10 things you didn't know about spiders

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Just saying the word "spider" can elicit responses of fear or awe from people, but regardless of which side you fall on, there's a good chance that there is quite a bit you don't know about eight-legged arachnids. That's because, simply put, spiders are amazing creatures. There are 40,000 different species of spiders living on every continent except Antarctica, and nearly every one of those species is poisonous. Spiders can range in size from tiny to nearly the size of a small puppy. Here are some other amazing facts about these curious creatures.

Black Widow Spider

1. There are about 40,000 types of spiders in the world, but scientists estimate that just as many remain to be discovered.

2. 50% of women and 16% of men suffer from arachnophobia, an irrational fear of spiders.

3. Most spiders have 6-8 eyes.

4. Strongest known natural fiber. Spider silk is made of protein. Its tensile strength - the greatest stress a material will tolerate before breaking - is greater than bone and half the strength of steel.

5. The bites of the Brazilian Wandering spider can cause long and painful erections in human males, along with other symptoms.

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Giant Huntsman Spider

6. The Black Widow is the most venomous spider in North America.

7. Spider guts are too narrow to take solids, so they liquidize their food by flooding it with digestive enzymes and grinding it up with short appendages.

8. Fossilized spiders have been found in carboniferous rocks dating back 318 million years.

9. Longest spider: Giant Huntsman's leg span can measure up to 12 inches (30 cm).

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Goliath Birdeater Spider

10. Largest spider: Goliath Birdeater can weigh more than 6 oz. (170 grams) - about as much as a young puppy.