Fun Facts about Spiders

19 Interesting Facts about Spiders

1. Spiders are not insects. They belong to the arachnid family that includes scorpions, mites and ticks.
2. Spiders are found on every continent of the world, except Antarctica.
3. There are approximately 40,000 different species of spiders.
4. Spiders can produce silk which they use to create spider webs and capture prey.
5. Abandoned spider webs are known as cobwebs.
6. Most spiders are harmless to humans but a few species, like the Brazilian wanderer and the black widow, can cause human deaths.
7. The fear of spiders is called “arachnophobia”.
8. The large hairy spiders that you see in movies and challenge shows on television are tarantulas.
9. The skeleton of a spider is located outside its body.
10. Spiders do not have a nose or ears. They are able to sense vibrations, touch, and sounds through the tiny hair that cover their bodies.
11. Along with their muscles, spiders use their blood pressure as well to move.
12. A female spider may lay up to 2000 eggs at a time.
13. Spiders have also been sent to the space. Even in the absence of gravity, they built perfect webs.
14. The largest spider in the world is the Giant Bird-eating spider. It can be as big as a dinner plate.
15. The smallest spider is the Patu Marplesi.  You can easily fit 10 of them on the end of a pencil.
16. Spider silk is one of the strongest materials in the world!  Scientists believe that it is even stronger than steel!
17. Some spiders may have as many as eight eyes. Common spiders have only six eyes, while the cave-dwelling species have no eyes at all.
18. Spiders can’t digest solid foods. They must turn the meal into a liquid form with the help of digestive juices.
19. People in South America eat tarantulas as they are a rich source of protein.

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