Spiders are eight-legged creatures that spin silk, build amazing webs and help keep bugs under control. They might look a little spooky, but most spiders are helpful friends. Let's creep into some cool spider facts!
🕷️ Spider quick facts
- Animal type
- Arachnid
- Home
- Almost everywhere on land, on every continent except Antarctica
- Food
- Insects and other small creatures
- Size
- From smaller than a pinhead to about 11 inches (28 cm) across with legs
- Life span
- About 1 to 2 years for most kinds; some tarantulas live 20 years or more
25 Spider Facts for Kids
- Spiders are not insects. They are arachnids.
- Insects have six legs, but spiders have eight.
- There are about 50,000 known kinds of spiders.
- Most spiders have eight eyes, but some have six, four, two or even none.
- All spiders can make silk.
- Pound for pound, spider silk can be stronger than steel.
- Spiders spin silk from body parts called spinnerets at the end of their bodies.
- Not all spiders build webs. Some hunt, jump or hide and wait.
- Orb-weaver spiders build round, wheel-shaped webs.
- Many orb-weavers build a brand new web every day.
- Spiders have tiny hairs on their legs that feel vibrations, so they know when something lands in their web.
- Spiders don't get stuck in their own webs because they walk on special non-sticky threads.
- Jumping spiders can leap many times the length of their own bodies.
- Jumping spiders have big front eyes and great eyesight.
- Baby spiders are called spiderlings.
- Some baby spiders travel by floating through the air on silk threads. This is called ballooning.
- Mother wolf spiders carry their babies on their backs.
- The Goliath birdeater is one of the biggest spiders, with legs about 11 inches (28 cm) across.
- Some spiders are smaller than the head of a pin.
- Spiders eat lots of insects, like flies and mosquitoes, which helps people.
- Tarantulas are big, hairy spiders that can live for many years.
- Most spiders are harmless to people, and only a few are dangerous.
- Spiders have been on Earth for hundreds of millions of years.
- A fear of spiders is called arachnophobia.
- Spiders are a favorite in nursery rhymes, like the Itsy Bitsy Spider who climbs up the water spout!
Questions kids ask about spiders
Is a spider an insect?
No. Spiders are arachnids. Insects have six legs and three body parts, while spiders have eight legs and two body parts.
How do spiders make webs?
Spiders make silk inside their bodies and pull it out of spinnerets. They connect threads in patterns to make webs that catch insects.
Why don't spiders stick to their own webs?
Spiders know which threads are sticky and walk on the dry ones. They also step carefully, using special hooked claws on their feet.
Are spiders dangerous?
Most spiders are harmless and helpful because they eat pests. Only a few spiders can hurt people, so it's best not to touch wild spiders.
🎨 Color a spider online🎵 Sing Itsy Bitsy Spider🦁 Play the Animal Quiz
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