“Spiders are fascinating creatures with so many behaviors and capabilities to observe,” O’Donnell said.

O'Donnell, a biology instructor and animal care expert, studies various tarantulas that live in her office in cages that reflect their natural habitats.

It all started in 2014 when she agreed to look after Tarrant, a live mascot for the Spider men's basketball team.

“Caring for Tarrant and our other spider friends has been a rewarding experience for the biology department, for me, and for the University of Richmond community as a whole," said O’Donnell. “We are grateful for the opportunity to keep learning about them and sharing our love of all spiders.”

She currently has eight tarantulas, including a Brazilian White Knee, two Mexican Firelegs, a Pink Zebra Beauty, a Chilean Rose Hair, and three Brazilian Black Tarantulas. Her largest tarantula, TJ (Tarrant Junior), just molted, the process of shedding an exoskeleton for new growth.

“That was a nice little surprise,” O’Donnell said. “She has gotten huge in the eight years I have been caring for her. She started as a tiny spiderling barely one-fourth of an inch in size and now has a leg span of over seven inches.” 

O’Donnell loves to show off the spiders and educate her students and others on campus about the many valuable purposes they serve. She even took a few of the spiders to a local elementary school for an outreach event last spring.  

Here are five reasons O’Donnell says we should value spiders:

1. Spiders help control the overall population of various insects, including disease-carrying mosquitos.
2. Spiders can help maintain a balanced and healthy local ecosystem in your yards and gardens.
3. Spiders are an important food source for birds and fish.
4. Spider venom has been used in research for new medicines.
5. Spider silk is studied by scientists and engineers to discover and enhance new technologies for fabrics, wound dressings, building materials, and beyond!