Good Reading Masthead Logo

James O’Hanlon on spiders in ‘Silk and Venom’

Podcast

There are more than 50 000 species of spiders. They surround us in our daily lives and, contrary to popular belief, the vast majority are completely harmless to humans. James O’Hanlon takes us from his backyard to all corners of the globe (and even outer space!) to explore these fascinating creatures. Whilst also showing they’re not so scary after all. You’ll encounter everything from miniscule jumping spiders with super intelligence to giant tarantulas whose venom could one day save your life.

James O’Hanlon clears up spider myths and misconceptions and introduces readers to the beauty of their lives. James also explores their remarkable hunting techniques and the fascinating engineering of spider silk. He also introduces readers to spiders that live in extremes – from underwater to the slopes of Mount Everest.

In this episode Gregory Dobbs chats to James O’Hanlon about why spiders are awesome and don’t deserve their scary reputation. James explains the amazing array of forms and behaviour in the spider world. As well as how we’ve ventured into the minds of spiders to discover they are not only beautiful but incredibly smart too, and the most important things to consider when you think you’ve been bitten.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JAMES O’HANLON

Check Out Some More Episodes

Gregory Dobbs

Meet your host: Gregory Dobbs

Gregory Dobbs is a musician, producer and podcaster who likes to read books. In his spare time, he enjoys making homes for frogs, spiders, and Eastern Blue-tongued lizards. Gregory also likes looking at trees and bicycles.