A report on the international spider trade has revealed it's not as itsy bitsy as it seems.
Asian species Tarantula spider, found in Thailand. Photo: 123RF
Of the 1,200 arachnid species being traded around the world, only 271 are monitored on databases - giving conservation bodies an inaccurate understanding of the trade's impact.
The study, published in the Communications Biology journal, aimed to explore global patterns of trade for spiders, scorpions, and other arachnids, a taxa they say is "often neglected in conservation policy due to biases in political, public and even scientific perceptions."
But terrestrial invertebrates are particularly desirable to buyers, forming the backbone of the exotic pet trade. The researchers estimate half of the entire tarantula population is in trade, being the most popular species for collectors. In some cases, the exotic pet trade has driven species to the brink of extinction.
That popularity, combined with their long lifespans and low reproductive rate, mean international trade is especially threatening for spiders.
Two-thirds of the traded arachnid population are caught in the wild, which the researchers say could strongly impact their conservation if they're harvested at an unsustainable rate.
Since nearly 80 percent of these species are unmonitored, the trade's environmental impact is hard to quantify. Consequently, the report says, arachnid conservation is "chronically underfunded."
Given their prominence in the exotic pet trade, endangered spiders are particularly vulnerable. "Novelty appears posed to play a role," the report said, "with colour, colloquial names, and place of origin listed alongside for-sale arachnids online."
The researchers have called for increased efforts in monitoring and collecting data to prevent unsustainable trade and extinction among unmonitored species.