TOKYO —

Australia’s venomous redback spiders are on the march in Japan, where they are believed to have arrived years ago as stowaways on cargo ships, a wildlife expert warned Wednesday. The spiders, named after their fiery markings, have infested the Osaka region and are drawing closer to Tokyo, said Japan Wildlife Research Centre official Toshio Kishimoto.

A dozen people have reportedly been bitten in Osaka Prefecture alone, media reports say, including a six-year-old boy who was treated with antivenom in June, the first time the medication had been used in the country.

“Their poison is strong and they are particularly dangerous to people in weak physical condition, like children and the elderly,” Kishimoto said.

“Redbacks are becoming a common species in Japan. They are very numerous, especially in the western region, and are now often sighted in residential areas. Once the spiders spread, it’s hard to eliminate them.”

Redback bites, which inject a potent neurotoxin, have caused numerous deaths in Australia, although an antivenom stocked in hospitals has prevented fatalities more recently.

Redbacks were first spotted in Japan in 1995, around Osaka, a major port where, experts believe, they may have arrived in a container of Australian woodchips used to make paper in Japan.

Several years ago, a major redback infestation was found in the street drainage system of the city, and the arachnids have now spread to prefectures covering roughly a third of the country.

Kishimoto said Japanese people must become more aware of the dangers of redbacks, a species long feared in Australia, where the creatures are known to lurk in garden sheds, in shoes left outdoors, and under toilet seats.

“People need to be warned on how to treat them, and to be careful when they’re out cleaning ditches, and to wear thick cotton gloves for example,” said Kishimoto.

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 25 Total Comments Show All

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  ClinisRazor at 01:14 PM JST - 26th November

  WHitetails eat Redbacks

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  mrsynik at 01:47 PM JST - 26th November

  Since the South American's gave Australia the Fire-ants, its only fair that Oz share's the wealth a bit.

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  GMONEY7 at 02:03 PM JST - 26th November

  I suggest we quaranteen all Australians at the airport and search them on the plane so they do not carry this vile vermin to Japan. We should also all wear specially designed gators and close elementary schools nationwide for the time being.

  Also it may even be a good idea to ban Aussie beef since it could contain spider eggs.

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  numbskull at 02:13 PM JST - 26th November

  See ladies, this why men always leave the toilet seats up! We were worried about you! Bet you will be insisting we leave the seat up now!

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  elbudamexicano at 02:47 PM JST - 26th November

  This sounds like a joke but it is not. Several women in Mexico have died by being stung, bitten by nasty spiders while doing their thing on the toilet!

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  timorborder at 03:10 PM JST - 26th November

  Any other Aussies remember the "Redback on the toilet seat" ditty

  A redback on the toilet seat when I was there last night,

  I didn't see it anywhere, but boy I felt it bite,

  Now I'm here in hospital a sad and lonely sight,

  Cursing the redback on the toilet seat when I was there last night.

  Sorry,the passage of time has dimmed my brain. However, I do remember singing this song all the time as a little fella. I also remember getting clipped around the ear by my Grandmother, who thought that toilet was a swear word.

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  Tahoochi at 04:14 PM JST - 26th November

  Pictures would help JT!

  the creatures are known to lurk in garden sheds, in shoes left outdoors, and under toilet seats.

  Toilet seats!?!? Don't even want to think about the that!

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  butterfly1 at 06:05 PM JST - 26th November

  Toilet seats... only an outback dunny. Not a toilet seat in your house!

  These spiders love pot plants, verandahs and the stuff you keep on them. we never had them inside.

  they are not aggressive and placid spiders. I hate spiders but with redbacks, if you dont bother them, they leave you alone.

  I hope japan doesnt go into freakout mode over them.

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  saborichan at 06:22 PM JST - 26th November

  We get taught to be careful of redbacks from childhood, and funnelwebs doubly so. I wouldn't expect them inside a house, but anywhere with nooks and crannies in gardens and suchlike, sure.

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  Tahoochi at 06:49 PM JST - 26th November

  I just saw a picture of it on wikipedia. Looks like a black widow spider found in the southern US.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redback_spider

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  kumibo at 08:14 PM JST - 26th November

  i wonder if there are there any know predators for redback spiders?

  Chickens love them!

  There is a fairly strong suggestion that these spiders aren't native to Australia too (having been introduced around the time of European settlement). They are not generally found outside urban areas in Australia - they like the towns and cities)>

  Kumibo

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  LostinNagoya at 08:36 AM JST - 30th November

  Redbacks inside tiny, crowded Japanese apatos?? Heeeelp!! I had a friend who once saw a giant centipede in his apato, but could never find it. No wonder he looked like a zombie, he couldn't sleep terrified of the thought of it crawling under his edredon.

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  architrex at 10:22 AM JST - 1st December

  if these spiders are anything like the black widows we have here in southern California, there really isn't anything to worry about, just be conscious about them when poking through things that aren't moved very often (i.e. potted plants, ladders outside, really anything that you leave outside for a long time that doesn't get moved often)... but everyone should Google it just so they can be aware of what they look like

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  Dewaashita at 10:38 AM JST - 1st December

  At one time there were no Black Widows in this area, they came up from the south and hung out in outside electrical units to survive the winter. I recommend persistance. Our native spiders are a bit unique, these were easy to spot. Most of our native insect eaters have helped significantly. :)

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  Miyaratmosphere at 07:32 PM JST - 1st December

  #

  LostinNagoya at 08:36 AM JST - 30th November

  Redbacks inside tiny, crowded Japanese apatos?? Heeeelp!! I had a friend who once saw a giant centipede in his apato, but could never find it.** No wonder he looked like a zombie, he couldn't sleep terrified of the thought of it crawling under his edredon**.

  LOL!! ahahaahahahaahahahaha

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