One really funny thing about having kids is hearing that all of the same jokes, songs and urban legends from my childhood are STILL circulating the elementary schools today. My daughters are always flabbergasted when I know the punchline to their jokes, start singing along with a song they "just learned" or debunk the mysteries of life that a very reputable nine year old just shared with them.
We were out in the yard planting when a daddy long leg crawled by. My eleven year old warned her sisters, "You know...daddy long legs are the most poisonous spider in the world. Their mouths are just too small to bite humans." Sisters were impressed with her vast knowledge and their not so healthy fear of spiders was heightened. I heard and repeated this "fact" my entire childhood as well. It sounded plausible, I mean, they DO have small mouths after all. I finally decided to get the truth!
I am here to debunk this theory. Daddy Long Leg spiders are NOT poisonous, at all. They do not have venom or fangs making it not just unlikely, but IMPOSSIBLE for this myth to be true.
http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html
I'm sorry to ruin a life long belief for most people. Watch out because next I'm going to be telling you that you will NOT, in fact, find a whale with a polka dot tale "Down by the Bay."
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