Key Takeaways
- From suburban attics and basements to tropical rainforests, there are 38,000+ spider species.
- Spiders can range in size from almost invisible to the naked eye to nearly a foot long.
- Spiders have fangs, but they don’t have teeth, so they can bite, but they can’t chew food.
- From webs to active hunting to setting traps, spiders have devised numerous methods of hunting for prey.
Perhaps no creature on earth inspires such a wide range of reactions as spiders. Some find them completely terrifying; they will have no part of them. Some appreciate how they can be very useful because they eat insects, keeping those populations in check. And still others just think theyโre cool.
The truth of the matter is that everyone is right. There are so many different kinds of spiders โ and some are dangerous, some are helpful, and some are just downright fascinating.
Here at Arrow Exterminating, we fall into the latter category. Spiders are one of the most interesting organisms on Earth. To help show you why, weโve put together 25 Fun Spider Facts that weโve learned in our many years of spider control in Long Island.
Fun Spider Facts
1. While commonly lumped together with insects, spiders are arachnids, not insects.
Other common arachnids include scorpions and ticks.
2. Spiders can be one of 38,000 species and are found on every continent except Antarctica
Great news if you have a debilitating fear of spiders – you can always move to Antarctica.
3. All types of spiders have 8 legs and spin silk.
These two traits are what make a spider a spider. Additionally, all spiders have two main body segments and specialized mouthparts called chelicerae.
4. A cobweb is an abandoned spider web.
Spiders build their webs in proximity to food. When the food is gone, they’ll leave their webs and move on to somewhere else.
5. Spider “silk” comes out as a liquid but hardens when it comes into contact with the air.
It’s a bit like glue in this way.
6. Some spiders can make up to seven types of silk, such as smooth, sticky, stretchy, etc.
These different types of silk allow spiders to be masters of their environment, wherever they live.
7. Tarantulas have a fierce reputation but are less deadly in comparison to spiders like the Brazilian Wandering Spider or banana spiders.
Tarantulas are powerful and look scary, but their venom is relatively weak compared to that of many smaller spider species.
8. The largest species of tarantulas – a type of spider – can kill mice, birds, and some lizards.
The largest species of tarantula is fittingly called the Goliath bird-eater.
9. The biggest species of spider is the Goliath Birdeater, which can be up to 11” wide across its legs.
They live in northern South America, preferring tropical and subtropical rainforest environments.
10. The tiniest spider is Patu marplesi, which is so small that 10 can fit on the end of a pencil.
They are endemic to the island of Samoa.
11. Bagheera kiplingi spiders in Central America are mostly herbivores. During the dry season, when the tree buds they normally eat are scarce, they’ll cannibalize each other or eat ant larvae.
Many spider species cannibalize each other, but this species is unique in that they typically don’t do so until food resources are low.
12. Spiders are nearsighted.
Most spiders have eight eyes, but that number can vary from zero to eight, depending on species. Yes, there are some cave-dwelling spiders that don’t have eyes at all!
13. When adjusted for weight, spider web silk is stronger than steel! (If a strand of spider silk were as thick as a pencil, it could stop a Boeing 747 jet in flight.)
Spider silk is a unique material; scientists are studying it to find practical uses in everyday life.
14. A golden orb spider’s web can catch birds.
Their webs can catch small birds and bats, but consuming them is rare. These spiders are a relative of the orb-weaver spiders we have in our region.
15. Jumping spiders can see more colors of the spectrum than you can.
Their two front eyes can see in high-resolution color, whereas their side eyes are mostly used to detect motion and black-and-white peripheral vision.
16. Tarantulas can shoot barbed hair to deter attackers. This urticating hair is especially dangerous when shot in your eyes, which are a frequent target.
They stick in skin and other tissues, like tiny irritating splinters.
17. Some spiders actively hunt instead of just letting their webs capture prey. For instance, Ogre-faced spiders use their webs like a net, and bolas spiders use a strand of silk like a fishing line.
Spiders are ingenious hunters that adapt their natural abilities to their environment.
18. Spiders eat more insects than both birds and bats.
Spiders are one of the best sources of natural pest control in the entire world – maybe the best.
19. Spiders have pale blue blood because oxygen is carried by hemocyanin in their blood, which contains copper… unlike the hemoglobin found in humans that gets its red color due to using iron.
Other animals that have blue blood include squid, octopus, lobsters, shrimp, scorpions, and snails.
20. Trapdoor spiders have been called living fossils due to their similarity to spiders from more than 300 million years ago.
Not only have trapdoor spiders been around for a long time, but a trapdoor spider also holds the record for the longest known lifespan. One was known to have been alive for at least 43 years.
21. Whether a spider can run up walls depends on its feet. Garden spiders, for example, have legs that end in claws so they can’t grip a wall, but house spiders can because their feet are covered in tiny hairs that can hold onto a surface so long as it isn’t too slick, like a bathtub.
Once again, a spider’s incredible ability to adapt allows it to become a master of its environment.
22. Spiders have fangs but lack teeth, so they can’t chew food. They inject digestive juices into their captured prey and then suck up the liquefied creature.
Try not to remember this fact the next time you’re drinking a milkshake.
23. Wolf spiders are fast, running at speeds of up to 2 feet per second.
This translates to about 1.5 miles per hour. It’s no Usain Bolt, but it’s fast for a tiny spider.
24. Wheel spiders get their name from their habit of tucking in their legs and rolling when scared.
They live in the desert and will tumble down dunes to escape from predators.
25. Centuries ago, people would put spider webs on wounds to stop bleeding. Modern scientists discovered that spider webs contain Vitamin K, which is a coagulant that stops bleeding.
The webs acted as a sort of natural bandage.
Need Help with Spiders? Call Our Spider Exterminators
Spiders are amazing and interesting, but that doesnโt mean you want to find an infestation in your home or business. If you need help with spiders, call the experienced spider exterminators at Arrow Exterminating to identify the type of spider and provide the right solution.
To get started, contact us today.
