Are you helping your child on a project about spiders? Are you a teacher working on a spider lesson plan? Do you home school your children and are looking for some interesting facts about spiders? Did one of your kids find a spider and are wondering what spiders are all about? Here a few interesting facts of spiders.
#1: Some spiders are as huge as a dinner plate.
That’s right – some spiders are as big as 11 inches wide. The Goliath Birdeater Tarantula from South America has been known to be 10-11 inches wide. Even though it is so big, the Goliath Birdeater Tarantula is not dangerous to humans. You can see a Youtube video of this giant spider here.
Source:
Spiders by Nic Bishop, page 8
http://www.extremescience.com/zoom/index.php/creepy-crawlies/11-biggest-spider
#2: The hairs on a spider’s leg are able to sense the sound of a flying insect.
Unlike humans, spiders do not have a nose or ears. However, their body is covered with tiny hairs. These hairs are able to sense vibrations, touch, and sounds. For example, the hairs can sense the tiny footsteps of an insect coming closer.
Source:
Spiders by Nic Bishop, page 16
#3: Some spiders can live for 30 years.
The majority of spiders will only live for a year or two. However, some tarantulas can live to be 30 years old.
Source: Spiders by Nic Bishop, page 33
#4: Some spiders catch their prey by spitting on them.
The spitting spider, a small spider that could be living in your basement, can catch it’s prey (such as a fly) through spitting. The spider can “send gummy glue in a zig zag pattern that falls across it’s prey like strapping tape.”
Source: Spiders and their Web Sites by Margery Facklam, page 21
#5: Some spiders will lay up to 2000 eggs.
While many spiders only lay a few eggs, some spiders can lay up to 2000 eggs. The wolf spider will carry her young on her back for a few days.
Source: Spiders by nic Bishop, p 43
#6: Spiders have been sent into space.
In the 1970’s, P.N. Witt, a spiderologist and other scientists sent spiders into space on Skylab, a space station. They wanted to see how spiders would build their webs without any gravity. Even though they had complete weighlessness (zero gravity), the spiders still built normal webs.
Source: Spiderology by Michael Elsohn Ross
#7: Spider silk (in spider webs) is the strongest of any natural fiber.
The spider silk found in spider webs is stronger than steel wire of the same thickness. It is also stretchier than rubber or nylon. Lots of people have attempted to use spiders to make fabric/ cloth. However, it would take over 5000 spiders to make enough cloth for one dress.
Source: Spiders and their Web Sites by Margery Facklam, page 8
These are just a handful of random facts about spiders for kids. Spiders are another little creature of our world that adds charm and excitement to the environment.
Looking for more random facts? Please read “Fun Facts for Kids About Elephants” and “Fun Facts for Kids About Turtles.” Happy Learning!
