Whip Spider Proves To Be Loving Mother, Carries Young On Back

The bonds between mother and child are universal and unbreakable. Even whip spiders, like the one featured in this brief but heartwarming video, can be loving and caring moms, and it’s worth taking a few seconds out of your day to check out this wonderful example of mother/child bonding in action. (Even if spiders tend to give you the heebie jeebies, you’ll enjoy this video—we promise!) The young whip spider mother in this video carries her green (literally and figuratively) offspring upon her back, using a great deal of caution as she does so.

This form of parental care allows for the next generation of spiders to have increased odds of survival—and, considering how hard it is out there for a spider, all the extra effort is undoubtedly wise! She’s giving her children the best start in life possible, and what else is a mother for? This behavior is actually fairly typical of arachnids—including spiders and scorpions—and fairly standard in the animal kingdom, however unusual it may seem to us. Ultimately, though, this spider mom wants what all moms want the world over, whether they have eight legs or four legs or two: to see her babies safe and nurtured. It may seem hard to believe that watching a video of a spider would make us think of our own moms, but we did just that the first time we saw this, remembering all the careful love and attention our own mother bestowed on us in our younger days. We’re betting you’ll end up feeling the same way.

Which reminds us—when was the last time you called your mother, anyway? If it’s been longer between conversations than it should be, maybe now’s the time to give her a shout and let her know you’re thinking of her. (Although, perhaps the part about how it was a video of a spider that gave you the idea to call is something you should keep to yourself!) If you haven’t hit the Play button on this charming spider video yet, you should definitely go ahead and do so now—and bask in the universal good feelings that watching a loving mom with her youngsters always inspires. Who would have thought that a video featuring a spider could give you all the feels? And don’t forget—Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Be good to your mom this year. She’s been good to you!