brown bear

spidersOver five hundred spider species are known in Estonia. All ofthem are deadly poisonous, but only to insects and other smallinvertebrates in their own weight category. The species foundin Estonia are harmless to humans. Only the big and dark wolfspider, which lives in moist places, and the black and yellowstriped wasp spider, a recently arrived immigrant species, areable to penetrate human skin with their chelicerae. Naturally,they do not attack humans but use their jaws only when facing adirect threat. The bite area will be red and prickly. Some speciesliving elsewhere in the world can be dangerously toxic or evenfatal to human. Everybody has probably heard of the blackwidow.Spiders are efficient catchers of various insects that posea nuisance to humans, and they are allies of gardeners indestroying pests. According to folk beliefs, spiders are luckyanimals and hurting them brings about misfortune. Perhaps thisknowledge will contribute to a friendlier attitude toward spiders.Estonian Museum of Natural History•Dangerous Nature: Myths & Realityanimals 13