What Class Do Spiders Belong To?

Spiders are arthropods that belong to the class Arachnida. There are more than 45,000 species of spiders known today. These animals are mostly predatory. They live in a variety of habitats, including terrestrial, aquatic, and marine environments.

Most of them are nocturnal. Some spiders are also scavengers. However, most species of spiders are predators. They prey on other spiders, insects, and other animals. Often, they use a silk web to hunt their prey.

Spiders are highly specialized predators. Almost all of them inject venom. They also have chelicerae, which are modified pincers. Chelicerae are sensitive to vibrations and light. In addition, they can suck liquids from their prey.

Spiders are classified into 110 families. Each family has different characteristics. For instance, the common house spider belongs to the family Theridiidae. Another species is the brown recluse.

Usually, spiders have eight legs, but some have just four pairs. Their eyes are simple and are attached to the cephalothorax, the abdominal section of the spider. They can detect light and darkness.

Arachnids have an exoskeleton that provides protection. They also have a spinneret on their abdomen that allows them to make silk. This silk is strong and can be used for many purposes. It is sometimes used to tether the animal to a secure place.

Arachnids are usually specialized predators, but there are some that are scavengers. Although spiders lack antennae and poison glands, they do carry guanine, a byproduct of protein metabolism.