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Visitors to this year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro may be dismayed to hear that Brazil is home to one of the planet's most venomous spiders .

A bite from the Brazilian Wandering spider, also known as the Banana spider or Armed spider, can cause long and painful erections in males, followed by death, within a matter of hours.

A potent neurotoxin in the venom can also cause abdominal cramps, hypothermia, blurred vision and convulsions.

While the poisonous arachnids are found throughout South America, particularly in Brazil, they have also been known to hitch a ride to North America and Europe among bunches of bananas .

(Image: Getty)

The scarily large spiders have a body measuring up to two inches, and a leg span that can reach up to six inches.

In their natural habitat, the spiders hunt their prey at night on the forest floor, rather than building webs.

The wandering nature of the spiders means that they often venture into urban areas, seeking dark places to hide in populated areas.

(Image: Getty)

The arachnids usually eat insects, other spiders and sometimes larger critters including rodents, reptiles and amphibians.

The good news is that bites from these terrifying beasts are rare, and only a handful of humans have ever died as a result of them.

While the spider has incredibly toxic venom, there is an antivenom available to combat bites.

(Image: Getty)

What's more, the toxicity of the venom depends on how much has been deployed in each bite. Only large amounts are likely to be fatal.

Several studies have looked into incorporating tiny amounts of the venom into drugs for treating erectile disfunction.