Domestic poisonous spider. Spiders are pets

The house spider is distributed almost everywhere and is very common in residential buildings. We can say that we are already used to him and his funnel-shaped web, so much so that we even folded them. Let's look at the life of this creature in more detail.

House spiders are so familiar that they no longer seem so scary and unpleasant.

Characteristic

In our homes, the most common representatives of the species tegenaria domestica, or house spider.

• Body measures about 12 mm. Moreover, the female will always be larger than the male, the size of the latter often does not exceed 9 mm.
• Their abdomen has an oblong shape and is usually colored yellowish or beige. Brown color. The color of males is always darker.
• Powerful limbs are decorated with dark rings, while in males the area at their base is almost black. The first pair of legs is the longest, often longer than the back.
• As you can see in the photo, main hallmark The appearance of the house spider is a pattern on the back, composed of brown spots. Moreover, in young animals it is absent and appears on the body only after three molts.
• House spiders have four pairs of eyes: two pairs are in the same row in front of the cephalothorax, two side eyes and another pair on top. The latter are basic, all the rest are simple.

The closest "relatives" of our house spider are representatives of the species Tegenaria agrestis, or the American house spider. Science knows another species of the funnel family - this is Tegenaria duellica, or a giant house spider. These creatures are notable for the fact that they lead a fierce fight for prey, during which they can kill their own kind.

habitats

In nature, funnel spiders, which include tegenaria domestica, can be found under the bark of trees, in the forest floor and under fallen leaves. Often they also choose places near fallen trunks, old snags, small hollows or grass thickets, in which it is very convenient for these spiders to place funnel-shaped trapping nets.

For a house spider, rooms are the most preferable - that is why it was called that. Tegenaria domestica settles in basements and cellars, in various technical rooms and, of course, in residential buildings and apartments. He hangs his web, as a rule, in dark corners or in more secluded places, for example, behind cabinets, and then patiently waits for the appearance of prey. The trapping net is almost flat, has a triangular shape and is located in a horizontal plane, and its central part (living tube) will always sharply go into a corner - its owner sits there.

Hunting

The house spider hunts mainly in the dark, and it can do this both with the help of a web and without it. The thing here is that his trapping net does not have adhesive properties, it simply does not have those sticky knots to which the victim sticks, and therefore it is not of particular value as a trap itself. The web of tegenaria is a thick dense carpet in which the prey usually “dunks”.

In the first case, hunting occurs as follows. An insect that accidentally finds itself on the surface of the web begins to shake it, which creates vibrations. The hunter instantly catches them by the vibrations of the signal thread, immediately jumps out of his ambush and with sliding movements approaches his food. He attacks the prey, plunges his sharp fang-like jaws into her body and injects poison and digestive juices through special channels. Soon the insect dies, after which the tegenaria drags it deep into the living tube. And after the internal contents are partially digested, the spider starts eating - it sucks out the liquid contents, leaving only the chitinous shell intact.

On a note! But sometimes a very brave victim can be caught in the net of tegenaria, these include ants. Despite its small size, a fast, agile and courageous baby ant is able to give a worthy rebuff to the hunter spider. Armed with powerful jaws, he repels enemy attacks, which quickly exhausts him. Thus, the tired spider goes into its tube, and the victorious ant bites the threads of the web from its feet and also leaves!

Usually, a house spider does not stay in one web for a long time, and as soon as the first one is filled with the remains of caught insects, it begins to make a new one. The frequency of change of residence is two to three weeks. One day of hunting brings about 10-12 insects, but since he is not able to eat all at once, he has to put aside the excess stock. The diet of tegenaria domestica includes mainly small fruit flies, large houseflies and some household pests.

And the second way of hunting is without thick nets. The spider in this case uses only two signal strings, which it stretches in a certain area. In the future, prey is caught according to the above scheme: a potential victim clings to a thread, tegenaria reacts, catches up with it and bites.

reproduction

When the time comes for romantic courtship, males begin to look for a passion for mating. Once at the web of the female, the newly minted boyfriend must be extremely careful, as there is a rather high risk of being attacked or even killed. In agonizing expectation, he can spend several hours.

First, the male usually steps on the edge of the web and is located on its lower side, and as soon as the female appears from the funnel, he crawls to the top of the web. If the mistress does not immediately attack, but remains to wait, then the suitor very slowly literally approaches her by a millimeter. At the same time, he is always on the alert and at any second, at the slightest hint of aggression on the part of his beloved, he is ready to rush to his heels. Having approached close enough, the male, not breathing with bated breath, very gently touches the front leg of the female.

Some time after mating, the female lays eggs. She lays eggs in several flat cocoons and hangs them on her web. The hatched young spend some time near their mother. The resettlement of young tegenarii occurs after about a year, when they already know how to hunt on their own.

Signs associated with tegenaria

So, having considered the description of house spiders and having learned everything about their lifestyle, it remains only to mention a few folk signs. They are associated with one feature of this creature - tegenaria surprisingly very sensitively perceives the slightest vibrations. atmospheric pressure and air humidity and immediately reacts to them:

• the house spider hid in a living tube and does not come out for a long time - it will soon rain;
• with inspiration weaves a new web - to clear sunny weather.

Spiders are pets

What kind of exotic pets are not kept at home by our compatriots. Not so long ago, we talked at home, and today we invite you to talk about domestic spiders. No, not those who live in the corners of negligent housewives who have forgotten that it is necessary to periodically sweep away cobwebs, but about the most full-fledged pets. By the way, those who keep spiders claim that such a pet is just a godsend for a lazy owner who wants to have a “friend” and not particularly bother with the responsibilities of caring for such a friend. But, about everything - or rather about domestic spiders - in order ...

Benefits of keeping house spiders

Are you short on time and don't always have time to cook your own breakfast – let alone prepare food for your pet? Are you not too fond of all sorts of complexities associated with pet care procedures - walking, bathing, participating in exhibitions? You are not an oligarch, so you cannot afford to spend more on your pet every month than you spend on yourself? Is your living space intended exclusively for you, since the square meters in it are strictly calculated? Have you never had pets before?

Well, in all these cases, if you suddenly decide to get a pet - a pet spider is the best contender for this role. Caring for him does not take much time, and it seems that you don’t even need to take special care of the spider, financially you will not expect big expenses, such a home spider will not make you make room, and even if you have no idea how to approach it - after reading our publication, you can consider yourself a beginner spider scientist, and have such a creature in your home.

We do not exclude the possibility that it is possible that not everything will work out right away for you, in the end - the spider, unfortunately, may die. But, if you find your mistakes in the approach to its content, and eliminate them, then, be sure - your next home spider will live a long and happy life to your joy. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to admire the process of turning a tiny gray spider (as you bought it) into a bright and spectacular handsome man, which he will become a few months after appearing in your house. Moreover, after each molt, he will become more beautiful and larger. This sight is worth it to learn how to care for a spider at home.

