents the current distribution of the brown recluse

######

Of course, brown recluse spiders aren't the only living things whose habitat is affected by climate change.

"It is scary to think that if this much change could happen in one species, what could happen in the myriad species that exist all over the Earth?" Saupe said.

[GopperStopper2680]

1. Vile and Loathesome

Personally I understand the importance of species like the Brown Recluse in the ecosystem but to me they're utterly loathesome little monsters. I would not personally shed a tear if they went caput. Now don't get me wrong I love nature and animals but these spiders are the stuff of nightmares.

[MelissaB]

2. Yes, they are. I woke up one night to find one crawling toward my face.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep well for months.

[GopperStopper2680]

7. Augh! The horror!

[AlbertCat]

3. Well, they're not out to "get you" y'know.

You hold little interest for them. But I understand. At least a black widow is spectacular.

[Broderick]

6. Beautiful spider

I have one that was hiding in a hole in a column in the front of my house. I could get it to come out. Dangerous little bugger but I didn't have the heart to kill. Probably stupid.

[GopperStopper2680]

10. Truth be told..

all spiders are spectacular in their own way. They're a paradigm of evolution. They're just..creepy.

[shanti]

4. Just stay out of the west coast!

we have enough of a problem with black widows.

[Bigmack]

12. Hmmmm It MAY be too late already

I know a couple folks here in So Cal who claim to have been bitten by brown recluses, and the Dr.'s agreed with them NASTY bite - caused lotsa problems. Ms Bigmack

[mistertrickster]

5. The bite usually isn't fatal . . . but it's very bad.

It causes a big circle of tissue death including underlying muscle etc. from the cases I've heard about here in KS.

Often there's a fairly significant disability as a result.

[GopperStopper2680]

9. Loxoscelism

The effect is called Loxecelism after the spider's Genus name-Loxosceles. The venom is capable of remaining in the tissues for years and there's no specific antivenin available. The only way to treat the bite is to remove the affected tissue.

Incidentally the old method of relying on the spider's violin shaped back marking is not reliable at all to identify it. Many spiders have a marking such as that. When arachnologists want to identify a brown recluse they count the number of eyes-there are six, arranged in pairs.

We have a few of these spiders here in my home town. My second cousin Robert has been bitten repeatedly by them. It's nasty alright..

[mistertrickster]

11. No kidding . . . wow . . . glad Robert is still with us

Good info there. Thanks.

[GopperStopper2680]

8. I ought to ammend my first reply to this thread...

I should ammend my reply to this thread as it sounded callouse. I do not WISH for any species to go extinct (even things like spiders-they do serve an ecological purpose and they have a right to exist too). It's always a tragic loss when something ceases to be. I just think that knowing that I won't have to worry about waking up with rotting sores on me would make life a little easier.

[GaYellowDawg]

17. I feel differently.

I wish for fire ants to go extinct. Fuck 'em.

[xchrom]

13. ...

[Michael1]

14. Thanks

Thanks for sharing this great information about brown recluse spiders. I am sure this will be very helpful reading for all people like me who are interested to know more about these spiders.

[ashling]

15. You are welcome

[handmade34]

16. makes me think

years ago, ticks in Vermont were much less a concern than they are now because of shifting habitat... I had to have a tick removed and start medication for lyme last fall and it really hit home... studies have shown that the moose population is adversely being affected

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090426182944.htm


http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/18/us-moose-ticks-idUSTRE75H1UJ20110618