Carnivorous spiders

Spiders are invertebrates which means they don't have a backbone!

They've got a two-part body with eight legs, two pincers and many species have eight eyes. Now here's where you shudder - all spiders are carnivorous! 

Ready for the gruesome part? Because they only have small mouths, spiders inject poison into their prey with their fangs. This poison turns the bodies of their victims into a liquid which the spider is then able to drink. Lovely. 

Spider web

Some spiders spin webs to catch their food using silk produced in glands in their stomachs. After a day or so, their web loses its stickiness, so the spider eats it and spins another one. 

A web may contain 30 metres of silk. The silk is stronger than steel of the same thickness, which is pretty amazing! 

Camouflage

Spiders that don't spin webs, catch their food by pouncing or jumping on their prey while others are sneaky and can change colour to match their surroundings so they're well camouflaged and can easily catch their unsuspecting victims! 

24 January 2022

Did you know?

  • A spiders web may contain 30 metres of silk
  • Not all spiders spin webs, some pounce on their prey
  • Spiders are invertebrates, meaning they don't have a backbone