What kind of spider can be kept at home

As you understand, ordinary pigtail spiders are not very suitable for keeping at home. And here are the best contenders for this role. They are considered to be the largest spiders on Earth, and they include more than 1500 species, which in turn are divided into 9 families. Live in natural conditions such spiders in southern and warm countries. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that most of them are ... poisonous. You may not die from their bite, but the strongest intoxication of the body will be guaranteed to you. True, like most animals, tarantula spiders never attack first - therefore, this fact is a little comforting.

If you are thinking about which spider to choose as a pet, we would recommend that you pay attention to initial stage(since you are still new to this business) on small and easy-to-care and maintenance spiders such as Brachypelma albopilosum, Brachypelma vagans. With these two types, you should not have any problems. Well, if you feel like a specialist in the field of spider science, then you can start more rare and expensive views spiders.

How to choose a healthy spider

spider terrarium

A small spider, regardless of its type, is best kept in a plastic, hermetically sealed container of a suitable size for it. While your home spider is a baby, it is better to refuse a huge terrarium and its decorative elements. A spider can simply get lost there, get scared and not find water and food for itself. Yes, and you may not notice the crumbs among the stones and plants. But, when your home spider grows up, it will be appropriate for him to pick up a large capacity. However, remember tarantula spiders do not tolerate neighbors and ... eat them, because by their nature they are cannibals. So getting a couple of spiders is not worth it. And, if you did it, because you wanted to continue breeding these creatures, you will have to keep them in separate terrariums.

This applies to both adults and babies - it's better not to risk it.

How to set up a terrarium for a house spider

At the bottom of such a glass or plastic terrarium, it is necessary to place a substrate - filtered paper can play its role. And, if there is none - an ordinary white dressing room. But, here it is strictly forbidden to use colored paper, due to the presence of dyes in it. Also, as a substrate, you can take sphagnum, peat, ready-made substrate from coconut fibers or vermiculite. Make sure that such a substrate is moderately moist and, if necessary, moisten it.

Humidity in the terrarium

Depending on the species of your spider, you will need to create a comfortable level of humidity for it. So, forest tropical spiders feel good at an indicator of 75-90%, while desert-shrub spiders prefer drier air, and the humidity indicator for them should not exceed 75%. For additional humidification of the air, you can put small containers of water in the terrarium for large spiders. But for small spiders it is better not to use them so that insects do not drown themselves in such a pool inadvertently.

Well, you can control the humidity indicator and regulate it with maximum accuracy if you purchase such a special device as a hygrometer.

Why is it so important to keep your spider at the right level of humidity? Yes, because if the air is too dry, the spider can start to get sick, its molting cycles can go astray. And, here's an excess of moisture can also lead to the development of mold, fungal diseases.
By the way, be sure to keep your spider drinking. It is better to let him be left without supper (although not a way out) than he will be left without water.

Temperature in the terrarium

Spiders are heat-loving creatures. Therefore, take care that they constantly remain in such temperature range like 22-28 degrees above zero Celsius. A short-term decrease in temperature is allowed (but not lower than 15 degrees Celsius), however, it is still not worth abusing such temperature jumps. A decrease in temperature indicators is especially dangerous for well-fed spiders, and spiders during molting - insects can suffer from the processes of food decay in their stomach that have begun.

If the room in which the terrarium with the spider is installed is not warm, take care of additional heating of the terrarium using a thermal cord or a thermal mat. However, constantly monitor their temperature so as not to overheat the house spider.

Terrarium lighting

Spiders, like many other insects, are nocturnal inhabitants, so they do not need additional lighting either day or night. Enough of your room light so that you can observe your such an exotic pet. You should never point the direct light of the lamp at the spider or place the terrarium in direct sunlight. This way you can destroy the creation.

Decorative elements for the terrarium

When your spider becomes large enough to move into a large terrarium, be sure to take care of the decorative elements of its interior. Beautiful and large stones, an empty coconut shell, a fragment of a flower clay pot, bamboo stalks, dry branches and even a skull model - all this will decorate the landscape of the terrarium and serve as a refuge for the spider. Just make sure that the decorative elements of the terrarium do not injure your pet, therefore, they should not have sharp corners and cutting ends.

You can also plant a real botanical garden at the spider in his house by planting aloe, gasteria there.

Depending on which tarantula you have - there are terrestrial and tree spiders that need a vertical type of terrarium - make sure you provide your little ones with the accessories they need.

Terrarium safety

Since spiders can climb both the walls and the lid of the terrarium, you need to take care that the terrarium is tightly sealed with a securely fitting lid so that your pet does not escape. However, make sure that there are perforations in the lid - small holes for air ventilation. True, their dimensions should be such that the spider does not escape.

What to feed house spiders

Despite the fact that your domestic spiders are completely domesticated creatures, they are predators, so they feed on living organisms. Small spiders eat cockroaches and crickets, but large ones can eat both mice and frogs. You can also try giving a piece of lean meat or squid fillet. However, the latter types of food are not very natural for the spider, therefore, from such a diet, they can start to get sick in the future. So, what is best is what they eat in nature.

As for the size of the portions, then, they should be 1/3 of the volume of the spider itself.

How often to feed spiders?

The frequency of feeding spiders depends on their age. So, if you have a young domestic spider, you need to feed it several times a week. Whereas an adult spider can be fed several times a month. By the way, it is not uncommon for adult spiders to go on hunger strikes - you should not be afraid of this - the spider either overate the day before, or is preparing to molt, or in your terrarium low temperature air, and he prepares for hibernation.

What to do if the spider refuses food

What to do if you find yourself in a situation where your pet refuses both the cricket and the mouse? In this case, for starters, you need to remove his "lunch" from the terrarium in order to prevent the situation when the spider becomes a victim of his dinner, and only then start finding out the reasons for this situation.

Spider care accessories

You need, in addition to the terrarium and its filling, to purchase tweezers with which you will serve food to the spider or remove its remains, a brush, a plastic tightly closed box that you will use when your home spider needs to be temporarily isolated.

Can you pick up house spiders?

Without special need, it is better to refuse such close contact, especially with a small spider. In order not to harm the insect, and not to suffer from it yourself. If you still need to get the spider out of the terrarium - carefully take it with two (thumb and forefinger) fingers by the cephalothorax, between the 2nd and 3rd pair of legs. However, do not lose your vigilance - the spider may escape from your hands or even bite you. In the case of the first situation - escape, do not try to catch the spider with your hands - you will only crush it like that, it's better to just freeze. The lack of movement and chase will encourage the spider to stop, and when it freezes, you will cover it from above glass jar or plastic container. True, be as careful as possible so as not to press his paw or abdomen.

If the spider still escaped, try to look for it in tight crevices, behind furniture and between it, given that the terrestrial type of spiders will be closer to the ground, and the arboreal one will try to climb up.

In addition to the fact that the spider can bite you, it can also "poison" you. Turning his back to you, he will begin to comb the hairs with his paws. Make sure that they do not get on your body, as in this case you will be provided with a few hours of itching.

With long curved legs.

Many people experience disgust for these creatures and are afraid of what is supposed to happen.

