Life expectancy of a spider, how many years do house spiders live in nature?

Spiders are the largest group of living creatures. Among the known 42 thousand species there are giant individuals, the size of a fist, and very tiny ones, less than 1 mm. They inhabit all continents, with the exception of Antarctica, adapting to life in different conditions.

The lifespan of these amazing creatures can vary - from a couple of months to several decades.

How long do spiders live in a person’s house and in the wild?

Small insects rarely live more than one year. In addition to natural enemies, the lifespan of spiders is reduced due to cannibalism (females of many species eat males immediately after the process of fertilization of eggs is completed). In Russia, due to unfavorable climatic conditions, spiders die for the following reasons:

1. Low temperatures, which are detrimental to insects. They tolerate heat and dry air much easier than humid and cold climates.
2. Lack of food. Winter in Russia lasts long enough, and during this period there is nothing to eat. The ability to fall into suspended animation is not always accompanied by the accumulation of sufficient reserves of nutrients to survive the cold period of the year.
3. Poisoning. Many forests and fields are actively fertilized and treated with various pest control agents. Various chemical elements also reach the victims of spiders, which ultimately leads to insect poisoning.

The lifespan of house spiders is significantly longer (on average it reaches one year). This is due to the absence of those harmful factors that exist in the wild. However, hunger can cause early death of an insect even at home.

There are also long-lived spiders at home:

1. Tarantulas in the appropriate climate zone can live up to 15 years. It should be remembered that they are dangerous to humans.
2. The most poisonous spider, the black widow, can live up to 5 years in captivity, posing a serious danger to house residents.
3. Goliath in captivity can reach the age of 9 years.
4. The record holder for how long spiders live in people's homes is the tarantula, some specimens of which managed to live for more than 20 years.

Life expectancy at home

How long spiders live at home depends on the species to which the arthropod belongs and the availability of safe shelters. The most important condition is the attitude of the owner of the home towards uninvited tenants.

Arthropods usually enter the house during the warm season:

• from the street through open windows and doors;
• penetrate from the attic or basement through pipes;
• owners bring spiders on clothes, flowers, and garden tools.

Spiders in the apartment

If you do not deliberately exterminate spiders in your homes, they will live longer than in their natural habitat. This is due to the absence of natural enemies, constant temperature and humidity. Ordinary spiders in an apartment can live for many years.

The house can accommodate:

• harvestmen are spiders with a small body (0.2-1 cm) and legs, the length of which is 20 times longer than the body. Weave nets for small insects in the corners. During the day they can bask in the sun. They are also called window spiders, centipedes or pigtail spiders. They live for a maximum of 2 years;
• Hobo spiders have a brown body measuring 0.5-1.5 cm. They got their name because they do not stay in one place for a long time. They run quickly and catch their prey in one giant leap. They can bite, but the venom is not fatal to humans. They live 1-2 years;
• House spiders are common both in homes and in the wild: forests, parks, and garden plots. The body is spotted, light in color (yellowish, brown) in the female reaches a size of 1.2 cm, in the male it is smaller - 0.9 cm. Arachnids wage fierce battles for prey in one territory. Able to live up to 5 years.

In captivity

It is difficult to say exactly how many years a spider will live in a terrarium. This issue has not yet been sufficiently studied. Information about popular types of arthropods that are most often kept at home:

• female black Brazilian tarantulas will live up to 20 years in an apartment. Males are smaller - up to 10 years;
• The Apulian tarantula is the largest of the domestic spiders (body length up to 7 cm), native to Spain. Males live on average 2 years, females - 4;
• Jumping spiders are bred because of their unusual abilities - arthropods jump, especially high during the mating season. Such spiders live in an apartment less than their relatives - up to 1 year;
• female white-haired tarantulas live up to 12 years of age, males in captivity live much shorter, up to 3 years;
• The red-knee tarantula has a bright, interesting coloration. There are cases where females lived up to 30 years.

Red knee tarantula

To increase the lifespan of a spider in captivity, it is necessary to ensure optimal living conditions.

