This week's Številke (Numbers) podcast followed the trace of a recently published study about the oral sexual behaviour of the Darwin bark spider. Presented are a few interesting facts about spiders and an interview with the author of the study Matjaž Gregorič.
"I recently read a study that spiders and snakes are, by far, the most common cause of fear. The authors of the study say it was a historically important fact that led to the widespread respect for spiders and snakes. Evidently, we still have that in us," is what Gregorič said about arachnophobia.
"Apart from the evident reason - that they're totally cool - I really also like them from a biological standpoint. They're extremely diverse and they've conquered every land on the planet. They have qualities which make them unique: they are the biggest anthropod predators on land (even ahead of birds and bats). They come in second only to birds in terms of successfull spreading. Spiders can also travel with the help of winds. In extraordinary circumstances they can also travel across the Atlantic," is how Gregorič, the head of a study that has circled the world, stressed the beauty of spiders.