This presentation gives a detailed insight into spiders, including what they are, how they live, how they hunt, how they defend themselves etc. Please do enjoy!

1. A detailed insight into spiders

2. Many people think of spiders as these small, fast
and deadly creatures that hide in our baths and
lurk in dark corners, waiting to pounce. In fact,
what I have just described is entirely wrong, and
whilst they are often found in our baths and often
in our houses and gardens, they are, in fact, more
scared of us they we are of them!
Many people see spiders as these eight-eyed
monstrosities with sharp fangs that deliver a
venomous bite. Yet you may be surprised to know
that there are only about 30 kinds of spider that
are dangerous to people, and only a few of these
live in the United Kingdom.
Spiders are actually more amazing than scary. They have many different and
fascinating ways to catch their prey, such as hunting, jumping, fishing and even
spitting! There are even spiders that look like crabs, ants and wasps! This
presentation provides a detailed insight into spiders, and hopefully, by the end of
it, you will be in awe of these great little critters, rather than absolutely paranoid
about them!

3. The spider’s eight
legs are joined to
the cephalothorax.
Spiders are often confused with insects, when
in fact they belong to a completely different
group, known as Arachnids (these are also
scorpions, ticks, harvestmen and mites). You
can differentiate between a spider and an
insect through a few key differences:
• A spider has eight legs, but an insect
only has six. The rear part of
the spider is called
Spiders use a
• A spider’s body is made of only two parts pair of furry the abdomen. It is
not covered by the
(cephalothorax and abdomen) whilst an “feelers”
called palps exoskeleton, and
insect’s is made of three parts (head, for holding instead by a soft,
stretchy skin.
their food.
thorax and abdomen).
• A spider typically has eight eyes (some The front part of a spider is
The spider’s jaws, or
have six) whilst insects usually have two fangs (officially known
called the cephalothorax –
basically it’s head and
eyes. as chelicerae) are used
to bite and crush their
chest. The body is covered
by a tough, hard skin called
• Many insects have wings and antennae, prey. Each ends in a
an exoskeleton.
fang that injects
but spiders do not. poison.

4. Ok, so it is fair to say that I am trying to convince you that spiders really are not as
bad as many people think, but there is no denying it – some spiders are HUGE!
The biggest spider in the world, the Giant Huntsman, is as big as a dinner plate!
However, others are miniscule, perhaps the size of a pinhead. Apart from size,
spiders also vary greatly in appearance. Fair enough; many spiders are your
typical dull brown or grey colour, but others are a striking combination of yellows,
reds and oranges. Some spiders have short, wide bodies, while others are long,
thin and skinny. There are round spiders, flat spiders and spiders with spines,
warts and horns. Spiders really are wonderful creatures! ()
You may look at this strange little creature in the picture and think
to yourself “what in the name of all that’s holy is that?”
It is in fact, the aptly named Kite spider (Gasteracantha). This
strange spider is found in Central and North America, as far north
as California and as far south as Jamaica, in gardens and parks.
Only the females have the striking colours, and are also much
bigger than the males, typically around 8 mm in length, and 12
mm wide. They have six sharp spines protruding from their
abdomen that look a lot like horns. No one knows quite what these
strange spines are for, but they may make it difficult for predators
to hold or swallow the spider.

5. The following picture is not an attempt to scaremonger. I am
merely trying to demonstrate to you the pure beauty of the Wolf
Spider – AKA The Master Hunter.
If you are terrified of spiders...... (if you are then I don’t really
know why you are viewing this presentation) then double click
the screen now (and obviously look away whilst doing so)........

8. Despite possessing the dull brown or grey
colouration I mentioned earlier, please do not be
fooled by the colouration of this spider, as it
actually acts in their favour, as camouflage! The
eloquently named Wolf spider is a mean nocturnal
hunter, and possesses all the characteristics that
make it so.
• They are robust, agile hunters
• They don’t have time to spin little pathetic webs!
They’re not wusses! No, they CHASE after their
prey!
• They are capable of defensive bites that are suited
The wolf spider has The strong
to their hunting but are generally not harmful to eight eyes – 2 big Two large exoskeleton
humans eyes, 2 medium eyes chelicerae (fangs) gives the
and 4 small eyes. means the spider spider a
This gives the spider can hunt large good
To get a further insight into Wolf Spiders, click the good vision as it prey defence
hunts during the against its
link below for a short video... night predators
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6M_84t3oa4

