Unnamed Person

They only do this in captivity. It's practically never been seen in the wild in the northern hemisphere.

So the male Black Widow will sometimes go around to the female's web and sort of clip off little parts of it so that she has no exit routes. And then he will go up next to her and like calmly like sort of caress her. And then he throws... a web of his own over her to then copulate with her. Oh. And the scientists have called that web the bridal veil. which is so not what that should be called.

So the male Black Widow will sometimes go around to the female's web and sort of clip off little parts of it so that she has no exit routes. And then he will go up next to her and like calmly like sort of caress her. And then he throws... a web of his own over her to then copulate with her. Oh. And the scientists have called that web the bridal veil. which is so not what that should be called.

Are you serious? Oh my God. But this, it strikes me as a very weird behavior. And if I were a person naming spiders and saw that sometimes the female ate the male after eating, but also that the male does this crazy thing and like ties down the lady, basically, I might name the spider after that. But why didn't they? Because they were men. Yeah.

Are you serious? Oh my God. But this, it strikes me as a very weird behavior. And if I were a person naming spiders and saw that sometimes the female ate the male after eating, but also that the male does this crazy thing and like ties down the lady, basically, I might name the spider after that. But why didn't they? Because they were men. Yeah.

And they thought it was exceptional that the female killed the male. Oh, my gosh. Can't have that.

And they thought it was exceptional that the female killed the male. Oh, my gosh. Can't have that.

So from 1950 to 1959, the data we have says that there were 63 deaths in the U.S. from black widow spiders.

So from 1950 to 1959, the data we have says that there were 63 deaths in the U.S. from black widow spiders.

So most of the reported black widow bites from this time happened in what were called outdoor privies, outhouses. So black widow spiders, they enjoy dark, low to the ground sort of places. They especially love to make their cobwebs between two objects. And so because bugs like stinky places, you know, like imagine flies, right?

So most of the reported black widow bites from this time happened in what were called outdoor privies, outhouses. So black widow spiders, they enjoy dark, low to the ground sort of places. They especially love to make their cobwebs between two objects. And so because bugs like stinky places, you know, like imagine flies, right?

There's flies in outhouses that it makes a great like food supply, right? And to get to the stinky stuff, you got to go through the bowl, right? Right, right. So putting your web there is excellent. So imagine this. It's the 1950s. You're a dude. You need to go number two. You make your way out to the outhouse. You sit down and you junk hangles there. Hangles. Yep. That's what she said.

There's flies in outhouses that it makes a great like food supply, right? And to get to the stinky stuff, you got to go through the bowl, right? Right, right. So putting your web there is excellent. So imagine this. It's the 1950s. You're a dude. You need to go number two. You make your way out to the outhouse. You sit down and you junk hangles there. Hangles. Yep. That's what she said.

And as it does, it hits the cobweb. And the usually non-aggressive black widow instinctually runs over and bites down on the new creature that has landed on its web. Oh, my God. OK.

And as it does, it hits the cobweb. And the usually non-aggressive black widow instinctually runs over and bites down on the new creature that has landed on its web. Oh, my God. OK.

It is, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. There's like not even you can't even imagine a better situation tailored to getting bit by this like usually very non-aggressive spider. They don't come after you.

It is, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. There's like not even you can't even imagine a better situation tailored to getting bit by this like usually very non-aggressive spider. They don't come after you.

The majority were on penises.

The majority were on penises.

The skin there is less thick and there are lots of nerves there, right? And this is a neurotoxin venom. So... Oh, oh, oh. Perhaps being bit on the genitals sends the venom going into your body in like a faster or stronger way than say if you were bit on a callus on your foot.