We know them best from horror movies. And maybe that one time the bad guy tried to use one to kill James Bond while he slept. What are we talking about? Tarantula's, of course!

But it turns out the these giant arachnids might not be as scary as first thought. See, some are friends with a variety of animals, including snakes, whip spiders, harvestmen, and anurans, or frogs and toads. And in some cases, the frogs will even live with the tarantula! (now that's a buddy comedy show I would like to see on TV)

“Apparently, the frogs and toads that live within the retreats of tarantulas benefit from the shelter and protection against their predators. In turn, they feed on insects that could be harmful to the spider, its eggs, and its juveniles,” said lead researcher Alireza Zamani, an arachnologist from the University of Turku, Finland, in a statement from the university. “It seems that tarantulas might not be as scary and threatening as their reputation suggests.”

And the long fuzzy hair that, in my opinion, helps to make tarantulas especially creepy might actually serve a useful purpose. 

“The dense hair covering the tarantula’s body makes it difficult for the ants to bite or sting the spider. Therefore, we believe that the hairiness may have evolved as a defense mechanism. This hypothesis is supported by findings that many burrowing New World tarantulas cover their egg sacs with urticating [defensive and spiky] hairs. The tarantulas typically release these barbed hairs as a defense mechanism, deterring and sometimes even killing their attackers. Covering their egg sacs with these hairs, however, effectively hinders the movement of small injurious arthropods, such as ants, that might try to attack the eggs,” said Zamani.

So, the next time you see a tarantula don't be scared. They just want a frog friend! 🐸