Xenestis colombiana [Xenesthis immanis] - The Colombian Lesser Black

This is one of the mid-sized (6-9 cm long) tarantulas, with a habitat that ranges from Colombia down through most of Peru and nearby countries. Like all tarantulas, the venom this spider possesses is of far less danger to humans than the threat of infection in the sometimes-large puncture wounds it inflicts. In fact, since 1900,  there have been only three recorded deaths by tarantulas in people without a known severe allergy to one or more of the venom’s components, and all three of those people almost certainly had *some* predisposing factor for death, but no post-mortem testing was done/could be done.

Personally, I’m a lot more afraid of pissing off tarantulas because of their abdominal hairs. They use their back legs to flick off these extremely urticating (itch-inducing substance) hairs, and those things do NOT come out of your nose or eyes easily if they get in there. Don’t annoy tarantulas, ya? You won’t die, but you’ll almost certainly regret it.  

Animaux Venimeux et Venins. Marie Phisalix, 1922.

Dictionnaire Pittoresque d’Histoire Naturelle et des Phenomenes de la Nature. F. E. Guerin, 1833.