Deadly spiders found in Death Railway cave
Online reporters
Tourists and avid cavers are being warned of dangerously poisonous Mediterranean recluse spiders which have been discovered in Thailand for the first time in Kanchanaburi province. The brownish yellow spider measuring about 7 by 7.5 millimetres can cause severe wound infections and even kill a person, if bitten, though there have so far only been a small number of such extreme cases worldwide, Narin Chomphuphuang, a doctoral student at Chulalongkorn University's (CU) Faculty of Science Biology Department, said yesterday. Mr Narin issued the warning after he found the arachnid species by chance when he explored a cave in Sai Yok district.
He estimated there are up to 500 spiders in the cave, which was once used for the storage of construction materials by Japanese troops building a rail route across the Kwae Yai River during World War II. Mr Narin believed the Mediterranean recluse spiders came to Thailand during World War II, saying it is possible the spiders were "stowaways" in ships transporting construction materials from Japan to Thailand during the railway's construction. "Their numbers seem to be limited to just one cave," Mr Narin said, adding he has not found any in five other nearby caves. Japan, along with China, Taiwan and Korea, are among Asian countries where Mediterranean recluse spiders have been found besides discoveries in, for example, Australia, the United States, Mexico, Brazil and European countries. Their appearance in Kanchanaburi is a first because "there have never been reports of sightings in Thailand and Southeast Asia", said CU biologist Nathaphot Warit. While the original habitat of the spiders is in Mediterranean countries, increased trade links and travel has resulted in the spiders being found living and multiplying elsewhere. As suggested by its common name, a Mediterranean recluse spider is not aggressive and tends to hide.
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