Page last updated at 04:59 GMT, Tuesday, 9 June 2009 05:59 UK

Mating tarantulas caught on film

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At Nottingham University's Spiderlab, scientists are studying tarantulas in a bid to unlock the secrets of spider silk.

Dr Sara Goodacre shows BBC science reporter Rebecca Morelle around the lab, where they spot two amorous spiders that are just about to mate.

But sex is a precarious business for male tarantulas - and avoiding a female's fangs is a primary concern.

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