TARANTULA BRINGS TERROR TO ANIMAL PLANET L!VE

-- As Animal Planet's MONSTER WEEK Creeps in, Tarantula Cam Makes Your Skin Crawl Even More --

Animal Planet's MONSTER WEEK is only days away from its May 17 kick-off, and if arachnophobes weren't already on high alert anticipating what's to come in the weeklong stretch of terrifying programs and specials, they are now with the launch Animal Planet L!VE's Tarantula Cam!

With eight legs, two venomous fangs and one big hairy body, this Brazilian Black Tarantula is downright scary, and residents of a small American town are beyond frightened as the giant spider leaves its freshly-spun layer of silk all over flower bed, cars, roads and roofs.

But the eight-legged spider has more bark than bite, and experts at the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium assure us that residents can actually benefit from it joining the neighborhood. In fact, its venom is less potent than a bee sting!

Viewers can head to apl.tv/tarantula to see the monster arachnid for themselves, and using #TarantulaCam, can share their own observations and thoughts on Facebook and Twitter. Group discussions are hosted on the site.

About MONSTER WEEK:

MONSTER WEEK is jam packed with some of the most terrifying beasts to ever have inhabited Earth. That's why this year's MONSTER WEEK needs nine nights to investigate these horrifying creatures whose teeth and jaws can instill fear into viewers right through their very own living rooms. Beginning Sunday, May 17, through Monday, May 25, viewers can catch bone-chilling programming, including DEADLY AFTER DARK, which follows polar bears that have taken over a North American town; SERIAL KILLER TIGER AT LARGE, which stalks a blood-thirsty tiger that's hunting people in India; and KILLER HORNETS FROM HELL, which warns of a global insect invasion. The week wraps with the most terrifying RIVER MONSTERS ever, which unveils monsters from the prehistoric past. Be safe, and don't watch alone. To learn more about #MonsterWeek, visit AnimalPlanet.com/MonsterWeek.

About Animal Planet L!VE:

Animal Planet L!VE is the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock access to the animal kingdom, with more than 20 addictive live animal cams, available on desktop and mobile devices at apl.tv and on Xbox, Roku, Amazon Fire and select Samsung Smart TVs.

About Animal Planet:

Animal Planet, a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment, information and enrichment. Animal Planet consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 94 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; Animal Planet L!VE, the go-to digital destination for round-the-clock, unfiltered access to the animal kingdom; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service, and merchandising extensions.