Spider Information

Spiders are invertebrates that have eight legs and two body parts: a cephalothorax and an abdomen. Spiders live almost anywhere; they are highly adaptable creatures. Female spiders are usually larger than males. There are about 34,000 species of spiders in the world. 2,000 species of spiders can be found in the United States. The smallest spiders are the dwarf spiders; they are less than .05 inches in body length. The largest and heaviest spiders are the tarantulas. These spiders have body lengths up to 3.5 inches and leg spans up to 10 inches. Almost all spiders are venomous. The funnel web spider of Australia is the most venomous spider in the world. Many people are afraid of spiders, but most spiders will only bite humans in self-defense. Arachnophobia is the scientific name for the fear of spiders.