Animal Crossing: New Horizons Players Are Finding Out How Scary Tarantulas Can Be

Animal Crossing: New Horizons players have quickly found that tarantulas can be a valuable source of income when they’re trying to pay off their debts and earn some Bells, but they’re also finding out that those tarantulas aren’t going to go down without a fight. The spiders are one of the many catchable creatures in New Horizons, but they’re also one of the few ones that’ll go on the offensive if players aren’t careful when they’re trying to catch them. They’re still worth catching to sell for Bells, but some players might not be as cut out for Spider Island as they initially thought.

The tarantulas in New Horizons have become a hot topic over the past few days as players developed strategies for catching them once it was realized how much players could benefit from selling them in large quantities. The spiders are worth 8,000 Bells each which means you’ll be paying off things quickly if you have enough of them.

Players have even gone so far as to devise strategies to force islands to spawn spiders. The aforementioned Spider Island involves clearing a random island of its resources so that tarantulas are more likely to spawn, but even then, you can only hunt for them at certain hours during the night.

Finding them is the first challenge, but even after that, catching them still isn’t as easy as it is when you’re trying to hunt for other creatures. The tarantulas instantly go on the defensive when players get to close and stand up, poised to attack. Players have to creep closer once the spiders let their guard down, and if you move too quickly, the spider will pounce and bite the player.

Fortunately, a bite only has small consequences for your Villager. They’re sent back to the point on the island where they first deplaned and are met with a brief lesson about staying safe on the island. You don’t have to leave the random island you’ve visited, so just because you got bit doesn’t mean your Spider Island progress is over. You can go right back to catching them, perhaps a bit more carefully this time.

New Horizons is pretty calm for the most part, but these spider-catching ventures can actually lead to some tense moments. You can check out some of the best reactions from players looking for spiders below as you prepare for your next Spider Island adventure.

Where Did It Go?

Tarantula Island Hell

They Just Keep Respawning

Negotiating with the Tarantulas

Visiting Tarantula Island

A Worthy Opponent

More Tarantula Than Man

It Belongs in a Museum

Tarantula Island Can’t Hurt You