1. The home must be well ventilated.
2. The terrarium should have a constant temperature of +23…28 °C. For this purpose, thermostats and heating devices are used.
3. Humidity 70-80%. To maintain the required level of humidity, the substrate in the spider’s habitat can be periodically moistened with a spray bottle.
4. Correctly selected feeding regimen. Young spiders are fed daily, adults, depending on the species, once every 1-3 weeks.

Important! Uneaten food must be removed promptly to avoid decomposition and the spread of an unpleasant odor.

Feeding features of insects

Being voracious predators, spiders usually feed on insects by suction. Many people wonder whether spiders eat cockroaches, and in some cases the answer may be yes. This applies to domestic animals. The prey - the victim of spiders - must be killed using poison. If it is a small insect, death occurs instantly; if the victim is large, it struggles in the predator’s nets. Certain food items that arachnids eat are small insects, and they must be suitable in size ratio. Many individuals eat cockroaches of all types, bedbugs, flies and bugs.

All webs have the shape of a sphere

Many people assume that all spiders spin large, varied webs. However, you already know that some spiders do not weave at all. They spit out webs in different ways.

Spiders produce webs using glands located under their abdomen. The web itself is a protein that has a liquid form, but freezes in the air when it leaves the glands. Partly, webs are used to create webs, partly, prey is stored in it, and partly, eggs are wrapped in it.

A spherical web is a circular mesh formed from a series of spirals. This is the most famous version of the web, but far from the only one. Funnel webs are used by burrowing spiders. Compared to spherical webs, these types are not sticky. This helps you attack and take cover quickly. The cellular web is less structured. Such webs can be found in grass, under stones and leaves.

Why do spiders appear in a house or apartment: signs

The appearance of a spider in the house is considered a sign. Depending on how and where you noticed the spider, you should discuss the significance of the sign. It is worth noting that most of the signs associated with this insect are positive.

The most common opinion, which arose hundreds and thousands of years ago, states: a spider appears in a house or apartment because of money. If you suddenly notice a spider in a place where it should not be (furniture, food, walls, etc.), rest assured that it portends prosperity for you.

Another popular belief says that negative energy always collects in the corners of the house. That is why spiders, like real “guards” of the house, stretch the web in the corners, catching it. If a spider catches your eye, it means it is actively “fighting” all the negativity at home.

Meaning of the sign: there is a spider in the home

Values:

• A spider in the kitchen with a cobweb - such a sign portends discord in the family. It could be a simple quarrel, or it could be a divorce.
• Spider in the bathroom - if a spider is close to water, this may “hint” you that you will soon experience financial difficulties.
• A spider in the toilet is a bad omen, indicating that your wealth can “flow away like water.”
• A spider crawling away from you - perhaps you will soon spend a lot of money or experience financial collapse.
• A spider crawling on you portends prosperity, monetary profit, and a bonus.
• Spider on clothes - soon you will hear good news or make a long-awaited purchase.

Spider has many meanings as a sign

It is believed that if a person kills a spider, he will attract negativity and bad luck. However, this sign has several features:

• Intentionally killing a spider is a sign that foreshadows losses and waste, a series of failures and problems for the person who committed this.
• Accidentally killing a spider is a good omen that will “save” a person from problems. (According to ancient belief, it was believed that such a murder “gets rid of 40 sins”).

The meaning of spider and web

The most suitable conditions for these arthropods are damp, dark, cool places with a lot of insects. The ideal place that matches the description is a cellar or basement. But if there are a lot of spiders in the apartment, then there are reasons for this:

• Dampness. Problems with plumbing or sewerage, leaking faucets and pipes - all this will create favorable conditions for spiders. They live under the bathroom, behind the toilet and pipes;
• Unsanitary conditions. During cleaning, all hanging cobwebs are brushed away from the corners with a broom or sucked up with a vacuum cleaner. When such procedures are carried out regularly, they do not have time to weave a new web for themselves;
• Insects. All animals need to eat. If there are a lot of small pests at home, this will certainly attract unwanted residents.

