A spider bit a Briton on vacation and laid eggs in his leg (5 photos)

Some life events seem like a nightmare scenario - but no, this is reality. While on holiday in France, a British man was bitten by a wolf spider and "laid eggs" in his big toe. However, some experts did not believe him.





Briton Colin Blake was vacationing with his wife on a cruise in France, celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary. One morning the man woke up and discovered that overnight his big toe had turned purple and was very swollen. He consulted a doctor on the liner - and he reported that the swelling arose from the bite of a wolf spider (Lycosidae). It turned out that the spider bit him while he and his wife were enjoying dinner outdoors. Over time, the man became increasingly worse, and his finger became very swollen and looked as if it had an infection.



The man underwent surgery and his finger was opened, revealing suppuration and, according to the man, spider eggs. Fortunately, they were promptly removed. When he returned to the UK he was treated and given a course of antibiotics to reduce the swelling. However, after the story went public, some experts completely refuted claims that the spider could have laid eggs in his leg.

"I can't imagine this because I know the biology of these spiders. They lay egg sacs for quite a long time. When a wolf spider lays eggs, they are in a substance similar to a ball of cotton wool. In addition, the venom of this spider is not necrotic," - said Dr Sarah Goodacre from the University of Nottingham.



According to Dr. Goodacre, there are no wolf spiders that can actually penetrate the skin - so she disagrees with Blake's story. The British Arachnological Society also called the whole thing "implausible." Perhaps the man himself exaggerated the story - the information is still being clarified.