Black Widow Sex | National Geographic

if you think the mating rituals at your
local singles bar is strange huh
wait’ll you get a load of black widow
spiders first of all the weight
advantage
the female weighs 30 times what the male
does to put it in human terms
he weighs 200 pounds she weighs 6,000
okay now here’s the approach he inches
toward her tapping his legs to woo her a
better make nice because if she bites
him he’s sleep in the Big Sleep
he should be begging if we get together
will you promise not to kill me please
the venom of a black widow can kill
numerous species including humans she
lets him approach he gets ready to mate
apparently what he’s doing here is an
erotic ritual okay now here is the big
moment that’s the male inserting sperm
into the female using its feeler called
a help as you can see part of the ritual
is leaving part of himself inside the
female that’s how much he wants it he’s
willing to donate a body part the female
can now lay her eggs
that silky sack contains 200 black widow
spider eggs
and this is one of five silky sacks
she’ll produce from this particular
mating in two weeks 1,000 newborn black
widow spiders will be unleashed on this
little Virginia garden they’re out there
almost anywhere in the US so whatever
you do look out for that telltale red
hourglass