House spiders don't really cause any problems., so getting rid of them is only so that the room does not look neglected.

There are several types of spiders that thrive indoors and can even provide some benefit.

Varieties of spiders in a human dwelling

House spiders love warm and dry climates, so you can most often find them in the warm seasons of the year.

Several species coexist perfectly next to a person, the most common include:

• Spider - haymaker also known by other names - a window spider or a long-legged spider. The body of a spider consists of an oval or rounded abdomen up to 1 cm in length and six or eight legs, which are the most remarkable part of the body - their length sometimes reaches 5 cm. erratic nets for their prey. Small insects, once in the web, begin to flutter, get even more confused, and the spider guarding them injects poison into the body with a paralyzing effect on the body and feeds on the victim or leaves it for the future.

  In apartments, the haymaker spider likes to settle near windows and in dark corners, prefers to hang upside down and seeing the approaching large insect tries to prevent it from falling into the network, begins to swing it;

• Black and gray house spiders they differ in much smaller sizes of the entire body and legs. Basically, the total body length is 14 or slightly more than millimeters. These subspecies of domestic spiders weave a web in the form of a pipe, and after the victim is caught, they restore it, so the entire network can be a complex system. In the web of gray and black domestic spiders, the female remains mainly to wait for the victim;

Other species of domestic spiders can also live near humans, but they are so rare that they are practically not studied.

Therefore, domestic spiders are a kind of indicator of the cleanliness of the home.

Old people advise not to touch the only spider in the apartment - they say that such a cohabitant will certainly contribute to the flow of money and give good luck.

But it is unlikely that anyone will remain indifferent to the huge accumulation of moving spiders, therefore several types of struggle with domestic "pets" are effectively used.

1. if there are a lot of spiders in the dwelling, then they are already laid a clutch of eggs, which can be found on the back walls of furniture or in other places hidden from the human eye;

1. necessary find out if there are other small insects in the house being food for spiders. Their destruction will also lead to the fact that domestic spiders will leave a home that is not hospitable to them;

1. brownies spiders can't stand the smell of paint and lime therefore, repairs in the apartment and sealing all the cracks are the main way to deal with arachnid inhabitants.

Constant cleaning in the premises, removal of accumulated dust, cobwebs prevents the appearance of spiders with huge paws in the apartment.

You should not be afraid of spiders, but you need to get rid of them, especially if there are small children in the house - kids are often very scared of such inhabitants.

Spiders are all around us. Therefore, it is important to know which spiders are safe and which ones should be avoided.

Spiders are one of the oldest inhabitants of the planet, known from the Devonian and Carboniferous periods. It is believed that they appeared about 400 million years ago. creations Paleozoic era had a characteristic arachnoid apparatus, but were more primitive. Their habitat is the widest - the entire planet, not counting the Antarctic.

Spider science: what is it called?

Araneology is the science of spiders, which is part of the branch of zoology - arachnology. Arachnology is the study of arthropods, invertebrates, arachnids. The origin of the name is ancient Greek.

Also, arachnology is the art of weather prediction based on observing the actions of spiders.

Spiders - what are: types

Researchers know about 42 thousand species of spiders. Spiders can be divided into three large suborders, which mainly differ in the structure of the jaws, more precisely, in the position of the chelicera relative to the longitudinal axis of the body.

Suborder Orthognatha

More often, representatives of this suborder are called migalomorphs. They are characterized by the presence of thick hairs, large size and primitive structure of the jaws - the claw is directed downwards and grows only on the upper jaw. Respiratory system represented by lung sacs.

Most migalomorphs live in warm climates. Burrows suit themselves underground.

Orthognatha include:

• tarantulas
• funnel spiders
• ctenizides
• spiders - diggers

Suborder Araneomorpha

Almost all other spider species known to naturalists belong to large group Labidognatha or Araneomorpha. They differ in that they have claws equipped with both jaws. The respiratory system is represented by the trachea.

Types of spiders that catch prey without a net:

• crab spiders
• jumping spiders
• wolf spiders

Types of spiders using a trapping web:

• linifid spiders
• web spiders
• funnel spiders, or brownies
• centipede spiders
• orb weaving spiders

Among the araneomorphic spiders, there are also those that are not able to produce cribellum - the substance from which spiders produce durable spider silk, and those who produce it.

Suborder Mesothelae

Lyphistiomorphic spiders are distinguished by the fact that the chelicerae are spaced to the side, and not directed downwards. This position is considered more evolutionarily advanced. But, this suborder is considered the most primitive, its traces were found in carbon deposits. Spiders have archaic lung sacs, four pairs of arachnoid warts that have not yet been shifted to the end of the abdomen. They live in earthen burrows that are closed with a lid. Signal threads diverge from minks. Although one species prefers caves, where it makes spider tubes on the walls.

These include:

• arthropod spiders
• primitive arthrolycosid spiders
• primitive spiders arthromygalides

Spider: insect, animal or not?

Spiders belong to a type of animal - an order of arthropods in the arachnid class. Therefore, spiders are animals, not insects.

Differences between a spider and an insect:

• Spiders have four pairs of legs, and insects have three pairs.
• spiders do not have antennae characteristic of insects
• many eyes, up to twelve pairs
• the body of a spider always consists of a cephalothorax and an abdomen
• some types of spiders have intelligence: they distinguish strangers from their own, can protect the owner, feel the mood of the owner, even dance to the music. Not a single insect can do this, unlike an animal.

Spider body structure

The body of spiders, covered with an outer skeleton of chitin, consists of two sections, which are connected by a small tube:

• the cephalothorax is formed by the head merged with the chest
• abdomen

cephalothorax

• The cephalothorax is divided by a groove into two sections: head and chest. In the anterior head section are the eyes and jaws - chelicerae. In most spiders, the chelicerae are directed downwards, ending in a claw. The claws contain venom glands.
• The lower part of the jaws - pedipalps, are used as palps and grasping elements. Between the pedipalps is a mouth that serves for sucking. In some mature males, the pedipalps are also cymbium - the copulatory apparatus.
• Simple eyes are also found in the anterior head region.
• Four pairs of jointed legs are also located on the cephalothorax in the thoracic region. Each spider leg consists of 7 segments. The last segment of each leg has two or more smooth or serrated claws.

Abdomen

• The abdomen can have a shape: round, oval with processes, angular, elongated worm-shaped. On the abdomen are stigmas - breathing holes.
• On the underside of the abdomen are arachnoid warts, in which the arachnoid glands are located. Near the base of the abdomen is the genital opening. In females, it is surrounded by a thickened chitinous plate, while in males, the genital opening looks like a simple gap.

Spiders can grow up to 10 cm in size, and their limb span can exceed 25 cm, it all depends on the species. The smallest representatives are only 0.4 mm in size.

Color, pattern depends on the structure of the scales and hairs covering the body, the presence of pigment and the type of spider.

How many legs does a spider have?

