Spiders are a remarkable species. Their intricate webs can stretch for miles, their fangs can be as long as a finger, and they come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes that will definitely surprise you. While some may find them creepy, others find them incredible. The best thing is, if you are looking for quality entertainment when bored, spiders might be your perfect match. You can find amazing spiders documentaries that will make ponder over walking under a stairwell again.
Best Spider Documentaries
Documentaries can teach you a lot about spiders. To spark your interest, we’ve got some cool spider facts for you.
- Spiders can be team players. Some spider species cooperate to weave massive webs, with colonies totaling thousands. They also share meals and help one another when dealing with bigger prey.
- All spiders produce silk. Every spider, all 40,000 species of them, share a unique trait: spinning silk. Over time, they have evolved to produce as many as seven different types of silk to weave webs and catch their prey.
- Parachuting spiders. Jorō spiders are cool! They’re also known as “ballooning” spiders since they release webbing to catch rides on strong gusts of wind, letting them travel far. No worries though, they don’t hurt people or our companions, and if one lands on you, you can just guide it onto your hand or a piece of paper.
- They like to dance. Spiders have some pretty amazing moves! To intimidate rivals and protect their territory, many spider species wave their pincers in the air as part of an intimidation dance. But the Regal Jumping Spider takes things one step further with a complex courtship dance to attract a mate. And believe it or not, some spiders sing too! Male Huntsman Spiders produce a buzzing sound to woo their lady loves. Why not try making up your own spider song? And for more fun activities to do at home, check these out!
- Spiders can see what we cannot. Some types of jumping spiders, also known as salticids, have vision abilities that surpass human capability. They have been found to be able to see both UVA and UVB light spectra.
1. Amazing Animals: Tarantula
This is a brief video aimed at children regarding tarantulas. The information is concise and to the point, making it an infomercial of short duration, and the tone is playful so as not to frighten children. Personally, I felt that it could have lasted a bit longer.
You won’t be able to watch all the documentaries on this list without some extra trick. Some of them are available on Hulu, but the streaming service is not available in many regions. You need the Hulu location trick to get around this limitation. You can learn more about how to watch Hulu with VPN here. In short, the secret of the trick is to use VeePN to change the virtual location.
2. Incredible Spiders
The Goliath bird-eater spider is huge! It belongs to the Theraphosa blondi family and is one of the largest spiders in the world based on size (although the giant huntsman spider has the largest leg span). It lives in the north of South America and usually eats animals with more flesh. Believe it or not, it has even been known to catch hummingbirds! To stay healthy and fit, runners should add strength training to their exercise routine.
3. Webs of Intrigue
Spiders are an essential part of our ecosystem. They play a critical role in nature. A film is being made to tell their story and dispel any popular myths surrounding them.
4. Wizz
This is a fun Australian TV series that highlights the appreciation of smaller, less loved creatures. The host, Jess, is incredibly enthusiastic and refreshingly so. She conveys this passion to the children she interacts with by encouraging them to find spiders with her and giving them tips on how they can be located in their own homes. Her approach is very hands-off and observational, which is a great skill for children to learn.
5. And Their Venomous RelatioTarantulasns
Tarantulas are among the most varied spider families on Earth, with over 2,000 distinct species. They inhabit diverse regions ranging from desert to rainforest and vary in size from less than an inch to a couple of feet long. Although most tarantulas’ bites pose no risk, roughly 10% of bites may have severe consequences! In this video, we’ll cover what tarantulas are, their venomous relatives, and why handling them warrants some caution.
6. For These Tiny Spiders, It’s Sing or Get Served
Little Monster is a sponge and is all about absorbing those wild animal facts so she really enjoys anything from Deep Look. Even though the content might be slightly advanced for my littles, the amazing animal footage and average episode length of 5 minutes or less work great for a brief tv time session.
There are four other spider-based videos from Deep Look that I didn’t include here because I wanted to highlight as many options as possible, but this nature channel has to be one of my favorite picks. If you like this one, be sure to check out their Male Black Widow, Tarantulas, A Spider’s Web, and Turret Spiders videos.
7. Spiders: The Whole Story 2/13
Spiders are fascinating creatures that can range from tiny enough to fit on a pinhead, to large enough to cover a dinner plate. They are superior hunters in the invertebrate world, and there are more of them on Earth than any other predator! Their webs are exceptional too – they produce natural fibers that can rank among the most advanced human creations.
8. Don’t Be Afraid of Spiders
SciShow Kids focuses on answering questions from their viewers. In this video, the hostess explains the difference between spiders and insects in a way that makes them less scary. It was pretty cool!
9. The Weird World Of Spiders
Spiders are eight-legged creatures that spend their entire lives mastering the art of spinning webs. Their webs are used as a clever hunting tool– something humans have studied and learned from. To feed themselves, spiders only need thin strands of silk. Research has shown that spiders are actually the smartest invertebrates on the planet. They can find ways around obstacles and draw conclusions. Spiders strategically place their webs and can move them if needed. Their thought processes are so advanced they can protect themselves from danger.
10. Top 10 Strange Facts About Tarantulas
I thought this video was just right to include. And the spider and tarantula footage came from his own tarantula collection, which was awesome. While the information was meant for grown-ups, younger kids might not be as interested. But the footage was so gorgeous that it still kept my little ones engaged.
11. BBC’s Spider House
This episode of “Spiders” reminded me of an old show that was popular when I was a kid. The voice acting was great, and the facts were interesting – I learned a lot not just about spiders but also about their relatives. When I put it on, Little Monster stopped what she was doing and watched it with me. We were both completely absorbed.
12. Crazy Monsters: Spiders
The latest “Spiders” episode took me back to a favorite childhood show. The charming voice acting and fascinating facts were totally captivating! Not only did I learn more about spiders, but also their relatives. When I previewed the episode, Little Monster stopped what she was doing and sat with me to watch, totally absorbed.
13. Wild Bites: Spiders’ Silk is 5 Times STRONGER than Steel!
A fun short segment packed full of facts with language that’s very kid friendly and easy for littles to comprehend. This video is more of a rapid-fire fact check for spiders, even though it’s titled as if it will only discuss a spider’s silk. As a warning, it does have a little more of a creepy/sinister tone around the halfway point as they discuss spider venom and bites. Still, it’s a great video to share with the family with a subtle humor parents viewers will get a chuckle out of.
Conclusion
Documentaries offer the most rewarding pastime. I understand that they are not as exciting as the fantastic Spiderman films, but this is only at first glance. Understanding the living beings that surround us is a valuable and useful skill and it will definitely pay off in the near future. Which documentary hit off well with your family? If you know of a documentary about spiders that isn’t on the list, let me know.