A few years ago, I was unwittingly introduced to a native of Nevada. An eight-legged native. (Map)
While doing some yard work, I think while trimming some bushes, I received a bite on my right leg, just above the ankle. Never felt it. I noticed the bite while showering after. Looked like a small red welt, no pain, no concern on my part.
Everyday afterwards, I noticed the area around the bite turning red, swelling slightly and the center bite area was growing in size, scabbing in the center. The whole area was getting sensitive to touch and real sensitive to heat, almost feeling like a burn.
As with most guys, I brushed it off, thinking the scab would dry up and fall off.
But the scabbed area continued to grow and the red area grew in size also, larger than a softball.
I tried some natural lotion, which seemed to inflame it.
Concerned, I showed it to my yoga instructor. She said, matter of factly, that “that’s a spider bite. You need to go to the hospital and if you don’t, you could die. And that’s all I’m saying about it”.
Evidently, my stubbornness was well-known.
I was escorted to the emergency room at Centennial Hospital. The triage nurse looked at my leg and immediately said “you got bit by a recluse”.
The doctor came in and diagnosed it as probably a spider bite, a desert recluse. He explained to me that in this area, we have the desert recluse, a relative of the more well-known brown recluse. He added I was lucky that is was a desert, and not a brown that had bitten me as the brown’s venom was more potent and I my wound would’ve been worse. The venom is described as necrotic (killing the tissue) causing damage to the surrounding area around the bite. It may spread slowly if not treated, growing larger and causing more damage to the tissue. The brown recluse is located more towards the Midwest area of the country and not normally in this region.
The brown recluse is legendary. Several pictures circulate around the web (get it?) showing results of bites and after treatment results. Some of the more severe cases involved amputation of body parts.
After a couple of painful shots and a series of antibiotics, I was on the road to recovery. However, to this day, I do bear the scar of the encounter.
This all happened approximately 4 years ago and I still have a golf ball sized scarred area, looking more like a large bruise with a darker center that will never go away. It’s still a little tender, but not near as bad.
The desert recluse is sometimes called the “violin” or “fiddle back” spider because of the shape on the top of the body.
They like cracks in the walls and floors, curtains, seldom used clothing and can get stuck in the bathtub or shower because of the smooth surfaces. They seem to be common in the garage or storage areas of the home.
I’ve encountered several individuals who have been bit by the recluse and the symptoms seem to vary greatly.
Some experience very little discomfort with little scarring, while others endure painful lesions and end up with large, scarred areas. One of my co-workers had a large area that wrapped around his midsection, aggravated by the equipment he had to wear for work.
Many believe that the spiders inject different amounts of venom depending on the situation, causing the difference in the wounds.
If you wish to see these eight-legged natives of southern Nevada close-up and in person, go to the Las Vegas Valley Water District’s Spring preserve, (website), and check out the wildlife and learn a lot about Las Vegas history.
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