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about spiders... yuk!
All spiders produce silk, a thin, strong protein strand extruded by the spider from spinnerets most commonly
found on the end of the abdomen. Many species use it to trap insects in webs, although there are also many
species that hunt freely. Silk can be used to aid in climbing, form smooth walls for burrows, build egg sacs,
wrap prey, and temporarily hold sperm, among other applications.
All spiders except those in the families Uloboridae and Holarchaeidae, and in the suborder Mesothelae
(together about 350 species) can inject venom to protect themselves or to kill and liquefy prey. Only about
200 species, however, have bites that can pose health problems to humans. Many larger species' bites may be
quite painful, but will not produce lasting health concerns.
Spiders are found all over the world, from the tropics to the Arctic, living underwater in silken domes they
supply with air, and on the tops of mountains. In 1973 Skylab 3 took two spiders into space to test their
web-spinning capability in free-fall.
