Climate Change Can Lead to Giant Spiders

According to Danish scientists, climate change will have yet another knock-on effect... giant spiders. But wait, it gets better: giant armored spiders.

The wolf spiders of northeastern Greenland, with their two-year lifespan, are growing larger as the spring thaw occurs earlier, and their exoskeletons are also getting thicker. They're carnivorous, by the way, if you must know.

Within the bigger-is-better trend among arctic arachnids, females are also growing larger compared to their male counterparts.

Why is this happening? Spiders are not photosynthetic, so longer springtimes and more sun won't directly make them grow. One possibility is the increased duration of the hunting season. Or more molting cycles. Or, like me, they just do better in warmer weather.

Oh, yeah, and the won't just be bigger, but also more plentiful. So, for now, you'll just need to shake out your shoes a bit more often. In fifty years or so, though, you may need a saddle.