8 Remarkable Things About Spiders - Reptilenesia

Hello reptilenesia - For many people, the mere thought of spiders invokes pictures of tarantulas, wolf spiders, and other terrifying creatures.

Even though all spiders are known to have venom, to one extent or another, only a few are said to be dangerous to humans.

According to National Geographic, most spiders are harmless and they serve a vital purpose. They control populations of insects that could otherwise be harmful to crops. Without spiders that eat pests which are harmful to agriculture, it is believed that our food supply would be put in danger.

Here are 8 of the interesting facts to know about spiders.

(Photo : Maximilian Paradiz on Wikimedia Commons) Male Bagheera kiplingi in Yucatan, Mexico

1. Term Referring to a Group of Spiders 

A group of spiders is termed as a "cluster" or a "clutter." The majority of the loners preferring to work and live alone, a few species of spiders have been known to join together and form community webs.

Mega-webs have been reported in the United States from time to time, more often than not, dominated by a pair of spider species known as Tetragnatha guatemalensis, the long-jawed spider; and Larinioides sclopetarius, the bridge spider.

2. Number of Legs They Have

Spiders have four pairs of legs. Meaning, they have eight in all, while insects have just three pairs or six legs. It is one of the most precise ways to tell the difference between a spider and any other inset.

3. The Way Spiders Move

Since they do not have muscles in their legs, spiders are using the fluid pressure of their body, also known as the hydrostatic pressure, so they can walk and run.

In addition, they move by controlling their heart rates. Meaning, the faster the heartbeat of a spider, the higher its hydrostatic pressure. Through this, it can propel itself along.

Crawling is not the only mode of transportation of spiders. Some of them jump too, use the wind, also known as ballooning, and float on the water surface or handspring through sandy deserts.

4. Types of Spiders 

The types of spiders are quite a lot to count. However, the National Geographic said there are over 45,000 know species of spiders all over the world.

Within those tens of thousands of species, there are approximately 120 families. And, since new spiders are being discovered from time to time, it makes it quite difficult to keep up.

Among the many spiders discovered this year include the Columbia's Ocrepeira klamt, which lives at a more than 11,000-feet altitude. A new group of Australian trapdoor spiders, forming burrows hidden with camouflaged doors.

5. Lifespan

A spider's lifespan relies a lot on its gender and if it dwells in the wild or captivity. The average longevity in the wild is from one to two years. More so, females are likely to live a bit longer compared to males, that die shortly after mating.

The longest known-living spider of the world is the female trapdoor that lived 43 years in her native Australian bushland. Such a lifespan beat the record which a 28-year-old Mexican tarantula held.

6. Spiders' Manner of Catching and Eating  Prey

Since spiders are famous for having terribly bad eyesight, they are using vibration to be alerted of their prey's presence. To halt their victims, they frequently use sticky webs to trap flying insects.

However, an ogre-faced spider takes a different tactic in catching its prey. It crafts a net to scoop its victim.

7. What They Usually Eat

Spiders are considered predators that almost solely eat insects. The only exception here is the spider called Bagheera Kiplingi, which is a vegetarian.

8. Animals that Eat Spider

Spiders are said to have a slew of natural killers, which include monkeys, frogs, reptiles, wasps, and in some circumstances, other spiders.

Some humans eat spiders, too! In Cambodia, specifically in the town of Skuon, fried tarantulas are served as a favorite street food.