S PIDERS AND OTHER ARACHNIDS

Arachnids and insects are very similar but there are some differences

Insects have 6 legs but arachnids have 8 legs. They are both invertebrates. Do you remember what ‘invertebrate’ means?

Insects have 3 body parts but arachnids only have 2 body parts. They have an abdomen and a thorax. A spider’s eyes, brain and mouth are all on the thorax

Insects have 2 antennae but spiders have no antennae. Spiders also have fangs, like large teeth. Spiders have feelers.

All insects have 2 eyes. Different spiders and arachnids have different numbers of eyes. Some have 8 eyes, some have 6, some have 4 and some scorpions only have 2!

Most spiders and scorpions are poisonous. They use poison to kill their prey. But, most are not dangerous to humans. Most spider poison is not very dangerous and most spiders’ fangs are very small.

Most spiders spin webs. They use silk from small spinnerets on their abdomen. Do you know why spiders spin these beautiful webs?

S OME I NTERESTING S PIDERS !

A trapdoor spider digs a hole and makes a door. It hides behind the door. When prey comes close, the spider quickly opens the door and pulls the prey into the hole.

Scorpion spiders look like they have a scorpion tail. Of course, spiders don’t have tails. This ‘tail’ is just part of its abdomen. Why do you think this helps the spider?

Bagheera kiplingi is a very special spider. It can jump, but it is also different from all other spiders. Do you know why? (hint: diet)

The Goliath birdeating spider is the heaviest spider in the world. It lives in South America only, in rain forests and swamps. It does not really eat birds, but it does eat insects, mice, lizards and snakes.

The giant huntsman spider is the biggest spider in the world, it has the longest legs. There are many kinds of huntsman spider. This one lives only in Laos, but other huntsmen spiders live in many countries…even Japan!

The Brazilian wandering spider is the most poisonous spider in the world. It is VERY dangerous! It is very aggressive. If you see one, it may attack you! Run away! It only lives in Brazil. There are some other kinds of dangerous spiders…