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Definition of a spider


1. Spiders live mainly on land, just like humans or elephants. Some may go into the water for short periods, but spiders don't have special legs to move in the water.

2. Spiders move around on eight legs. Even with eight legs, they are so well coordinated that they can move gracefully around their web or run quickly across the ground.

 

3. Spiders' bodies have two parts. The first part, called the prosoma, is like our head in that it contains the spider's eyes and mouth. The second body part is called the abdomen. The fluid that becomes the silk for making webs is produced in the spider's abdomen.

 

4. Some animals have special arm-like structures called pedipalps. The structures are like our arms in that they are used to handle food and for cleaning. Spiders have plain pedipalps that end in a stub. Spiders never have large pincers at the end of their pedipalps, although they do have small claws on their stubs.

5. Spiders have special mouth parts, or jaws, called chelicerae, that look like fangs. Chelicerae can move like a lobster's pincers. Poison comes out of them, and spiders use their chelicerae to kill their prey.

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