This Spider Will CURE Your Arachnophobia - The Giant Wolf Spider

Today I want to show you a spider that helped me get over my fear of spiders. Sounds crazy, but giant wolf spiders are actually AMAZING if you're working on getting comfortable with these little arachnids. Despite their menacing looks, they're actually just big sweethearts. Learn about the giant wolf spider in this video!

Here at MyWildBackyard we investigate the secrets of the natural world- secrets that can be hidden in our very own backyards! I want to share the incredible world of insects, spiders and other wildlife with you and inspire you to explore your curiosity. Get out there, and find your adventure!

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

#wolfspider #arachnophobia

[captaintryhard]

I had a unique interaction with a tiny wild jumping spider down in louisiana. It acted almost curious or friendly, approaching me while I sat on the stairs of a deck. It was looking up at me every few steps, then I held out my hand and it hopped right in. I brought it to a tree and it even looked back at me before leaving. One of the cutest things ever honestly

[barryschalkwijk]

as a spider, i appreciate all you're doing for us.

[joshuawagner]

My 5-year old son has no fear of spiders. This is because my wife and I, who both grew up terrified of spiders, have done a lot of reading on spiders, and we have taught him that they are an important part of our ecosystem, including inside our home! It helps that we don't live in an area where there are a lot of venomous species. There was a wolf spider in our home hanging out near the door, and my son, with no fear but a LOT of excitement, went over to the spider and watched it. He touched it a little, and the spider did nothing except scoot a little bit further away. They truly are amazing, non-aggressive creatures. Thank you for putting out these videos!

[steverox]

My attitude toward wolf spiders changed when that video started going around a few years ago of the guy cleaning dust off of a wolf spider's legs. It had gotten tangled up in dust and hair and couldn't really walk. The guy started using some small tools to pluck the dust off and the spider caught on that it was being helped and eventually just relaxed and started raising each leg one at a time for the guy to clean them off. So cool! Spiders are so smart.

[manfredking]

another thing about wolf spiders is that they're incredible parents. mother wolf spiders carry their egg sacs until they hatch and then carry their babies on their backs until they're old enough to live on their own, but not only that, studies have shown that they keep careful track of each spiderling, will adopt babies of the same species and let them ride on their backs too, and even adopt inanimate objects (such as cotton balls) when they lose their egg sacs. that's more maternal care than most animals! thanks for making this video from a fellow north carolinian!

[thatperson]

There was a time in 4th grade where i caught a jumping spider, and when i let it go, i waved to it, not thinking much about it. but then, it waved back to me!!!! It was the best thing ever and it warms my heart anytime i think about it!

[tXminator]

I love how you are an ambassador of spiders. Any freaky bug, you will just pick it up and explain why it's so awesome. You never fail to impress 😁

[ThatFreeWilliam]

The one thing about wolf spiders that makes them easier to get used to than jumping spiders is they don't teleport all over the place. It's SO much easier to keep track of the little guys.

Also: googling images of "Wolf spider faces" never fails to bring joy.

[SilverScaleMA]

This year the wolf spiders around my house all got huge because of the abundance of grasshoppers. They are generally pretty chill, I have gotten bitten by one once but that was because I accidentally grabbed it bare handed while weeding. Other than that they are pretty good at staying out of way as long as you give them a bit of warning but will watch you from a safe distance. I had one last year in my garden that figured out that when I was working in my garden the grasshoppers would freak out and jump away and she would take the opportunity to nab one if it landed too close to her little safe zone under the bench. 😂

[ketteringsfinest]

It’s not the fear of being bit by a spider that scares me, it’s just their general appearance, in particular, the eyes. Despite my arachnophobia, I still find them very interesting and I love to study them. I’m hoping one day I’ll be able to own a jumping spider.

[tSp]

As a former arachnophobe, one of the things that creeps people out about spiders is not only the idea they might hurt you, but also their fragility: that you might accidentally hurt them and thereby cause them to hurt you back or jsut die horribly. Aside from their weird alien movement and bursts of speed, you could squash or maim even the biggest spider with minimal effort, which is just another reason to want them to keep out of range.

I was never afraid of snakes (even though they're actually much more dangerous), but I hated spiders because I couldn't trust them not to stay where they were - away from me - and when I tried to trap them to put them outside there was a 50/50 chance I'd either succeed or crush their legs by accident.

[Dakotert]

I’m currently taking a huge step in my life by doing my own exposure therapy to bugs and spiders. This actually really helped me and made me way more comfortable. I’m always scared that a spider or smth is gonna come and hurt me. Im done with panic attacks. Im done with cowering from the outside, and I’m doing this now.

[beckyh]

I actively worked to cure my arachnophobia this year. I wouldn’t say I’m cured, but I do have tarantula pets now and I’ve held a couple too. Wolfies kinda freaked me out with their size and speed, but recently I’ve started getting to know them and seeing how cute they are. I appreciate all you do with your info and showing they aren’t the scary things that the media portrays them to be 🕷

[David-uxwn]

I actually like smaller spiders, including ones like the black widow, but I am terrified of larger ones, starting with smaller wolf spiders. I am actually not afraid of spiders due to their bite, but rather due to their speed, ability to climb walls and the way they are very very sneaky. Also I think they just look incredibly frightening. I know most of them are completely harmless, but fear sadly isn't always logical. :)

[JustaLamborghiniCountachWhoCom]

I like how he's just sitting there like, "Huh. This loud branch is really weird."

[RRC]

Snakes have never bothered me. Even stumbling upon snakes outdoors I never felt threatened or afraid. Spiders, on the other hand, terrify me. No matter what kind, but these videos are at Lear making me comfortable enough to watch YOU handle them. Maybe one day I’ll be comfortable enough to have one myself.

[skeeter]

I'm not "comfortable" with spiders yet, but wolf spiders are definitely my "favorite" spiders. They're just....cool for lack of a better term. They're lightning fast, the eyeshine, especially when they're carrying all their babies. the babies....They're just really cool. But I still can't bring myself to handle one. But watching videos, like yours, has definitely helped with the straight up arachnophobia. So, thanks! Another awesome video, btw!

[your_average_traveler]

May not cure my arachnophobia, but was certainly interesting and informative. Your passion is contagious 😊

[Redtigerbruiser]

What a lot of people don't understand, is that no spider will attack or bite what it is walking on unless provoked, with a few notable exceptions. I love what you're doing here, and I fully support it. Keep being awesome!

[aenigmatica]

I love the thousand yard stare he does when you talk about him being big.