• All spiders have four pairs of legs, which are located on the cephalothorax and are usually covered with hairs.
• Each foot has crescent-shaped, comb-like claws. Between the claws, most often, there is a sticky pad - a claw-like appendage.
• Web-weaving spiders have auxiliary serrated claws that allow the spider to move freely along the web.

How many eyes does a spider have?

• Depends on the type. Some species have only two eyes, and some have up to twelve. Most species have 8 eyes, which are arranged in two rows.
• In any case, the two front eyes are the main (master). They differ in structure from other side eyes: they have muscles to move the retina and do not have a reflective shell. Also auxiliary eyes are distinguished by the presence of light-sensitive retinal cells. The more of them, the sharper the spider's vision.
• Some spiders can see as well as humans and distinguish colors. For example, jumping spiders. Night hunters, for example, sidewalker spiders, see perfectly not only at night, but also during the day. But wandering spiders see best.

How does a spider spin its web?

The thread of the web consists of many thin threads that the spider glues together with a special liquid that quickly hardens in air. Thanks to this, such a high strength of the web is achieved that spiders even travel with it, overcoming kilometers of distance.

The web can be dry, sticky, elastic - it all depends on the purpose of the thread.

Types of threads for cobwebs:

• for cocoon
• sticky thread
• for moving
• to confuse prey
• thread for fastening

The design of the web depends on the method of hunting. Spiders use a thread that reflects ultraviolet rays, which most insects see, when weaving. Moreover, the spider weaves ultraviolet-reflecting threads in such a way that they look like flowers, which also reflect ultraviolet. Therefore, insects fly to the alluring and sweet flower, and fall into the web.

Stages of weaving a web:

1. The first spider releases a long thread. Such a thread is picked up by the air flow, rushes to the nearest branch and clings to it (Fig. 1, 2).
2. Then another free-hanging thread parallel to the previous one is woven. The spider moves to the middle of this thread, which is stretched under its weight, and weaves another thread in a downward direction until it finds the third support (Fig. 3).
3. On the support, the spider fastens the thread and a Y-shaped frame is obtained.
4. Next, a general contour is woven and a few more radii (Fig. 4).
5. At these radii, an auxiliary spiral is woven (Fig. 5). This whole frame is woven from a non-sticky thread.
6. Next, the spider weaves a second spiral with a sticky thread, towards the middle of the web from its edge.

Construction may take 1-2 hours.

How do spiders reproduce?

• Males usually differ from females in size (the male is smaller), long legs, brighter coloration, the presence of pedipalps, which appear in males only during the last molt.
• First, the males weave a special sperm web. Although some species are limited to a few stretched threads. Then the spider puts a drop of sperm on the web and fills the pedipalps with sperm, with the help of which it injects the sperm into the female's seminal receptacle. And goes in search of a female.
• The spider finds the female by smell. Having found a suitable female, the male begins to cautiously approach. If the female is not disposed to courtship, then she attacks the spider, and may even eat it.
• If the female looks at the male favorably, then the male begins to lure the female: he performs “wedding dances”, “tinkles” his feet, and brings prey. Having appeased the female, the spider carefully approaches her, touches her with the tips of her legs, then with her pedipalps and retreats. Also, the male "drums" on the substrate.
• If the female does not show aggression and "drums" herself, then the male carefully approaches and brings his pedipalps to the female's genital opening. The act lasts a few seconds.
• The male then runs away to avoid being eaten by the female. Although this happens quite rarely. A female can have several males in one season.
• After 6-10 weeks, the female spins a cocoon, in which she lays up to 500 eggs. The female carefully guards the cocoon, holding it between the chelicerae. After another 5 weeks, spiders appear.

How long do spiders live?

Most spiders live for a year. But some species, such as Grammostol pulchra from tarantulas, can live 35 years. And this applies only to females, males even tarantulas live 2-3 years.

Non-poisonous spiders: a list with names

There are no completely non-venomous spiders. Poison is necessary in order to paralyze the victim, for protection.

But the venom of most spiders encountered is not dangerous. In some cases, it is so small that no one will notice, or redness and swelling will appear. Although in isolated cases, an allergy to spider venom is possible.

Safe for humanscommonspiders:

Common Harvester Spider. The size of the male is up to 7 mm, the female is up to 9 mm. Leggy. They hunt in the dark. They like to gather in a pile so that they seem to be a tuft of wool. Weaves a non-sticky web. They scare off enemies with the release of an unpleasant odor.

More than 5 thousand species. This is a small 5-6 mm spider that loves to bask in the sun and climbs glass perfectly. Good jumpers, they can jump up to 20 cm. Webs do not weave, they attack by jumping, they have excellent eyesight.

More than 1 thousand species. Size up to 25 mm - females, up to 10 mm - males. It has several white spots on its abdomen, forming a cross. They hunt with the help of a round hunting net, which can reach 1.5 m in diameter.

Size up to 10 mm. Hunts from an ambush, instantly grabs the victim and paralyzes her with poison. Networks do not weave. It has camouflage - if necessary, changes color from rich yellow to white. Those that hunt on the bark of trees are brown, and those in the leaves are variegated.

House spider or funnel spider, the most famous and widespread. Weaves a web in a secluded place: on the ceiling, in the corner, behind the closet. The male is up to 10 mm in size, the female is slightly larger - up to 12 mm. The color is yellow-gray with brown spots.

The size of the female is up to 10 mm, the male is slightly smaller. The color is light yellow, sometimes greenish. On the underside of the belly, elongated in the form of a seed, there are two light stripes. They build circular networks with large "holes" designed for centipede mosquitoes. The web is built near water, they know how to run on water.

The size of the male is up to 16 mm, the female is up to 12 mm. A rare spider, adapted to live in freshwater sluggish water. Can swim. The abdomen is covered with hairs to hold air, so under water the spider appears "silver". A “bell” filled with air spins in the water, where it lives: rests, leaves reserves, eats caught prey.

Spider-tarantula (tarantula). Large, up to 20 cm with a leg span. They have a beautiful variety of colors. Weave a web. Some species are completely harmless to humans; others may cause swelling, redness, itching, fever, and muscle cramps from the bite of others. No deaths have been described. It is they who are most often kept in homes, females of some species live up to 35 years. Very unpretentious in care. Bird-eaters can even be trained.

Top 10 most dangerous, poisonous, deadly spiders in the world, on the planet: a list with names

A resident of the tropics and subtropics of South America is the most dangerous spider according to the Guinness book. The size of the spider is 10-12.5 cm. It is fast, active, does not spin webs, and constantly moves in search of prey. Likes bananas. It feeds on other spiders, insects, lizards, birds.

In danger, it rears up, shows fangs. Deadly poison for weakened people, children. Without assistance, death from the bite of some individuals can occur in 20-30 minutes. In an adult healthy person a severe allergic reaction usually occurs.

The habitat is the deserts of South America, Africa. They can go without water and food for a long time - up to a year. Size taking into account the span of the paws up to 5 cm.

When hunting, it burrows into the sand, lets it get closer and attacks from cover. The poison is a hemolytic-necrotic toxin that thins the blood and causes tissue decomposition. The victim dies from internal bleeding. No antidote has been created, but people die extremely rarely.

