Q: Are there any venomous snakes or spiders we need to worry about while in Alaska?

A: Believe it or not, there are no native species of venomous snakes or spiders!  As for snakes, no reptiles can survive in the wild up here, so you don’t have to worry about being bitten by anything of that sort. Seriously venomous spiders do not occur in Alaska: these include those from the Loxosceles (recluse) and Latrodectus (widow) genera which can cause severe local as well as systemic effects.  The only major venomous spider possibly found in Alaska is the hobo spider, Tegenaria agrestis, which was introduced from Europe to the Pacific Northwest in the 1930s. While the range of the hobo spider could extend into the Alaska panhandle, the hobo spider has never been positively identified anywhere in Alaska.(SOA Epidemiology Bulletin No. 17-November 1, 2000) Continue reading →