# Fear Factor - Eating the spiders on last nights show **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723 "2003-09-30T17:02:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/1 "2003-09-30T17:02:05Z")
Question; Which variety did they actually eat? How do they determine if the critters they offer up for dinner are non-poisonous? Or that may cause some kind of reaction in the contestants sometime down the road? [The episode.](http://www.nbc.com/Fear_Factor/index.shtml) [The critters.](http://www.museums.org.za/bio/images/spiders/sicar1.jpg) This site says they can be harmful to man so I doubt this was the species. I commend the first participant (a woman) who had the first opportunity to eat up to six of them. She actually ate three. The other two contestants (males) both ate six. Um, yuck. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/2 "2003-09-30T17:21:23Z")
Whoops, here is the museum site that the “critter” link came from.[Link](http://www.museums.org.za/bio/spiderweb/sicariid.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/3 "2003-09-30T17:42:24Z")
Yeah, yeah…I know spiders are important to the balance of the world’s ecology. I know they’re probably more afraid of us than we are of them (though I doubt it). But there is something seriously wrong with people who EAT these fucking things for money. Seriously…I would need a lobotomy to forget the act of munching down one of those ugly, squingy muthafuckahs. Then when I came out of surgery, you’d better just fucking kill me anyway. ---
**Author:** ![sailorbychance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@sailorbychance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailorbychance)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/4 "2003-09-30T19:43:03Z")
Never mind the spiders - why didn’t the phirrana attack? Is their ferociousness just another myth, or maybe they were immature, or need blood in the water to get going? Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/5 "2003-09-30T20:09:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailorbychance \* > \*\*Never mind the spiders - why didn’t the phirrana attack? Is their ferociousness just another myth, or maybe they were immature, or need blood in the water to get going? Thoughts? \*\* I thought the same thing! Maybe they were fed prior to taping? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/6 "2003-09-30T20:28:19Z")
My understanding is that the viciousness of piranhas against humans has been grossly exaggerated … essentially an urban legend. I’m not having the easiest time finding an authoritative link just yet. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/7 "2003-09-30T21:11:47Z")
Depends on the type of piranhas. I think they used a non aggressive type. ---
**Author:** ![Stage\_Manager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stage_manager/32/7267_2.png) [@Stage\_Manager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stage_Manager)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/8 "2003-09-30T21:17:49Z")
When I saw the preview for the Fear Factor show, I vomited. Seriously. There oughta be a _law._ ---
**Author:** ![Horrifying\_Howler\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Horrifying\_Howler\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horrifying_Howler_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/9 "2003-09-30T21:24:15Z")
I don’t think they were piranhans at all, I didn’t see any teeth. I betcha they used baby pacus, which look like piranhas, but eat veggies. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/10 "2003-09-30T21:33:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Magayuk \* > \*\*I don’t think they were piranhans at all, I didn’t see any teeth. I betcha they used baby pacus, which look like piranhas, but eat veggies. \*\* I saw the show, and wondered about those fish myself. Anyway, the Pacus looks like [this,](http://izap.com/~marshman/pacus.jpg) and that’s just what the fish in the tank looked like. I think that may be a good call, **Magayuk** ---
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/11 "2003-10-01T00:15:57Z")
IIRC, there’s also quite a difference between male and female aggressiveness. What exactly was the stunt? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/12 "2003-10-01T01:39:16Z")
Re-Piranha I’ve looked and looked, but I can’t find a link or even the title. However, in one of Jaques Cousteau’s many adventures he and crew went diving in a river and were filmed feeding piranha’s from their palms. Cousteau was surrounded by the fish and had meat in his hand. He was not bitten once. One of the cameramen was bitten, but only once. Note that although I cannot find a link, I did view this program firsthand. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/13 "2003-10-01T01:45:54Z")
Those didn’t look like Sicariidae spiders, from what I saw on the commercials. (I confess to never watching the show.) The size of the pedipalps makes me think they are a species of whip scorpions. [http://www.americanarachnology.org/HiResGallery/mastigoproctus.html](http://www.americanarachnology.org/HiResGallery/mastigoproctus.html) Perhaps the producers are less than forthright as to the actual danger represented. ---
**Author:** ![patchbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@patchbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/patchbunny)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/14 "2003-10-01T01:52:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailorbychance \* > \*\*Never mind the spiders - why didn’t the phirrana attack? Is their ferociousness just another myth, or maybe they were immature, or need blood in the water to get going? Thoughts? \*\* There’s a lot of hype surrounding piranhas. Yes, they’re dangerous, yes, they can attack people, no, they’re not mindless eating machines. I caufght a show on them not too long ago, and the biggest danger you can face from piranhas occurs when the Amazon overflows its banks. When the water level drops, you get isolated pools that may contain trapped piranhas. Slowly, the food supply dwindles as everything edible is et and the piranhas start starving. Go swimming then and you’re fish food. –Patch ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/15 "2003-10-01T07:18:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mikie \* > \*\*There oughta be a _law._ \*\* Dave Barry once wrote that anyone who wins money by eating sheep’s eyeballs on TV should be deported under the Gene Pool Protection Act. Sounds like a good idea to me! ---
**Author:** ![BytopianDream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@BytopianDream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BytopianDream)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/16 "2003-10-01T07:43:24Z")
I saw an episode of… Rambo the Cartoon. And Rambo jumped into a pirahna infested river… “OH no Ramob, you’re gonna die!” “Uhhh why no der liahlll kid. Deh oely fenzy en sallow aer.” Translation: Why no my dear child, I am perfectly safe. Why, interestingly enough, the sinister pirahnas only enter a state of feeding frenzy when in shallow waters when food is in a state of scarcity. Heh… What you learn for cartoons. I saw the preview for the spider thing. I am glad I don’t watch TV anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/17 "2003-10-01T10:06:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mikie \* > \*\*When I saw the preview for the Fear Factor show, I vomited. > > Seriously. > > There oughta be a _law._ \*\* My wife and I were eating dinner the first time we saw that ad - the image of the giant friggin spider half in the chick’s mouth was… disturbing. I had a dream about giant spiders that night. Not a nightmare, per se, but not a pleasant dream… hrh ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/18 "2003-10-01T10:41:40Z")
Ok, enough with the piranhas already. Does anyone really know what kind of crab/scorpion/spider they actually ate? I`d like to be able to look up the species on the net and get some more info on them. You know, for morbid curiousity`s sake. They did look like thaey had some kind of pincher legs on the front of them, sort of like a cross between a land crab and a large spider. Anyone?? ---
**Author:** ![sailorbychance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@sailorbychance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailorbychance)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/19 "2003-10-01T12:12:48Z")
I give up. I started looking up the Genus Xysticus (crab spiders) but got nowhere. Are these the critters? [http://research.amnh.org/entomology/blackrock2/pictures/spider\_images/galleries/thomisidae/xysticus\_elegans.htm](http://research.amnh.org/entomology/blackrock2/pictures/spider_images/galleries/thomisidae/xysticus_elegans.htm) ---
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723/20 "2003-10-01T12:57:12Z")
I mentioned this in another FF thread… Why haven’t the PETA folks gone mad over this? Contestants are eating living creatures! I’ve seen them get up in arms over the treatment of critters in movies…why not this? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fear-factor-eating-the-spiders-on-last-nights-show/204723.md?page=2)