For many people around the world, it doesn’t get any scarier than a spider. Perhaps it is their excessive amount of eyes, their hairy legs, or maybe just the combination of everything. Whatever gets your “nope-meter” up in the red, you might think spiders are terrifying. Regardless of what your thoughts are of most spiders, once you see a peacock spider you might have a change of heart. Combining beautiful colors with a cute little body an inclination to dance, these little spiders are not only harmless to humans, but they are super cute in the process.
While these spiders were obviously not listening to YMCA in the wild, it is just one example of how cute these little critters can be. Unlike the creepy-crawly monsters that you might see in your home, these well-adorned little guys are a pure joy to watch. Like the bird that it shares a name with, these spiders are quite colorful and researchers have found that they have a bit of variety in those colors from species to species. In fact, some scientists are actively studying the peacock spider to find out more about the different species.
National Geographic recently released news that scientists over in Australia have discovered seven new varieties of these cute little spiders, which means there is even more of a reason to get up and dance. Apparently amateur arachnologists and spider enthusiasts, Jürgen Otto and David Knowles, have made it their personal mission to research more into these pretty little spiders and explore just how much variety they have to offer. Like most members of the animal kingdom, it is the male of the species that has the showy fan and dances around. More important than just the variety of colors though, Otto and Knowles also discovered that these distinct species have some other traits in common, such as their fur and distinguishing marks, which can help tell them apart.
Of course, with so many people afraid of spiders, the mere mention of the word often has people on edge. Before passing your judgment, it is nice to actually see pictures of them in action. Unlike some of the more dangerous species, these look as cute and cuddly as your favorite stuffed animal growing up. Though, they are much smaller in size and still skitter about when not dancing around. Still, perhaps people can use species like this to get over their irrational fear of those eight-legged creatures. After all, most spiders are absolutely harmless to humans and can actually be a great resource to have around if you have problems with insects.