Habitat - Australia, within a radius of 100 km from Sydney. Size - up to 5 cm. Lives and hunts in stumps, under stones, on trees or open areas. The venom is harmless to most mammals, but deadly to humans and primates.

The spider, in danger, rears up, shows fangs. When bitten, it digs into the body of the victim and bites many times in a row. At the same time, it is difficult to tear it off. Poison is dangerous due to large doses. First, the state of health worsens: nausea, vomiting, sweating. Then - decreases arterial pressure and blood circulation is disturbed, and in the end - the respiratory organs fail.

One of the most known species. Habitat - Mexico, USA, southern Canada, New Zealand. They prefer to live in the desert and prairies. The size of the female is up to 1 cm. Females are more dangerous than males. If bitten by a female, then the antidote must be administered within 30 seconds.

Spider venom is 15 times stronger than rattlesnake venom. The bite site heals up to 3 months. The bite is characterized by acute pain, which after 1 hour spreads throughout the body, causing convulsions. Breathing is difficult, there is vomiting, sweating, headache, paresthesia of the limbs, fever.

It looks like a black widow. Originally lived in Australia, now spread throughout the world, with the exception of the poles. Up to 1 cm in size. It feeds on insects, flies, cockroaches, even lizards.

The poison is not able to kill a person, but after a bite, pain, cramps, nausea, increased sweating, and general weakness are felt.

6. Karakurt - "black worm"

From the genus of black widows, lives in the steppe and desert zones of Russia. The size of the male is up to 0.7 cm, the female is up to 2 cm. The most dangerous is the poison of females with red dots on their abdomen.

The bite of the spider itself is practically not felt, but after a few minutes, a sharp pain is felt, gradually spreading throughout the body. Convulsions begin, a red rash appears, the victim may feel causeless fear, depression. Without assistance, a bite can become fatal for 5 days.

The second name is violin spider. Habitat - northern Mexico, southern USA, California. Sizes of males - 0.6 cm, females - up to 20 cm. Not aggressive. Lives in dark, dry places: attics, sheds, closets.

The bite is almost insensitive. After a bite, the effect of the poison begins to be felt after it spreads throughout the body, in a day. The temperature rises, nausea, rash, pain throughout the body, tissue swelling appear. In 30%, tissue necrosis begins, sometimes organs fail, deaths only a few have been registered.

Initially inhabited only South America (Chile), now also lives in North America, found in Europe and Australia. Lives in abandoned places: sheds, woodpile, attics. Feeds on insects and other spiders. Size including paws - up to 4 cm.

The bite is painful, similar in strength to a cigarette burn. The poison has a necrotic effect. The victim feels severe pain. Renal failure may develop. Treatment takes many months, and 1 in 10 people die.

9 Wolf Spiders

Habitat - the whole world, except for Antarctica, but prefer warm countries. They live in bushes, in grassy meadows, in forests near water sources, in fallen leaves, under stones. Sizes - up to 30 mm. They feed on cicadas and bedbugs.

The bite of tropical species can cause prolonged pain, dizziness, swelling, severe itching, nausea, and rapid pulse. Their venom is not lethal.

10. Blonde Theraphosa

One of the largest spiders, the second name is the goliath tarantula. Body size - up to 9 cm, leg span - up to 25 cm. It feeds on toads, mice, small birds and snakes. It bites only in cases of danger.

The poison has a paralytic effect. But for a person it is fraught with only swelling and itching. When bitten by large animals and humans, venom is usually not injected. In case of danger, the tarantula shakes off sharp hairs from the back, which cause irritation of the mucous membranes.

Although dangerous spiders many, they rarely attack. Attack, as a rule, is associated with protection, and in ordinary life, spiders shy away, preferring secluded places for life. There are few deaths, but care is always needed in handling these animals.

Video. The strangest spiders and unusual spiders in the world

At the exclamation of "spider", most people will cringe, because they do not associate this word with anything good. The first thing that comes to mind is that spiders are poisonous, and non-poisonous ones are just unpleasant ... they look so strange, and they weave webs in the corners. But one has only to get to know these creatures better and fear will be replaced, if not with delight, then with respect. Few can compare with them in terms of diversity of structure, lifestyle and complexity of behavior. From the point of view of taxonomy, spiders make up a separate order of the class Arachnida, numbering 46,000 species! And this is not a complete list, because new types of spiders continue to be discovered until now. Their closest relatives are ticks, salpugs and scorpions, and their distant ancestors are marine arthropods like relic horseshoe crabs. But with insects, to which spiders are often ranked, they just have nothing in common.

The two-horned spider (Caerostris sexcuspidata), which lives in the arid regions of Africa, imitates a dry tree with the help of body shape, color and posture.

The body of spiders consists of a cephalothorax and abdomen, connected by a so-called stalk. The cephalothorax is usually small, and the abdomen is highly extensible, so it is much larger than the chest. In most species, the stalk is so short that it is almost invisible, but myrmecium spiders, which mimic ants, boast a thin waist.

A spider from the genus myrmecium (Myrmecium sp.) pretends to be an ant, but its cunning is easy to unravel if you count the number of legs.

All spiders have eight legs, and by this feature they can be unmistakably distinguished from insects, which have six. But besides the legs, spiders have several more pairs of limbs. The first, called chelicerae, is located near the mouth. According to their purpose, chelicerae are a cross between mandibles and hands. With their help, spiders grab and cut prey, and also hold the female during mating, cut the web - in a word, they perform delicate types of work. The second pair of limbs are pedipalps. They are also located on the cephalothorax, but are longer and more like legs. This is a specific tool that spiders use to strain the liquid, semi-digested tissues of the victim. Males have special shaped pedipalps that they use to transfer sperm to the female. At the tip of the abdomen, several pairs of limbs have changed and turned into spider warts. Each such wart is connected to a large spider gland located in the abdomen. Spider glands are of different types and each of them produces its own kind of web.

An enlarged portrait of the earthen wolf spider (Trochosa terricola) allows you to delve into the details of spider anatomy: black eyes are visible on the sides of a pair of large eyes; the brown prehensile organs just below the eyes are the chelicerae, and the short, light yellow "legs" are the pedipalps.

All spiders breathe atmospheric oxygen, so their respiratory organs are lungs or tracheas. It is noteworthy that they have 4 lungs (or the same number of tracheas), and there are species that have a pair of both. Digestive system spiders is relatively simple. Almost all species have venom glands, the secret of which is fatal to their victims, and sometimes to large animals. In prey paralyzed by the toxin, the spider injects saliva containing highly active enzymes. This juice partially digests the tissues of the victim, the hunter can only suck in semi-liquid food. The outer covers of spiders are not extensible, therefore, for uniform growth, they often have to molt. During molting and immediately after it, the spider is defenseless, during this period it does not hunt, but sits in a secluded place.

The dolophones spider (Dolophones sp.) owes its disguise to a protective coloration and pose at the same time.

