Wolf spider 'lays eggs in British man's toe' during cruise holiday in France

Colin Blake was celebrating his 35th wedding anniversary when he was reportedly bitten
Colin Blake says he was bitten by a Peruvian wolf spider while eating outside in France
Wikimedia Commons
Lydia Chantler-Hicks28 November 2023

A wolf spider reportedly laid eggs in the toe of a British man during a cruise holiday in France.

Colin Blake, from Cramlington in Northumberland, was enjoying a trip with his wife to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary, when he woke to find his big toe had turned purple.

He visited the ship's doctor, who reportedly told him he had been bitten by a wolf spider, according to the BBC.

He is said to have received the bite while having dinner outdoors with his wife in Marseille.

Mr Blake recounted his horrifying ordeal on BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime show, saying he was initially "totally unaware" of the reason his toe had turned red.

"My wife thought it may be because I had new sandals and they were rubbing on my big toe," he said.

But he went to see the ship's doctor when the toe continued to swell and turned purple.

Medics reportedly made an incision in his toe, causing "milk-like" pus containing the spider eggs to seep out.

Once he returned to the UK, Mr Blake then received hospital treatment, including a course of antibiotics.

Mr Blake claimed that around four weeks after the incident, he found a "foreign body" in his foot which turned out to be a spider.

"One of the spider eggs hadn't been flushed and must have hatched," he told BBC Radio Scotland.

"They believe the spider was making its way out - eating its way out of my toe."

Doctors reportedly removed the spider, which was dead, from Mr Blake's toe.

"I did ask if I could keep it but they said no," he added.

Wolf spiders carry their egg sacs. They typically tear a hole open in the sac to release the young spiders when the time comes, and are known to carry their young on their abdomen.

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