Appreciating Spiders: An Arachnophobe’s Journey
In honor of “spooky season,” let’s talk about spiders and why they’re actually pretty cool, according to an arachnophobe (me). 🕷️
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m an arachnophobe. I credit this to two main events in my childhood:
First, my family and I lived in a duplex near a construction site when I was young, and, apparently, so did every wolf spider in the Midwest. They were always in the house, in the yard, and basically everywhere I did not want to see them.
I know we tend to exaggerate our memories, but my parents have recently confirmed that these spiders were huge, horrifying, and could have hunted toddler-me for a snack. (Photo Credit)
Second, my grandpa, who is absolutely wonderful, used to watch me a lot when I was little. He likes to nap, which I now appreciate as an adult, but I absolutely refused to nap as a kid. He was sleeping one day and left the TV on for me to watch, asking me not to move. I took directions very seriously as a kid, so there was no way I was moving from my spot in front of the TV.
That was fine until the 1990 film Arachnophobia came on. Horrified, I was frozen looking at the screen as massive spiders crawled on people’s faces, overran their houses, and probably, like, killed them. I don’t know, this was ages ago and I obviously never rewatched it. In any case, it was highly disturbing.
Photo from Amazon
So, I am a bit of an arachnophobe. To be clear, spiders outside don’t bother me one bit. It’s only when they’re inside my house that I end up getting scared, and honestly, I don’t even know what it is about them that scares me so much. I know it’s not the most rational fear, and it’s definitely something I am working on.
As part of my spider appreciation efforts, I have a goal of holding the interpretive tarantula, Rosie, at the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, CO by the end of this year. (Actually, while researching for this post, I found out they are hosting a “Spiders Around the World” exhibit for October… I am terrified but intrigued, so I think attending this exhibit needs to be a goal too).
Photo Credit: the Butterfly Pavilion. Rosie the Tarantula.
There are about 40,000 species of spiders around the world. Here are a few reasons that we can all appreciate them:
Spiders are predators of other invertebrates, including flies, mosquitos, moths, and ants. A healthy population of spiders means a decline in insects that may be dangerous to human health or crops.
Spiders are also prey for a number of animals, including birds, lizards, and centipedes. In order for these animals to thrive, they need access to their food sources.
Spiders are cultural and religious symbols. While there is no “catch-all” belief of Native American peoples, Southwestern Tribes associate spiders with the art of weaving, and the Ojibwe associate spiders with dreamcatchers. Many Plains Tribes view spiders as tricksters, while spiders are symbols of “patience and endurance” to the Osage and “intelligence and skillfullness” to the Blackfoot.
There are lots of potential applications of spider venom in medicine; research has shown that components of spider venom have the potential to limit brain damage caused by strokes.
All of this aside, just because we are scared of a species doesn’t mean we should harm it. Spiders are inherently important simply due to the fact that they live on this planet with us… even if my instinct is to be terrified. I feel like it is our responsibility to learn about the things we are afraid of instead of avoiding them. I understand that this may not be possible for some people, but I think it’s good to safely push that boundary if possible.
I’m probably never going to be best friends with a spider, but I would like to appreciate them anyway!
This is a jumping spider, widely regarded as the cutest spider ever. Photo Credit: Thomas Shahan, Flickr.
Whether you fear spiders, snakes, scorpions, or any other creepy crawlies, I challenge you to (safely) learn more about them and appreciate their place in the world. 🕷️