There are fewer dangers for spiders in houses and apartments than on the street. Therefore, if spiders appear in the house, it means that favorable conditions have been created for them.

House spiders number no more than a dozen species. They hide from humans in dark corners and are completely harmless. They can be distinguished by the appearance and structure of the web.

Harvesting spider

Characterized by a small body and long thin legs. It is not poisonous and does not bite. Its web is not sticky. The networks are woven in a sloppy and disorderly manner. The victim, falling into such a trap, simply becomes entangled and cannot get out. It feeds on beetles, mosquitoes, midges, flies and other small insects. Helps regulate the number of pests in the apartment

Arachnophobia is stupidity

In an article delightfully titled "I Promise: Spiders Are Not Trying to Kill You," the entomologist explains that your fear of spiders is completely irrational. The spider that lunged at you from the moving box didn't actually do that, and it wasn't very big, even though you could clearly hear its giant hairy legs scraping against the cardboard as it tried to prepare to leap to bite into you. neck.

Your mind tends to exaggerate the size, speed and danger of things you fear, so if you saw a 3cm spider, you thought it was actually 45cm long, trying to kill you and moving as fast as a racing car.

Pros and cons of content

Before you decide to purchase such a pet, weigh the pros and cons of keeping it.

Among the advantages:

• does not require a lot of time and money for care and maintenance;
• a silent, calm and almost invisible animal;
• The behavior of the spider is interesting to observe.

• there is always a risk that a spider will bite or run away;
• some species have a very short lifespan;
• cannot be trained, and is not a tame pet in the standard sense.

Important! For children, the elderly, people with allergies or other serious illnesses, a spider bite can have bad consequences!

Such an exotic pet will clearly attract the attention of all visitors to your home. If you and other family members do not have arachnophobia or allergies, then it is quite acceptable to have a spider.

But if you want to receive emotional feedback from your pet and spend more time with it, then you should take a closer look at more social types of animals.

Appearance

The house spider Tegenaria domestica is small in size, on average from 5 to 12 mm. A special feature is that females are twice the size of the opposite sex. The color is spotted, shades from light to dark yellow with brown spots. The location of the spots on the body can be individual, sometimes they form a pattern in the form of a Christmas tree. The body structure of both sexes is no different.

The oblong abdomen has a yellow or brown color, and the latter is characteristic of males. The legs are very long, the front legs are several times longer than the hind legs. They are striped. This species has 8 eyes: 4 are located in front of the cephalothorax, 2 (main) above them, and 2 on the sides.

Did you know? The structure of
the main and additional eyes of a spider is different: the main ones have muscles, but do not have a “mirror” reflecting light, and the additional ones do the opposite. Thanks to this, the main eyes have mobility, and the auxiliary eyes have night vision.
Sometimes females are superior to males not only in size, but also in the thickness of the body.

Lifespan of spiders

Arachnids have recently often lived in apartments as pets. People care about them and want to know as much as possible. In addition to taste preferences and necessary temperature conditions, owners want to have information about how long spiders live.

In nature

How many years do ordinary spiders live that live far from humans? Harsh natural conditions contribute to a reduction in the life cycle.

In nature, arthropods have many enemies. Young individuals are more at risk than others. Their small size and lack of hunting experience make spiders prey. The most dangerous enemies are hawk wasps. Arthropods, due to underdeveloped vision, mistake them for prey. Having flown close, the insect attacks and kills the animal.

Arachnids have pedipalps used for grinding food. In males, the six-segmented processes function as part of the reproductive system. During the final molt, the pedipalps are not completely released. The male is not able to properly grind prey, which leads to malnutrition. Over time, nutritional deficiency leads to death.

Some males die because they were unable to shed their old exoskeleton. It compresses the internal organs, the individual dies from suffocation or poor circulation.

Homemade

How long do house spiders live? In the life cycle of arachnids, an important stage is the complete maturation of the reproductive organs, which occurs after the last molt. After the last shedding of the cuticle, the male’s body quickly ages. In captivity, with sufficient food and a comfortable ambient temperature, individuals that in nature reach sexual maturity in 3-6 years mature in 2 years.

