According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, there are over 30,000 know species of spiders and an estimated 50,000 total that live in all parts of the world, except Antarctica.

Canada has 1,300 species, and here's the bad news, there are two species of the Trantula that can be found in both Ontario and B.C. Tarantulas have the undeserved reputation of being dangerous. Most are actually quite docile and will only attack if extremely provoked. Their docility, ease of being tamed and size makes them popular as pets.

You might enjoy the definition of tarantula:

[tuh'ræntsaluh] n., pl. -las, -lae [-'li] or [-'laz].

1 a large, hairy, southern European wolf spider ( Lycosa tarentula ) whose bite is painful, but not serious. Its bite was formerly believed to cause an uncontrollable desire to dance.

2 any large hairy spider thought of as poisonous; especially any of a family (Theraphosidae) of spiders found in tropical America, Mexico, and the southern United States, some species reaching a body length of about 8 cm. The bite of some South American tarantulas can be dangerous but all the species found in the United States are harmless to human beings.

Also, black widow spiders, which are among the most poisonous of animals, are found in southern Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC. Their venom is about 200 times as poisonous as that of a rattlesnake.

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The 1998 Canadian & World Encyclopedia, copyright (C) 1997 by McClelland & Stewart Inc.

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€ DOCWhat is the Deadliest Spider in Ottawa

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