Spiders
Spiders are arachnids, a class of arthropods that also includes scorpions, mites, and ticks. There are more than 45,000 known species of spiders, found in habitats all over the world. There’s a spider with a cartoonish butt, spiders that can jump on demand, and cannibal spiders that look like pelicans.
Most species are carnivorous, either trapping flies and other insects in their webs, or hunting them down. They can’t swallow their food as is, though spiders inject their prey with digestive fluids, then suck out the liquefied remains.
Though not all spiders build webs, every species produces silk. They use the strong, flexible protein fiber for many different purposes: to climb (think Spider Man), to tether themselves for safety in case of a fall, to create egg sacs, to wrap up prey, to make nests, and more.
Most spider species have eight eyes, though some have six. Despite all of those eyes, though, many don’t see very well.
Fun fact: Spiders can be found on every continent of the planet except Antarctica.
By Dina Reyes, Step 10