9. Spiders, among other things, are renown for
their rapid speed. However, these are often
quick bursts of speed as spiders are soon out
of breath. This is perhaps the main method
of movement for a spider.
Spiders can walk, run, jump, skate, climb
and hang upside down. Each spider’s legs
have seven separate sections, powered by
sets of muscles and blood pressure. At the
end of each leg are two or three sharp,
The fishing spider (Dolomedes
toothed claws for gripping surfaces.
fimbriatus) floats on the surface
of water to catch it’s prey of fish
Spiders that spin webs have a special,
and frogs. It’s long legs spread its
hooked claw to help them hold on to their
weight over the surface so that it
webs. Hunting spiders have furry tufts of
does not sink.
hair between the claws for gripping smooth
surfaces and for holding prey.

10. Aren’t they just the cutest thing? Awwwwwww.
You may say that the most remarkable thing
about this innocent jumping spider is it’s sweet
little eyes...... and, to be fair, it sort of is.
However, another very commendable thing
about this spider is it’s hunting technique – it
traverses across leaves by jumping! It is also
how it catches it’s prey.
Jumping spiders are active hunters, which means that they do not
rely on a web to catch their prey, which is usually insects. They use
their clever camouflage to blend in with the surroundings, and lie
in wait for their prey, ready to pounce. They use their superior
eyesight to spot their prey, then they pounce and deliver a
venomous bite. The venom acts very quickly, giving it’s prey little
time to react.
To get a further insight into Jumping Spiders, click the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwmgg7GDWJ4&feature=fvst

11. Whilst all spiders produce silk, not all
spiders spin webs. A few spiders go fishing
for their food instead. The net-casting
spider throws a strong, stretchy net over
it’s prey. The bolas spider is very unusual
in that it traps insects by swinging a thin
line of silk with a sticky ball on the end,
like the fishing hook on the end of a line.
Spitting spiders are even more cunning.
They fire a poisonous “glue”-like substance
to pin their prey to the ground.
This female golden orb weaver is not
only known for her size, but for the
intricacy of her orb-shaped web. The
spider’s body alone grows up to 2
inches, but the size of it’s actual web
is drastic – perhaps even three times
bigger than it’s maker!

12. No matter how many times you look at pictures of
this unique spider, you always feel creeped out at
it’s ominous face and it’s long, spindly legs.
Nevertheless, the hunting method of this creature
is something to admire. The spider builds a small,
round-like web that it suspends in mid-air
between it’s front legs. It usually positions itself in
mid-air above a leaf or a branch, waiting to
pounce.
When prey approaches, the spider will stretch the net to
two or three times its normal size and pounce onto the
prey from above, entangling it in the web. Their excellent
night-vision is provided by two large eyes. These eyes are
so large in comparison to the other six eyes that the spider
seems to have only two eyes.
To see a video on a net-casting spider catching it’s prey,
click the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AjFHPy3cx8

13. Some spiders do not spin webs, nor do
they go out hunting for food. These
spiders prefer to build and wait inside
underground burrows or tubes of silk and
wait for prey to approach and pass by. Silk
threads placed carefully around the
entrance to the burrow vibrate when an
insect or other small creature such as a
mouse passes over them. Inside the
burrow, the spider is waiting, concealed in
a shadow of darkness. The spider feels
this vibration on the silk threads, giving it
the indication that it’s prey is nearby. This
gives it the opportunity to rush out of its
burrow and pounce of the prey before it
can escape. It then drags its prey back into
the burrow, where it is killed and later
devoured. How pleasant.

14. The trapdoor spider is the master of
disguise, the artist of deception, the
creator of craftiness. It is the
designer of..... well you get the
picture.
Whatever you call it, this spider is one
mean brute. This spider does not spin
a web, nor does it hunt. Instead, it
builds a crafty burrow with a
trapdoor, and places silken threads
around it’s burrow which act as trip
lines. These detect the movements of
a passing insect or creature, and gives Trapdoor spiders remain fiercely loyal to their
burrows, and live in them for up to 20 years!
the trapdoor spider it’s opportunity to
To get a further insight into Trapdoor spiders,
pounce, rushing out of it’s burrow to click the link below:
grab the prey with it’s jaws and drag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yJgPVxS5aI
it back down.

