What Should You Know About Spiders?
Spiders are one of the most abundant and diverse animal species on earth. They have many fascinating characteristics and play a vital role in the natural world. There are over 35,000 known species of spiders, and scientists believe there are thousands more to be discovered.
Most spiders are solitary animals. They live in crevices, and are rarely visible. They are often mistaken for insects. However, there are some types that form colonies. Some species are vegetarian, and others hunt frogs, birds, and lizards.
While many people are afraid of spiders, they aren’t as dangerous as they are made out to be. In fact, only 25 species of spiders produce venom that could harm humans.
Some spiders are predators, while others eat their prey. A raft spider for example, runs across the surface of water. Similarly, a golden orb spider uses its web to catch birds.
A number of spiders build their own webs, but only half of the known species do. Those that do use silk to weave their webs. They may also eat their old webs before they start a new one.
A large number of spiders are endangered. This is partly due to the loss of their habitat. There are over 3,000 known species of spiders in North America. A number of species are found in other regions of the world.
A spider’s venom serves a purpose of stunning its prey. Some spiders are sexually cannibalistic. The females of some species can lay hundreds of eggs at a time.