Original subtitles

(dramatic music)

Long before the footsteps of the dinosaurs

shook the earth, ancient invertebrates

ruled over its domain.

Around 440 million years ago, some of these

early arthropods left the seas

and began to adapt to a life on land.

From the arthropods, evolved the arachnids.

Their descendants have dominated the earth.

The family includes scorpions, mites, and ticks,

though the most successful of the arachnids,

are the spiders.

Today over 40,000 species are known,

inhabiting every corner of the globe.

They range from deserts to mountains

and from wild forests to our own homes.

Prepare to take a journey from the forest floor

to the canopy above.

Climbing nature's ladder,

we will encounter a spider at every step.

Welcome to the wondrous world of spiders.

(energetic music)

(birds chirping)

Dusk is falling on the forest floor

and a giant of the undergrowth stirs.

It's early March and this female is ready to mate.

She lays a scent trail that will guide

prospective suitors to her nest.

Males can roam up to nine kilometers in a single night.

And this individual has caught her scent,

however, she will decide whether he is meal or mate.

Now fully grown, this may be his only chance.

Eager to make a good first impression,

he rushes to meet the female.

She sizes him up.

He's lucky, the larger females can devour suitors

who do not meet their standards.

Not disheartened, this time the longer legged male

approaches cautiously.

He signals his intentions by drumming the ground

with his legs.

Soothing the female, he strokes and taps her body.

His reach advantage is an essential barrier

from the female's deadly fangs.

The next step in this dance with death

is to encourage the female to show her vulnerable side.

His nimble forelegs box the female's thorax.

Her soft underbelly must be exposed

in order for him to insert his sperm.

As the female doubles back, he transfers his semen

to the tip of his forearm.

Penetrating her underbelly,

he leaves a packet of sperm lodged in her exoskeleton.

When she comes to lay her eggs,

he will provide the fertilizer.

As the embrace is broken, the most dangerous part

of this dance begins.

To placate the female, he must continue signaling

as he backs away.

Escaping without being devoured,

he will enjoy his last months knowing

that his genes will be passed on to the next generation.

The cycle of life and death in the undergrowth

signals the end for some, but also new beginnings.

This fallen log provides a home for one arachnid

more famous and more feared than any other.

The black widow, renowned for her deadly bite

and fondness for making dinner of her mates.

In dark corners they weave complex and messy webs.

A deadly snare for her victims,

the web also provides shelter.

Disturbed from her nest,

this widow is laying down a new safety net.

Her web forms a chain mail.

Silk, stronger than Kevlar,

provides excellent protection from pecking predators.

During this process, she is vulnerable.

Her plump abdomen would make an enticing meal

for a swooping bird, but the widow has another weapon

in her arsenal to avoid becoming lunch.

In the natural world, colors and markings form a language,

signals that extend beyond a single species.

Her abdomen is adorned with a red hourglass,

a warning to her predators and humans alike.

The potent venom that she possesses could prove fatal.

A risky meal in the buffet of the undergrowth,

she's best left alone.

In the spaces left when giants of the forest fall,

greenery emerges, rapidly growing bushes spring up

where new light enters.

Verdant and full of life,

they provide a home for many species.

With this abundance of food,

spiders are never far from sight.

Orchard spiders are the artisans of the undergrowth.

They reweave their webs after damage or heavy rain.

Each is made up of over a thousand connections.

Their silk is released through special organs

known as spinnerets.

While inside the body, it remains a liquid,

rich in proteins.

As they apply tension, it solidifies,

creating threads twice as elastic as nylon.

Her snare set, now all she must do is wait.

The life of this orchard spider hangs in the balance.

Unseen against the greenery, an unearthly predator lurks.

It's extraterrestrial form provides the perfect camouflage.

Adult lynx spiders are capable of hunting bees on the wing,

but this juvenile has another quarry in mind.

Not fussy eaters, if dinner falls on their plate,

they are unlikely to refuse,

even if it's spider on the menu.

The lynx's bite will paralyze the orchard spider

as it sucks the juices from within.

Our final ascent, brings us to the high-flyers

of the spider kingdom.

A family of daring acrobats, they defy gravity

between the leaves.

With bodies just a few millimeters long,

for jumping spiders, traversing the canopy requires

a few special talents.

Large front-facing eyes accurately measure distance.

They power their jumps by pumping blood to their hind legs.

But at such heights, each is a leap of faith.

A bungee cord secured before take-off

ensures this spider's return.

Jumping spiders do not use their webs to hunt,

but sometimes after a long day,

they do need somewhere to rest.

Weaving a silken hammock where two leaves meet,

she creates a safe haven, hidden away from prying eyes.

This was just a glimpse into the wondrous world of spiders.

Of the thousands of species,

each has it's own story to tell.

These marvelous creatures have adapted

to almost every environment, but as we leave

nature's ladder behind, we enter one habitat

that spiders are yet to conquer, the skies.

(peaceful music)