SPIDERS Spiders are arachnids Arachnids are animals with eight legs and two body sections The cephalothorax SEF-uh-luh THOR-aks contains the eyes mouth and legs The abdomen AB-doh-mun holds the spider’s organs and silk glands 4 cephalothorax abdomen Spiders can be found everywhere on Earth except Antarctica They make their homes in forests grasslands deserts caves and even people’s homes Scientists have found more than 40,000 spider species
A spider’s mouthparts are called chelicerae kuh-LIS-eh-ray 5
6 Jumping spiders have four pairs of eyes but some are on top of the head
SPIDER SENSES SPIDER SENSES The smallest spiders are less than a quarter of an inch 0 6 cm long But the biggest tarantulas tuh-RAN-choo-luhz can be as big as a grown-up’s hand Most spiders are black or brown to blend in with their surroundings But some are bright red yellow or orange Most spiders have eight eyes But they can not see very well A spider’s body is covered with lots of small hairs The hairs pick up vibrations A spider also has two feelers called pedipalps at the sides of its mouth 77 pedipalps
