Plight

Video's URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Iv5U8POFA&feature=player_embedded

Adopt a pet
Spay and Neuter cats and dogs
Stop over population
YOU CAN DO SOMETHING

Here's the website of the SPCA Selangor: http://www.spca.org.my
Here's the link to their map: http://www.spca.org.my/v51/about_location.php
Here's the SPCA Selangor's address: Jalan Kerja Air Lama, 68000 Ampang, Selangor, Malaysia
Here's their operating hours: 9am-4am daily, including weekend & public holidays
Here's their contact number: 603-4256 5312 & 603-4253 5179

I've handed the details to you on a platter... please do something good about it :-)

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

For info on over population, neutering/spaying and why it is so highly recommended, please view this blog's June 2009 archives.

[Part 2] Warning: Venomous Spider In Singapore

Ref: Post titled "Warning: Venomous Spider In Singapore" dated Friday, July 17 2009


I found it!!! I found out what it's called!!! Yeay! So excited... I've found out what the mysterious Brazilian Spider is called! Look at the pictures and tell me if the spiders look alike...


Above: Mysterious spider from my previous post


Above: The Brown Recluse Spider from the brownreclusespider.org


I have to thank Divemuster who commented on the post "What Spider". I googled Wolf Spider, and found Brown Recluse Spider. Googled that, and found www.brownreclusespider.org , which led me to the above picture...


It is native to the USA, generaly found around the central mid western states southwards to the Gulf of Mexico. Although sub-species can be found else where like South America.

These spiders can and does spread, traveling inside boxes,cargo, in your car boot/trunk etc.

Indoors: they can be found in dark spots, closets, vents, heating ducts, clothes, inside shoes, old books, store rooms, corners, cracks etc. If it's found in bath tubs or toilet bowls, it's because it has fallen in and can't get out.

Outdoors: they are found in storage places like garden sheds, under rocks or inside hollow trunks.

More on it's location here



It should be about 1 inch long and one of the ways of controlling its infestation, is by using sticky traps.






This spider build a web only to nest, not to trap insects. It usually eats dead insects, even those killed by insecticide, but will hunt live insects as well.
Left: Nesting web of a Brown Recluse Spider



Bite by this spider might feel like a pin prick, or sometimes, no feeling at all. However, after a few hours, the venom takes action and the wound swells up. Pain begins and intensifies gradually.


Although non-fatal, in severe cases (sensitive person, child or lots of venom injected) the patient may experience such symptoms: fever, shivering, nausea, vomiting, itching, restlessness... eventually leading to shock. Best bet is to be calm. You don't want blood + venom spreading all over your body.

So if bitten, remain calm, trap/kill the spider, bring both patient & spider to hospital, and get immediate treatment. You have a few hours before the symptoms show themselves. Show the spider to the doctor so that they can do research and know what they're dealing with. (Try not to squish it beyond recognition. It needs to be identified)

Most patient need plastic surgery, some who delay treatment suffer more problems like red urine, kidney problems etc.

There's no known antidote to this spider's venom.

More on first-aid & hospital treatment in the website.

What Spider?

What Spider is this? This is the second time it's crawled into my house. I think it gets in through a window that's directly above some thick patch of grass. I've since shut the window.

Do we have anybody or organization that studies small creatures in Malaysia? I'd love to learn more about them

Warning: Venomous Spider in Singapore

As a precaution, please copy this whole article and reblog/email it. Meanwhile, I will wait for my reply from other establishments (NGO, Goverment Ministries and Hospitals). I want to know if there has been any further reports of incidents concerning this Spider.


I received an e-mail recently. The e-mail says that this venomous spider is commonly found in Brazil and some how made it's way to Singapore. Nobody knows how, but it's common for insects and other creatures to travel cross continents via freight (trains, airplanes, ship).

I hope this is a hoax, but the email came with a logo of Changi General Hospital:

On 1st May 2008, Channel 8 made the first report of this poisonous spider in Singapore.

If it's in Singapore it could easily travel to Malaysia and then to Thailand.

Please note that this spider could be around the house etc...

If you're gonna kill it, smack it with a shoe or newspaper, not with bare hands.

An English man was bitten by it, but he freed it because he didn't know that the spider was venomous.

The Pictures below shows the effects of the venom:









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UPDATE From: National Enviroment Agency of Singapore

Recieved: 18 July 2009, 3am (few hours after this post went up)

Their reply, I copied and paste here:

Ref: MK97189621

Dear Ms Joanne Lee

Thank you for your email dated 17 July 2009.

2 Firstlywe wish to clarify that the information in the email was not
released by NEA.

3 The insect in the picture submitted looks like a rove beetle. However
we are not able to name the species based on the picture alone as we lack
the taxonomy key to do it.

4 According to the web sites information that we have gatheredmajority
of this species of rove beetle live in rice fields.

5 So farwe have not received any information of it being found in
Singapore. We are also unable to confirm that the cause of the skin
condition as shown in the picture submitted is due to contact with this
beetle.

Please call me or email contact_nea@nea.gov.sg if we can be of further
assistance.


Sincerely

Mohd KhalilKal (Mr)
Customer Service Officer
Tel: 1800-CALL NEA [1800-2255 632]
National Environment Agency

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

UPDATE From: Changi General Hospital Singapore

Recieved: 21 July 2009, 5:30pm

Their reply, I copied and paste here:

Dear Joanne Lee,

Thank you for accessing our website.
The CGH logo was used without our permission and the hospital did not contribute in any way to the contents in this email. Please do not circulate this email.

Thank you.

We wish you the best of health.

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I'm still waiting for replies from the hospitals, other wildlife departments, zoos, wildlife societies, university faculties of Malaysia and Singapore... and Channel 8