Spiders Near and Far

Spiders Near and Far — page 1

Spiders Near and Far — page 2 — Creation Myth A creation myth from the Pima Indians of the American Southwest tells how the earth began Once upon a time there was a Being called Earth Doctor who made the earth from a small bit of dust Earth Doctor sang and danced and while he did so the earth formed under his feet When he waved his arms he created the sky But as he continued to dance the earth beneath his feet trembled and stretched and grew until the sky no longer fit So Earth Doctor made something else a spider to spin a web and weave together earth and sky shamrock spider Araneus trifolium

Spiders Near and Far — page 3 — What Is a Spider Spiders live almost everywhere on earth from seashores swamps and jungles to subways basements and shopping centers Spiders live as near to you as the corner of your clothes closet or the drain in your bathtub They also live as far from you as the Arctic tundra or the slopes of Mount Everest Young spiders have even been discovered floating on air currents 16,000 feet above the earth Those who study spiders are careful as to what general statements they make about them This is because spider behavior can vary from one part of the world to another Two spiders of exactly the same kind may behave differently if one lives in Montana and the other lives in Moscow Close observation of spiders in their natural environments is the best way to come to know them black-and-yellow argiope Argiope aurantia

Spiders Near and Far — page 4 — Three hundred and ninety-five million years ago warm shallow seas covered much of the earth Jawless fish swam in the water and giant ferns grew on the land In that distant time called the Devonian era the first spiders appeared Today spiders are one of the earth’s most successful animals There are so many varieties of spiders it is not easy to keep track of them all of tarantulas alone there are 800 different kinds As many species of spiders live just in the state of New Mexico as there are bird species in the entire United States South American bird-eating spider Cyrtopholis species barn spider Araneus cavaticus

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