KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Zoo Knoxville is known for many types of animals, but arachnids may not be the first thing to come to mind. WVLT sat down with a keeper at the zoo to learn just how these creepy crawlies play a key role in the ecosystem.

“So here at Zoo Knoxville, we have three different spiders that we put on exhibit,” said Kids Cove Zoo Keeper Lori Meyers. “Two of them are important for identification because they can be harmful: the black widow spider and the brown recluse spider. And we also have a third spider that is native to the area, and it is a false black widow spider, so named because it looks very similar to a black widow spider.”

The black widow and brown recluse are known for being venomous spiders in the area. Black widows have a famous and distinct shape to tell

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