The most amazing thing about the anatomy of these animals is the sense organs. Compared to other invertebrates in spiders, they are well developed and diverse. The first thing you notice is the eyes. Spiders usually have eight of them, of which the two main ones face forward, and the rest are located on the top and sides of the head, which gives their owner a three-dimensional view of 180 °. True, there are species with six, four and even two eyes, but this is not so important, because all spiders see only light spots (but they distinguish colors!). The exception is stray jumping spiders, which do not weave trapping webs, but attack the victim with “bare hands”. For an accurate throw, they developed sharp binocular vision, which allows them to distinguish clear contours prey and correctly estimate the distance to it. Cave species of spiders are completely blind.

To overcome the fear of spiders forever, just look into the expressive iridescent eyes of this female jumping spider (there are four of them on the front side). The view shown in the photo - fidippus mystaceus (Phidippus mystaceus) reaches a length of about 1 cm.

The sense of touch is much more important for hunting. It is unprecedentedly sharp in all spiders. Sensitive receptors and hairs on the paws allow them to capture insignificant fluctuations not only of the web, but also of the air itself. We can say that spiders hear with their feet. It has been observed that the sound of the violin awakens the hunting instinct in some spiders. Probably, the vibrations of the air caused by the instrument remind them of the buzzing of a fly. By the way, spiders themselves are by no means voiceless. Large species can hiss, buzz, crackle, apparently to scare off enemies. Small ones sing mating songs, but so quietly that this sound is not perceptible to the human ear, but females hear it perfectly. The sound of spiders arises from the friction of different parts of the body from each other, that is, according to the same principle as that of grasshoppers. But the abilities of spider legs are not limited to this. It turns out that spiders can smell with their feet! In fairness, it must be said that olfactory receptors are also located on the abdomen. The smell is important not so much for the capture of prey, but for procreation. Following the odorous trail of the female, eight-legged knights cover long distances and unmistakably distinguish a mate ready for mating from an immature one. Another sense that spiders have mastered to perfection is the sense of balance. Spiders, without looking, accurately determine where the top is, where the bottom is, which is not surprising for animals that spend most of their lives in limbo. Finally, spiders do not have taste buds, but they do have a taste. They distinguish tasty prey from tasteless prey again with their feet!

Theraphosa blondi female in natural environment.

The sizes of spiders vary widely. The body length of large tarantula spiders reaches 11 cm, one of them - Blond's teraphosa - even got into the Guinness Book of Records with a leg span of 28 cm. Crumb spiders are equally amazing. So, the smallest species - patu digua - grows to only 0.37 mm!

The patu digua spider (Patu digua) is so small that it is difficult to distinguish even at this magnification, when the papillary pattern of a human finger is visible.

Due to the spherical or pear-shaped abdomen, the outlines of the body in most spiders are closer to the circumference. But in nephil orbs, the body is elongated; in some species, the abdomen can be in the shape of a rhombus, heart, or strongly flattened.

A female Gasteracantha cancriformis in her hunting net. This type of spider got its name (loosely translated from Latin "crab-shaped prickly belly") for unusual shape bodies, unlike the crab spiders, so named for their ability to move sideways.

Body contours can be distorted by long hairs and spines.

Curved or arched gasteracantha (Gasteracantha arcuata) is a relative of the previous species, but looks even more exotic.

Jumping spiders from the genus Simetha (Simaetha) are tiny (a couple of millimeters in size) inhabitants of the tropics of Southeast Asia. All representatives of this genus wear an outfit with a gold pattern.

The length of the legs also changes. In terrestrial species, it is usually small, and spiders that weave webs and spend a lot of time in the thick of foliage are often long-legged.

The color of these arthropods can be, without exaggeration, any, but given the predatory nature of spiders, it is almost always patronizing. Accordingly, the types temperate zone usually painted inconspicuously: in gray, black, brown tones - to match the earth, sand, dry grass. Tropical spiders are often bright, with complex patterns.

Tweitesia are exceptionally beautiful, whose body is encrusted with shiny spots that look like sequins.

Silver-dotted tweitesia (Thwaitesia argentiopunctata).

In terms of territory coverage, spiders can be safely called cosmopolitans. They live on all continents, in all climatic zones and in all natural environments. Spiders are most diverse in the steppes, meadows and forests, but they can also be found in deserts, tundras, caves, among the glaciers of the Arctic islands and high mountains, in fresh water, human dwellings. By the way, spiders are one of the highest mountain animals - the Himalayan jumping spider lives on Everest at an altitude of 7000 m!

Prey of the Himalayan jumping spider (Euophrys omnisuperstes) - insects brought to Everest by wind.

Habitat has left an imprint on the way of life different types. Common to all spiders is that predation and the associated tendency to loneliness, although there are exceptions. Social filoponella and stegodiphus prefer to build a common network, which they hunt together ...

Saracen stegodiphuses (Stegodyphus sarasinorum) unanimously attack an unlucky butterfly. This species lives in India, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

and Kipling's bagheera jumping spider, contrary to its predatory name, is herbivorous.

Kipling's bagheera (Bagheera kiplingi) carries a bloodless victim in chelicera - juicy appendages that grow on the leaves of some tropical acacias. Trees thus attract ants, which along the way protect them from pests, and the herbivorous spider uses these gifts free of charge.

Most spiders are sedentary, although among the jumping spiders and wolf spiders there are many vagrants who freely roam the open spaces and attack oncoming insects of a suitable size. Homebody species are equipped in different ways. The most primitive of them hide from prying eyes in the recesses of the soil: it is more convenient to hunt and defend themselves. Sidewalk spiders (crab spiders) hide among the petals of flowers, while sitting on one flower, they gradually change color to match their shelter.

What could be more idyllic than a butterfly drinking nectar? But a tragedy is unfolding before us: the beauty actually fell into the paws of a side-walker spider, indistinguishable in color from the flower on which it hunts.

But a good disguise does not solve all problems, because it is not enough to grab a victim, you also need to keep it, and it’s tiring to look out for prey for days on end. Therefore, spiders gradually moved from active ambush hunting to more reliable and passive methods of catching prey. At the first stage, they began to dig deep minks, lining them with cobwebs for greater convenience.

The trapping tube of the Rechenberg cebrennus (Cebrennus rechenbergi) is woven from cobwebs, inlaid on the outside with grains of sand.

More advanced species began to stretch the threads from the mink to neighboring stems - an ideal notification system turned out: the owner can rest in the mink, and the crawling insect, having hooked the cobweb, will notify the spider of its approach and will be taken by surprise by the sudden appearance of a predator from under the ground. In some species, such signaling threads have evolved into complex arachnoid funnels and tubes.

Other species began to improve not the warning system, but the methods of retaining prey. To do this, they began to close the minks with earthen plugs and not simple ones, but on hinges! The spider, sitting on the inside of the hatch, keeps it closed, so that it is completely impossible to see its dwelling from the surface. As soon as the victim hooks on the signal web, the spider jumps out, drags the stunned insect into the hole, slams the lid and paralyzes with a bite. In this scenario, even strong prey has no chance to escape.

