Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Daddy Longlegs Myth is So Busted!

It has been said to me more than once that a Daddy Longlegs has the most poisonous venom of any spider but the reason they are not deadly to humans is that their fangs are too short and they can't inflict a bite.

After some research, I discovered the verdict:  utter rubbish!  (Ref:  UCR Spider Research)

Now I know this verdict is a heartbreaker as there's a bit of romanticism in the idea that such an unassuming creature is actually possessed of great powers but does not use them.  Nevertheless, there's no escaping the reality that it's impossible.  First off, a Daddy Longlegs is not a spider and does not have venom!  Secondly, it's true that there is a spider that looks like a Daddy Longlegs and, just to make sure people are thoroughly confused, arachnologists call it a Daddy Longlegs spider but here's the punchline:  it doesn't make venom either.

So, stop killing 'em.  There's not a small risk they can hurt you, there's NO risk at all!

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