Arachnophobia Trivia Quiz

Answer: cardinal spider

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was rumored to be scared of this spider and it is sometimes nicknamed after him. The so-called cardinal spider is the largest domestic spider, and can reach lengths of 8 in (20 cm), with the female being somewhat larger than the male.

It is relatively rare and most commonly found near rocks, old walls, or buildings. Cardinal spiders are native to Europe and North Africa, but have been exported to places as far away as South America.

Answer: urticating hairs

"Chilean rose tarantula" is an accurate, succinct description of this spider. It is native to Chile but very popular in the pet trade. Chilean rose tarantulas are spectacular in appearance, low maintenance, and can live for decades. They can reach 5.5 in (14 cm) in length.

As with many plants and bugs, they possess numerous urticating hairs -- hairs they can launch at a target and which can cause great irritation. In an instance in 2009, a Chilean rose tarantula launched its hairs into a man's eye, causing him great irritation.

The fineness of the hairs made removal a very difficult task. Keep that in mind if you ever choose to handle one of them!

Answer: False

Little is known about Poecilotheria rajaei, which was discovered in 2009, but like all members of its genus, it is fast and venomous. With a leg span of 8in (20 cm), Poecilotheria rajaei was described as being "slightly smaller than the size of the plate we have dinner on" by one of its discoverers.

This recently-discovered species is endemic to Sri Lanka. It lives in old trees, but severe deforestation has often driven it to inhabit old buildings as well. There is concern that deforestation and political violence is threatening its existence.

Answer: terrestrial

Particularly in the Amazon, some tarantulas are arboreal (tree-dwelling), but others are terrestrial (ground-dwelling). You're likely to find this large spider along the ground. The Brazilian salmon pink bird-eating tarantula is among the world's largest spiders, with its leg span reaching as long as 11 in (28 cm).

The males tend to be longer while the females tend to be more massive. This species is popular in captivity as it will stay out in the open and breed readily.

Answer: huntsman spider

Oh, if only they could jump. The giant huntsman spider was discovered in Laos in 2001, as part of a search for new species in the Mekong region of Asia. Huntsman spiders do not build webs, preferring instead to actively chase down prey. Because of that, they are often large and fast, though most do not reach the size of a sheet of printing paper.

Although venomous, huntsman spiders cause minimal damage to people when they bite. After its discovery, "Guinness World Records" listed it as the world's largest spider by leg span.

Answer: attack you

The four-legs-in-the-air pose is a very striking pose that I cannot show you here due to copyright restrictions (search for "Brazilian wandering spider" pictures and you will quickly notice it!). While it may be tempting for you to think that such a spider is posing for your amusement, it's a threatening position that strongly suggests you are about to get bitten.

It's particularly noteworthy considering what you are facing. The Brazilian wandering spider is both large (6 in / 15 cm leg span) and aggressive. "Guinness World Records" listed it as the world's most venomous spider in 2010.

However, an effective antivenom exists, and thus deaths from this spider are rare.

Answer: friendly

Colombian giant red-legs are another species of tarantula that can be found in New World rainforests. They're on the larger side, reaching sizes as great as 8 in (20 cm). Like all tarantulas, they are venomous. Like many New World tarantulas, they have urticating hairs that they can launch to protect themselves.

But unlike some tarantulas, they are both shy and aggressive. Most prefer the safety of a burrow over sitting out in the open. However, should you intrude on its territory, it will be quick to make itself known and threaten you by running around and making itself look larger. If that doesn't drive you away, you may end up getting bitten.

Answer: camel spider

The camel spider is sometimes known as a wind scorpion and looks like a cross between a spider and a scorpion, but is in fact a completely different order of arachnid known as a solifuge. Solifuges are native to the dry areas of North America, Africa, and Asia, with the largest ones being found in the Middle East and North Africa.

They can grow to a length of 6 in (15 cm) and are known to run as fast as 10 mph (16 kph). Though large and ugly, camel spiders are not venomous and pose minimal threat to people.

Their sharp fangs can inflict a painful bite, but not one that is particularly harmful.

Answer: its silk

Golden silk orb weavers are magnificent spiders that can be found in most of the warmer parts of the world. Those in Taiwan can reach more than 5 in (13 cm) in length, while an individual in Cairns, Australia, made the news when it managed to catch and kill a snake in its web. Golden silk orb weavers are potentially venomous, but not lethally so. Those that live in cities tend to reach particularly large sizes.

Their silk is a beautiful pale gold color, and clothing has been made from it, much like mulberry silkworms.

However, such clothing has not been shown to be commercially viable.

Answer: female

Female goliath bird-eating spiders can live for 20 years or longer, while males usually don't make it past the age of five. Despite the name, these Amazonian spiders will only eat birds on rare occasion. They will however eat nearly anything they can catch, which includes lizards, toads, and snakes. If you think the spider pictured is large because it's the size of a dollar bill, know this: they can reach fully twice that size. Entomologist Piotr Naskrecki once described how he came across one in the Amazon that was one foot (30 cm) long.

It was literally the size of a puppy -- and doubtlessly just as adorable!