An open spider burrow with a raised lid and signal cobwebs stretching in all directions.

However, burrow hunting does not allow spiders to get off the ground, so the most advanced species stopped equipping dens and began to be content with only cobwebs, stretching it among grass, leaves and other above-ground objects.

Creating a web, the spider places it in the places of the most probable movement of prey, but so that gusts of wind, vibrations of branches, and movements of large animals do not break it.

The fact is that spiders spend a lot of deficient protein to create a web, so they value this material. They often eat a torn web, using it as a raw material for the production of a new one. The structure of the web ideally takes into account the characteristics of the favorite prey of one or another type of spider: in one case, it can be randomly stretched threads in all directions, in the other - a circle sector stretched in the corner of the shelter, in the third - a full circle.

Rainbow play of light on a circular web stretched in a gorge national park Karijini (Australia).

A thin cobweb seems fragile, but in terms of the thickness of the thread, this is one of the strongest fibers on Earth: a cobweb with a conditional thickness of 1 mm can withstand a weight of 40 to 261 kg!

Drops of water are much larger in diameter than cobwebs, but cannot break them. When they dry, the web, due to its elasticity, will restore its shape.

In addition, the web is very elastic (it can stretch to a third of its length) and sticky, so the beating victim with its movements only confuses itself even more. The web of nephil orbs is so strong that it can even hold a bird.

The tern got tangled in the web of the nephila orb-weaver on Seychelles. From the side of the spider, nothing threatens her, since the bird is too big for him. Usually in such cases, the nephiles simply cut off the cobwebs so that the beating prey does not spoil the entire network for them. However, the sticky web sticks the feathers together, which can cause the bird to lose its ability to fly and die of starvation.

Some spiders additionally strengthen the web with special threads - stabiliments.

The North American spider Uloborus glomosus (Uloborus glomosus) has reinforced its web in a spiral with zigzag stabiliments.

It is difficult to imagine the creator of the web outside the air, but among the spiders there were also such. Spiders from the genus of hunters roam among coastal vegetation in search of near-water insects, but on occasion they easily move along the surface of the water and even plunge into its thickness, holding on to plants.

When crossing a pond, the banded hunter (Dolomedes fimbriatus), like water strider bugs, rests on a film of water tension.

The water spider does not leave the reservoir at all; among the underwater vegetation, it creates a dome of cobwebs, from which it stretches trapping threads. The body of this spider is covered with hairs that hold air bubbles. The spider periodically rises to the surface in order to renew their supply, and drags large bubbles with it and fills the space under the dome with them. In this air tent he lives and breeds.

Water spider (Argyroneta aquatica) and the air bell he created. The body of the spider itself is also surrounded by an air bubble, giving it a silvery hue.

Spiders breed in the tropics all year round, in the temperate zone - once a year, in summer. Usually, male spiders are much smaller than females (in some species, 1500 times!), Less often - almost the same size as them, and only in a water spider, males are a third larger than their girlfriends. In addition to size, males, as a rule, are also distinguished by bright colors. Mating in these arthropods occurs unusually - without direct contact of the genitals. First, the male fills the pedipalps with sperm and sets off on a journey with this gift. Having followed the trail of the female by smell, he proceeds to solve the main problem: how to get close to the gluttonous and huge girlfriend without awakening her hunting instinct? Different species follow different strategies. Some spiders warn of their appearance with a characteristic twitching of the web - this “call” should make it clear to the female that there is no prey in front of her, but it does not always work, and often the boyfriend has to flee at full speed. Other males build a small mating net next to the female's web: rhythmically twitching it, they invite their girlfriend to a closer acquaintance. Male wandering spiders, which do not weave webs, perform a mating dance, raising their paws in a certain sequence, like traffic controllers. In some species, daredevils manage to involve the spider in the dance. Males of the amazing Pisaura (Pisaura mirabilis) rely on a tried and tested trick: they go on a date with a treat - a fly wrapped in a web. The most timid of spiders mate only with a recently molted female: with soft covers, she herself is defenseless and not prone to attack. During mating, the male introduces pedipalps into the female's spermatic tract, sometimes entangling her with cobwebs as a safety net.

Acrobatic sketch performed by a male peacock spider. In addition to raising their legs, males of all species of this genus also show an unusually colorful abdomen, raising it like a peacock's tail. It is almost impossible to see this miracle in nature, since the size of peacock spiders is only a couple of millimeters.

Usually an intimate meeting takes place in private, but sometimes several males look after one female and then they arrange fights among themselves. It happens that the female mates successively with several males. After mating, the spider often eats one or all partners. In some species, males survive by agile flight or cunning.

Male flower spider(Misumena vatia) climbed onto the back of the female and became inaccessible to her. For him, this is the only way to protect himself after mating, since the forces of the partners are too unequal. Some types of cross-spiders use the same method.

In more rare cases, the male and female part peacefully or even live in the same nest, sharing prey. A few days or weeks after mating, the female lays her eggs in a webbed cocoon.

The cocoon of the brown agreca (Agroeca brunnea) is two-chambered: in the upper chamber there are eggs, and in the lower chamber there are nurseries for newborn spiders.

The fertility of different species varies from 5 to 1000 eggs, if there are many eggs, then there can be up to a dozen cocoons. The size of the cradle is small - from a couple of millimeters to 5 centimeters in diameter; coloring can be white, pink, green, golden, striped.

Gasteracantha cancriformis cocoons are as unusual as these spiders themselves. The females attach their golden-black-striped cradles to the underside of the leaves.

If in relations with males spiders demonstrate the dark side of their nature, then in dealing with offspring they show the light side. Females carefully attach cocoons in a secluded corner of the hunting net, their own nest, burrow, and vagrant species carry them with them, holding them with chelicerae or gluing them to the abdomen. Females of the Venezuelan cross (Araneus bandelieri) weave a common cocoon, and some species, like cuckoos, throw their offspring into the nests of their neighbors. If the cocoon is left in a secluded place, then after hatching, the spiders are left to their own devices. Until the expiration of the first three molts, they keep crowded, and then disperse. Females carrying cocoons with them often take care of their offspring and after birth they are spiderlings. They carry babies on their bodies and provide food.

Female of one of Pisaura species (Pisaura sp.) with a precious burden glued to her abdomen.

Young spiders living in open landscapes often resort to settling with the help of a web. To do this, they climb a stalk or twig higher and release a cobweb, but do not attach it as when weaving a net, but leave it to hang free. When the thread is long enough, the wind picks it up along with the spider and takes it far, sometimes over a hundred kilometers. The years of such a web are especially noticeable in August-September.

Web with a brood of spiders. While the kids are small, they keep crowded.

In species of the temperate zone, wintering often takes place in the egg stage, but if young spiders hibernate, they often show resistance to cold and may appear on the snow during winter thaws. Most small spiders live no more than a year, the largest tarantulas in nature live up to 7-8 years, and all 20 can live in captivity.

This is not snow, but a carpet of cobwebs that covers the shore of one of Australia's reservoirs.

