Korean Job Discussion Forums

Barking Mad Lord Snapcase · Joined: 04 Nov 2003

Spiders suck.

krats1976 · Joined: 14 May 2003

heydelores · Joined: 24 Apr 2006

Thanks for those of you who wrote helpful replies. I'm from a part of the world that has brown recluse spiders which can be quite dangerous, so I thought it would be a good idea to find out more about the situation here.

Hobophobic · Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 4:46 pm Post subject:

...RICKY TICKY TAT!

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

That's weird about Kiwis being nervous about any kind of snakes (because they have no snakes in NZ). Such a contrast from Australia where people are accustomed to poisonous snakes and spiders. I wonder if the guys who say 'smash the frickin' spider and go out for a beer, ya Mama's boy' are Aussies.

In Korea the island of Ulleungdo has no snakes (out East between Korean and Japan).

polarbearbrad · Joined: 06 Dec 2004

And now an answer to the original question.

Accordeing to Dr. Kim, Joo-Pil of Arachnopia (an interactive spider exhibit)

"Although some spiders have a strong enough poison to injure humans, Korean spiders don't have such poison"

There so don't kill the spiders, they are natural pest controls. Don't invade their areas and they will never bite you. If you do garden and get bit, it will hurt but is not dangerous.

Hope this helps.
PBB

There is a web link but I don't know if it still works.

www.arachnopia.com

polarbearbrad · Joined: 06 Dec 2004

There are three poisionous snakes in Korea. All three have tirangular heads.
The first has alternating dark and light brown bands around its body.

The second is a tan colour. It has dark brown spots alternating down the length of the body. Inside each dark brown spot is a light brown spot. The large spots run down the body in like a connect the dots pattern.

The third is a reddish brown colour with fairly widely spaced light brown rings around the body.

Of course I can't find the names of these animals but I will continue to search.
Cheers.
PBB

polarbearbrad · Joined: 06 Dec 2004

Ok this comes from a website dedicated to poisionous reptiles. I emailed the expert and this is what he sent back to me.

Hi Brad, yes there are venomous snakes in South Korea.
There is the rear-fanged, inoffensive-looking?keelback known as the yamakagashi
which has caused a fatality or two in Japan (Rhabdophis tigrinus) and there are
several pitvipers from genus Gloydius ie.
G.blomhoffi - Mamushi
G.saxatilis - Rock mamushi
G.ussuriensis - Ussur pitviper
the taxonomy of this genus is always in a state of flux but one of the best
guides would be Gloyd and Conant's magnus-opus Snakes of the Agkistrodon Complex
or Gumprecht et al Asian Pitvipers.
You are a little too north for elapids, even the oriental coralsnakes failing to
make the peninsular, even though they are in Japan and the Ryukyus.
Another good book would be Stejneger's Herpetology of Japan and adjacent
territory.

So, yes, be careful hiking, get some books and read up.
Cheers,
PBB