12 spiders you're right to be scared of
Fear of spiders is one of the top phobias among British travellers - and despite the fact that the vast majority of these creepy crawlies are completely harmless and pose no threat whatsoever, there are some which are worth being scared of.
It's thought that there are around 40,000 types of spider exist, 650 of which call Britain home. Out of those 650, there are only just over 10 of them that have enough poisonous venom to hurt a human - but when you're travelling to far-flung countries it's a different matter.
We've taken a look at some of the world's most venomous spiders and found out a little more about their weapons of choice.
Some of the the most toxic arachnids can be found Australia. The funnel web spider's venom is packed with at least 40 different toxic proteins, and its bites cause massive electrical overload in the body's nervous system (fortunately, thanks to advances in anti-venom, there has been no death from a funnel web bite in Australia since 1980).
Meanwhile in the USA, southern Europe, South America and many parts of Africa, you need to avoid the black widow has a bite which cause extreme pain, nausea and cramping, while the brown recluse spider, found in many parts of the USA, has a bite that is extremely venomous and cause massive tissue loss and subsequent infection.
But how are you meant to tell a poisonous spider from a harmless one? Check out our slideshow below to find out more about some of the world's most dangerous eight-legged creatures and what they look like.
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