Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Redblack spiders
Redback spiders live in most parts of Australia. The female redback builds a sticky, tangled web in dry, sheltered places. She hides in a funnel-shaped part at the top of the web. Inside logs, under rubble and rubbish, among rocks and in sheds are places where redback spiders can be found. Male redbacks do not build webs.
Spiders are not insects, they are arachnids. They have 8 legs (insects have 6 legs).Female redback spiders have shiny black bodies with an orange or red stripe on the upper abdomen. A female's body is about the size of a large pea. Males are smaller and are brown. Their red markings are often pale. Redback spiders have long, thin legs.
Redback spiders are more common in warmer weather.
Redback spiders eat insects. Large female redbacks sometimes capture small lizards and will also steal food from the webs of other redback spiders.
The male redback spider hangs around near a female's web. He gets the female's attention by showing her his abdomen. This can be dangerous because if she mistakes him for prey she will squirt digestive juices onto him and try to eat him. Many males are eaten as they mate!
Spiders are not insects, they are arachnids. They have 8 legs (insects have 6 legs).Female redback spiders have shiny black bodies with an orange or red stripe on the upper abdomen. A female's body is about the size of a large pea. Males are smaller and are brown. Their red markings are often pale. Redback spiders have long, thin legs.
Redback spiders are more common in warmer weather.
Redback spiders eat insects. Large female redbacks sometimes capture small lizards and will also steal food from the webs of other redback spiders.
The male redback spider hangs around near a female's web. He gets the female's attention by showing her his abdomen. This can be dangerous because if she mistakes him for prey she will squirt digestive juices onto him and try to eat him. Many males are eaten as they mate!
# posted by saffron @ 7:23 AM 
