Don’t Call ‘Em Insects
Spiders belong to the same phylum as insects, Arthropoda, and then go their separate way. They belong to the subphylum Chelicerata and the class Arachinida, which include scorpions, ticks and mites, and daddy-long-legs (which are not true spiders, but that’s another story).
Spider Hangouts
Spiders were hard at work long before the dinosaurs appeared, and have settled everywhere on the planet except Antarctica. Most live on land, but some spend their lives on or near water. They make their homes everywhere, from treetops to underground burrows, from suburban subdivisions to tropical caves. Jumping spiders have actually been found on Mt. Everest, 22,000 feet up, though few species live above 16,000 feet (5,000 meters).
|