 You can’t live with them but you can’t live without them!  Lets find out more about these eight legged  creatures. Spiders

Do you know what spiders look like?

 Spiders have eight legs.  Spiders are different sizes and shapes.  Spiders have no jawbones.  Spiders have fangs.  Spiders have poor eyesight.  A Spiders skeleton is on the outside of its body. What are the typical characteristics of a spider?

 There are many different species of spiders in Ireland.  For example,  The False Widow Spider,  Giant House Spider,  Daddy Long Legs Spider,  The Lace Web Spider,  The Zebra Jumping Spider,  The Cardinal Spider,  The Money Spider  The Cupboard Spider. Species of spiders in Ireland

 All of these spiders are unique.  They all have different unique patterns and colours. These spiders are all different sizes and shapes.  Most of these can be found near our local lake - Lough Corrib.  Do you recognise any of the spiders below?

Life Cycle of a Spider

Life Cycle of a Spider

Life Cycle.  A spiders life starts in an egg.  The mother spider lays lots of eggs.  Some mothers die after laying eggs.  The eggs hatch in a short time.  Baby spiders are shaped like their mothers but lighter in colour.  Soon the baby spider is able to spin its own web and catch its own food.  This comes naturally and they do not have to be taught.

The spider's skeleton is on the outside of its body. It looks like skin. When the baby spider, or spiderling, grows too big it must shed its skeleton. The old skeleton splits and the spider steps out of it. This soft, new skeleton soon grows hard. The spider is now an adult. Life Cycle.

Pictures of Spiders

Spiders make their webs from silk. Spider silk is a protein fibre spun by spiders. All spiders produce silk, and a single spider can produce up to seven different types of silk for many different uses. Most spiders do web building at night so you don’t often see one in the act of construction.

Spiders WEBS which are circular webs are called Orb-Web These webs look like bike wheels and are very sticky. Many spiders will build new webs every night. Others will just keep repairing their damaged webs. The spider will sit near the center of the web and wait for insects to land on the web. Spiders WEBS which are circular webs are called Orb-Web These webs look like bike wheels and are very sticky. Many spiders will build new webs every night. Others will just keep repairing their damaged webs. The spider will sit near the center of the web and wait for insects to land on the web.

All webs are designed to catch food. Since spiders do not have great eyesight, they usually use the vibrations of the web strands to locate their prey. When they do, they rush on over and wrap their victim in silk, turning it around and around until it is covered. Then the spider pokes its fangs into the insect and shoots poison into it, which turns its guts into liquid, the spider then sucks out the liquid. Yuck! All webs are designed to catch food. Since spiders do not have great eyesight, they usually use the vibrations of the web strands to locate their prey. When they do, they rush on over and wrap their victim in silk, turning it around and around until it is covered. Then the spider pokes its fangs into the insect and shoots poison into it, which turns its guts into liquid, the spider then sucks out the liquid. Yuck!

Their usual food is insects and other spiders but some of the larger species have been seen to eat other small animals such as millipedes, wood lice (slaters), and even small lizards, frogs and birds. Spiders favourite food

Many people worry about being bitten by spiders but the reality is that spiders cannot actually bite anyone or any creature. Instead of jawbones they have a pair of chelicerae on the ends of which are fangs that can penetrate human skin if they are long enough. These are helpful for grasping and immobilizing prey and are usually assisted by a scissor action of the chelicerae Did you know

Whether spiders hibernate or not is dependent upon the particular species that spider is. For instance spiders such as the garden or different widow varieties only live during one season and die during the winter They leave behind their egg sac for next season. Do Spiders Hibernate?

Other species such as the fishing spider or the tarantula that typically live longer, may hibernate in winter by spending their time underneath the bark of trees or rocks, in cellars, attics, etc. Some adults even survive by preparing a winter nest of silken webbing under loose bark within which they are insulated from the cold.

Those spiders that hibernate in leaf litter and rock piles are not usually found to be in a deep sleep and on mild winter days may be found crawling about in search of insect food that is plentiful and easy to secure in its dormant state. In several species of spiders, young spiderlings hatch out and then remain in a communal webbed egg sac through the winter.

ARE THEY A NUISANCE? Spiders

SPIDERS ARE BENEFICIAL PREDATORS THAT HELP CONTROL INSECT POPULATIONS. THEY ARE THE ULTIMATE INSECT TERMINATORS AND EAT JUST ABOUT ANYTHING WITH SIX LEGS. SPIDERS IN TURN ARE A SOURCE OF FOOD FOR BIRDS. Are Spiders Useful ?

SPIDERS ALSO PRODUCE SILK. THIS SILK CAN BE USED IN MANY OPTICAL DEVICES, TELESCOPES AND MICROSCOPES. SPIDERS VENOM IS USED IN NEUROLOGICAL RESEARCH AND MAY PREVENT PERMANENT BRAIN DAMAGE IN STROKE VICTIMS.

IN CONCLUSION SPIDERS ARE A VITAL PART OF OUR ECOSYSTEM. WE NEED TO PROTECT ALL LIFE FORMS AS THE BIODIVERSITY OF SPECIES HELPS KEEP OUR WORLD AND OUR ENVIRONMENT INTACT AND COMPLETE. Conclusion