15. I can imagine that by this time you have
viewed most of my presentation and the
idea of spiders being AWESOME is pretty
much now ingrained into your brain.
But I can also understand that your
getting a little bit tired. Not to worry! This
slide will liven things up a bit!
No doubt the forefront of your minds
throughout this presentation has been
that of a spider’s venomous bite.
Nearly all spiders use poison to kill or paralyse their prey and for defence. There are
two main kinds of venom that can have serious effects on humans – one is
neurotoxin, which acts as a nerve poison which attacks the nervous system,
paralysing victims quickly. This type of venom is produced by the widow spiders,
most notably the black widow spider (Lactrodectus). The other kind of venom
works more slowly, destroying tissues and causing necrosis, ulcers and gangrene.
This is produced by the recluse spiders, most notably the brown recluse spider
(Loxosceles). Both of these spiders are found in the United Kingdom, so be afraid!

16. You may look at this spider and be fooled into thinking that it
looks terrifying. Well, the truth is.... your right; it doesn’t just
look terrifying, the way in which it lives is terrifying!
This is the Brazilian Wandering Spider, the master of cunning,
the creator of..... ok I’m not starting this again.
This spider is a large hunting spider that, according to the
Guinness Book of Records, produces the most toxic of all spider
venoms. It is also notoriously aggressive. If disturbed, it raises
it’s front legs above it’s head to expose it’s threatening jaws.
Then what? Does it run? No. Even if this spider is confronted by
a foe much bigger than itself, it will CHASE AFTER the foe until
it flees. Luckily for most people, the Brazilian Wandering Spider
roams the Amazon Jungle in...... Brazil (Yep....go figure), so
people in the UK can go to bed at night knowing you’ll be safe. If
you live in Brazil, then you’ll more than likely know about this
spider, seeing as it’s accountable for around half of all recorded
deaths as a result of spider bites in Brazil each year.
To get a further insight into Brazilian Wandering Spiders, click
on the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noLn2gK3fzY

17. Judging by the last slide, you would think
that the need for a spider to defend itself
is quite pointless. Truth is, not all spiders
are massive, powerful hunters like Mr.
Wanderer of the previous slide.
Spiders are typically small, with soft
bodies that make a tasty snack for many
predators. To avoid predators, such as
other spiders, hunting wasps, lizards and
frogs, many spiders hide. Other spiders
conceal themselves by being beautifully
camouflaged to blend in with their
surroundings. In complete contrast,
some spiders copy the bright colours of This is the seven-spined crab spider
dangerous predators, such as wasps. This (Epicadus heterogaster). The fleshy
tricks predators into leaving the spider lobes on it’s abdomen imitate the white
alone. Spiders will even play dead, since flowers of the plant it dwells on. This
predators prefer to eat live prey. helps it to blend in with its surroundings
and avoid detection by predators.

18. I know I’ve covered some pretty insane
spiders in this presentation, but there is no
denying the ingenious way in which this
spider avoids predation.
This is the aptly named Golden Wheel
Spider, a spider that lives on the sand dunes
of the Namib Desert in Africa. You may think
that it’s gold colour helps it blend in with it’s
surroundings, but this spider has another
method of escaping from its predators.
If caught out in the open, however, the spider rears up to make itself look larger and more
frightening to enemies. If that doesn’t work, then it has another remarkable way of
escaping. The spider throws itself sideways, pulls in its legs and rolls itself into a ball. It
then cartwheels rapidly away down the dunes, escaping from it’s prey.
To see a video on this great escape, click on the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozn31QBOHtk

19. For me, it’s been a long day of creating presentations, for you, a long day of
viewing them. So, I’ll keep this short and sweet.
SPIDERS ARE COOL! STOP BEING COWARDS! THEY ARE A VALID PART OF
OUR ECO-SYSTEM AND WITHOUT THEM IT WOULD FALL APART.
THIS VIDEO MAY HAVE BEEN HUMOUROUS, BUT IT IS ALSO HERE TO
EDUCATE. PLEASE, THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE A SPIDER, THINK BEFORE
YOU ACT!
LET IT SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AND THE FEELING OF THE LIGHT BREEZE
RATHER THAN THE UNDERSIDE OF YOUR BOOT AND A POOL OF IT’S
OWN BLOOD TO DROWN IN.
TREAT IT WITH RESPECT, AND DON’T SCREAM, COS THEN IT WILL JUST
BITE YOU. YOUR FAULT REALLY. HA. HAHA. HAHAHA.
Anyway, that’s it really. A short conclusion outlying the main point of my
presentation.