The prey of spiders is varied. First of all, their victims are mobile, but not too strong insects - flies, mosquitoes, butterflies - they are the ones who have the greatest chance of getting into the net.

If the victim is especially slow and defenseless, then the spider does not hesitate to attack prey many times larger than itself: a caterpillar, an earthworm, a snail.

Nomadic species and spiders that live in minks are more likely to come across flightless beetles and orthoptera.

Highly unusual way hunting uses Mastophora Hutchinson (Mastophora hutchinsoni). She weaves a gossamer with a sticky drop at the end, hangs with this boladoras in an outstretched paw and swings it until some insect sticks to the drop.

The largest tarantulas prey mainly on small vertebrates - lizards, snakes, frogs. Occasionally, small birds (more often chicks) become their prey, which is reflected in their name and at the same time gave rise to a prejudice that tarantulas eat only birds.

Deinopis spiders (Deinopis sp.) first weave a square net, and then, holding it straight, creep up and throw it on prey.

Amphibiotic and water spiders catch tadpoles, aquatic insect larvae, fish fry and even adult small fish. Some species of spiders have a narrow food specialization, for example, they hunt only ants or spiders of other species.

Large vertebrates are never attacked by spiders, but some venomous spiders may bite in self-defense. Spider venom can be of local and general action. The local venom causes severe pain at the site of the bite, redness (blue), swelling and tissue death, in some cases so deep that internal organs are exposed. The poison of general action causes headache, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, mental agitation, skin rash, palpitations, kidney dysfunction, severe cases suffocation and death. Fortunately, most of the poisonous spiders belong to tropical exotics, and of those common in densely populated areas, the South Russian tarantula and karakurts are the most dangerous.

The South Russian tarantula (Lycosa singoriensis), although infamous, is not as dangerous as the karakurt.

These spiders live in the herbage of the steppes and semi-deserts of Southern Europe, Asia and North America, and livestock also suffer from their bites, which in the past sometimes led to a massive death of grazing camels, sheep, and horses. The venom of the karakurt is 15 times stronger than the venom of the gyurza, but unlike the snake, the bite of the spider is shallow, therefore, as a first aid, cauterization of the bite site with a burning match is effective. True, this measure is saving only in the case of immediate (within 1-2 minutes) application. If first aid was not provided, then the life of the victim can only be saved in the hospital with the help of anti-karakurt serum.

The female karakurt (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) guards cocoons with eggs, during this period she is especially aggressive. The species shown in the photo lives in arid regions of Europe and Asia.

Although spiders seem to be dangerous and invulnerable predators, they are defenseless against many enemies. They are hunted by all kinds of birds, small animals, lizards, frogs. Bustards, noses and dormouse dormice do not even give in to poisonous species: birds stuff their stomachs with karakurt, and animals hunt for tarantulas. Among the invertebrates there are also brave men who are ready to eat their eight-legged brother. Spiders are attacked by praying mantises, bears, predatory beetles and even ... flies, however, not ordinary, but predatory.

These female scorpion spiders (Arachnura melanura) display a variety of intraspecific coloration. Females of this species have an elongated abdomen, which they can move like scorpions. Despite their formidable appearance, they do not have a sting, and the bite of these spiders is painful, but not dangerous. Males are smaller and of a regular shape.

Dead tarantula infected with cordyceps. Outgrowths that look like deer antlers are the fruiting bodies of the fungus.

This Thai argiope (Argiope sp.) sits in a trapping net with legs folded in pairs and stretched along the stabiliments. So it becomes part of the web pattern and ceases to interest others.

In this regard, spiders have developed a variety of means of protection (some of them also serve as adaptations for hunting). This should include protective coloring and body shape, as well as special postures.

Some spiders freeze in the center of the web with outstretched legs, becoming like a stick, frinarachny and pasilobus imitate bird excrement in this position and even emit an appropriate smell that attracts flies!

Seeing danger, nomadic species take to their heels; spiders weaving a web, on the contrary, land on the ground; some species take a threatening posture with their paws raised high; small spiders shake the web so that their contours in the trembling network seem to be blurred.

The sickle-shaped pasilobus (Pasilobus lunatus) is indistinguishable from the excrement of small animals, but it only looks like this in sunlight.

As if in reward for the unassuming appearance nature endowed this spider with the ability to glow in ultraviolet light.

Venomous spiders bite while tarantulas… shaken, while the hairs covering their body break off and rise into the air. When inhaled and on the skin, they cause irritation.

Rechenberg's already familiar cerebrennus never ceases to amaze: in case of danger, he flees, tumbling over his head!

It can only be surpassed by one who lives in Namib desert golden yellow carparachna(Carparachne aureoflava), which does not run away from enemies, but rolls head over heels from the dune, developing a speed of up to 1 m / s. This speed is not so small, because in order to reach it, the carparachne must make 40 somersaults over its head!

Paraplektana spider (Paraplectana sp.) dressed as a ladybug.

Some burrow spiders create three-chamber underground shelters to protect against wasps: if the enemy managed to crack the first door, the spider moves to the next compartment of the hole, which is also locked with a lid, and so on. At the same time, burrows can be configured in such a way that the enemy is simply not able to find the spider in the underground labyrinth.

The female of the severed cyclocosmia (Cyclocosmia truncata). This burrowing spider, originally from Mexico, uses the most original way protection - he plugs the entrance to the hole with his own body. The blunt end of the abdomen perfectly matches the size of the hole, so that a perfect cork is obtained, which is very difficult to pull out from the outside.

The front side of the abdomen of the cyclocosmia resembles an ancient seal.

Spiders have long evoked mixed feelings in people. On the one hand, they were feared because of their unpleasant appearance and poisonousness. The infamous karakurt in North America was nicknamed the "black widow", and the word "karakurt" in Kazakh means "black death". The subconscious fear of spiders is so strong that some people even now, with little or no contact with dangerous species, are afraid of these arthropods in a panic - such a mental deviation is called arachnophobia. On the other hand, people have always been fascinated by the ability of spiders to weave webs, and attempts have been made to extract practical benefits from this. Also in Ancient China from the web they knew how to make a special “fabric east sea”, the Polynesians used a thick web for sewing and making fishing nets. In Europe, in the 18th-19th centuries, isolated attempts were made to make fabric and clothing from cobwebs; in modern industry, cobwebs are used in instrument making. However industrial production It was not possible to give rise to this material due to the difficulties of keeping and breeding a huge number of producers. Now spiders are bred in captivity as exotic pets, and large tarantulas, which are convenient to observe, are most popular among amateurs. But other species of these arthropods also deserve protection as useful and very effective regulators of the number of harmful insects.

Smith's Brachypelma (Brachypelma smithi; female) is one of the most popular tarantula spiders. Due to the massive catch for sale in their homeland, in Mexico, it has become rare.

Read about the animals mentioned in this article: horseshoe crabs, ants, grasshoppers, praying mantises, ladybugs, crabs, snails, frogs, snakes, lizards, peacocks, cuckoos, deer.