Want to know more wild facts? Check out our Wild to Know series:    • Wild to Know  

How many tons of prey does the world’s spider population consume each year? The answer may be a lot more than you’d think! The 45,000 species of spider on the planet typically get a bad rap, with millions of people scared or even terrified of them. But new research suggests this fear may be over the top.

Only a very small number of spiders are venomous or even able to harm humans. But many more have extremely cool skills, from spinning silk that’s stronger than steel, to keeping crops free of pests. Is the media responsible for our misplaced fear of arachnids? We investigate a new study on sensationalism, and learn more about these eight-legged superheroes.

For more fascinating stories about our planet, subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TerraMaterO...

#terramatters #spider #webslinger #creepy


Arachnids are some of the oldest creatures on Earth, and with good reason - they're amazing! We'll even learn a bit about arachnophobia, and why we should try to overcome our fear of spiders. We're going to talk about some of the myths and fake news about spiders and dispel them, as well as dispel some of the myths about spiders that you might have heard.
So whether you're a spider fan or not, this video is sure to interest you!


SCIENTIFIC SOURCES

The global spread of misinformation on spiders - ScienceDirect
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...

An expert-curated global database of online newspaper articles on spiders and spider bites | Scientific Data (nature.com)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s4159...

The weight of nations: an estimation of adult human biomass - PubMed (nih.gov)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22709...

An estimated 400–800 million tons of prey are annually killed by the global spider community - SpringerLink
https://link.springer.com/article/10....

Spiders could theoretically eat every human on Earth in one year - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/w...

Why Are We Afraid of Spiders? There Are Two Competing Theories', Alice Robb - The New Republic
https://newrepublic.com/article/11619...

Dangerous arachnids—Fake news or reality? - ScienceDirect
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...

Fear of spiders and snakes is deeply embedded in us | Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (mpg.de)
https://www.cbs.mpg.de/Fear-of-spider...

Anansi The Spider: What's behind the Name! | About Jamaica (about-jamaica.com)
https://www.about-jamaica.com/anansi_...

Spider facts - The Australian Museum
https://australian.museum/learn/anima...

An Update on Fatalities Due to Venomous and Nonvenomous Animals in the United States (2008–2015) - Wilderness & Environmental Medicine (wemjournal.org)
https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1...


Do We Really Swallow Spiders in Our Sleep? | Britannica
https://www.britannica.com/story/do-w...

Lisa Birgit Holst | Snopes.com
https://www.snopes.com/lisa-birgit-ho...

How Many Die Each Year From Spider Bites? The Answer May Shock You. – Pest Control Everything
https://pestcontroleverything.com/blo...

Spiders Can Travel Across Oceans Like Ships, Scientists Say | Sci.News
https://www.sci.news/biology/science-...

Jumping spiders: Facts about the cutest arachnids on the planet | Live Science
https://www.livescience.com/jumping-s...

Spider silk is five times stronger than steel—now, scientists know why | Science | AAAS
https://www.science.org/content/artic...

Spiders, facts and information (nationalgeographic.com)
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/an...

14 incredible spider facts | BBC Wildlife magazine | Discover Wildlife
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/anim...