At home, males live from six months to one and a half years after reaching maturity. It was recorded at the Berlin Zoo that a long-lived natural spider died after 12 years. Why do arachnids live longer under natural conditions with a lack of food and uncomfortable weather?

No studies have been conducted to study how long the life span of arachnids lasts. But the metabolism of protostomes was studied. During the tests, it was revealed that during the winter months, metabolic processes in the arthropod’s body slow down, and the spider ages more slowly.

What does a real tarantula look like?

Usually the color of tarantulas is brown, gray or black, but light-colored individuals are also found. Sexual dimorphism is well developed. Males differ from females in being smaller in size and having more developed forelimbs. Tarantulas are typical representatives of arachnids leading a solitary lifestyle.

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Where and how they appear: reasons

There are several reasons for the appearance of spiders in a house or apartment:

1. In private homes, spiders are a fairly common occurrence. They live outdoors, but often crawl indoors;
2. A person can bring a spider on his clothes. Having thus entered the house, he remains to live there;
3. spiders are predators. If insects live in a house or apartment (flies, cockroaches, bedbugs, mosquitoes), then even a black spider that accidentally gets into the house will remain: warm, almost safe and plenty of food.

A spider is an animal, not an insect, as many are accustomed to think. It belongs to the class Arachnida, a phylum of arthropods. It consists only of the abdomen, on which the legs grow, and the cephalothorax, where the mouthparts are located.

The natural habitat is not an apartment at all. Arachnids move to humans “for a better life.” In the house, the network is not damaged by wind, rain and snow. But the most attractive thing is the domestic parasitic insects. If there are a lot of insects at home, then arachnids will appear in large numbers. Demand creates supply.

• Through cracks in the wooden door frame, cracks in the floor, window frames;
• migrate from the uninhabited attic of the house;
• they arrive in coats and jackets;
• fly on cobwebs into the windows and open doors.

For a resident of a private house, these arthropods are a common occurrence. But apartment residents are not happy with such guests. Signs tell a lot about how spiders appear in the house, on the ceiling or in the bathroom and why. And what does this promise, is it possible to kill spiders in the house, is such a neighborhood good or bad. There are many beliefs, superstitions and prejudices associated with these neighbors. Let's assume it's not in vain. And would it be more correct to treat spiders calmly and wait for good news?

As a rule, signs of the appearance of spiders promise profit, good news and pleasant meetings. For example, the sudden appearance of money. If you see a cobweb, then expect a visit from an old friend or relative, a letter announcing an inheritance, or the return of a debt. Bad forecasts include family troubles, illness, and a sudden move to a new place.

Myth 12. Spiders are insects

Image: Timothy Dykes / Unsplash
The last and most common myth. No, spiders are not insects. They belong to Z. Zhang. Phylum Arthropoda / Zootaxa to the animal kingdom and phylum Arthropods, but separated into their own class Arachnida. They split evolutionarily with insects more than 380 million years ago, so lumping them together is wrong.

What species live in the apartment

Spiders belong to the order of arthropods; they are all obligate predators, that is, they cannot do without animal food; small insects are their tasty morsel. They live on all continents except Antarctica.

Only a few species, out of thousands known, can coexist with people in apartments and houses. It is not so easy to notice their presence; they choose the darkest corners for their habitats and hide when their owners approach. The presence and type of spiders that have settled in a home can be determined by the web and the appearance of the individual.

The most common types of house spiders:

• Black and gray spider. They are small in size - body length 14-18 mm. They settle in warm and dry places in the house. The female never leaves her habitat. These types of arthropods weave structured webs.
• Centipede. It is also called a haymaker or a windowcutter - due to its predilection for settling on the windowsill. Their peculiarity is a small body - up to 10 mm and long legs; the total size of an individual can reach several centimeters. After eating the victim, the spider completes the web, so it often looks chaotic.
• Tramp. This representative of arthropods does not stay in a person’s home for a long time, for which he received a telling name. Its peculiarity is its method of catching prey, which is unusual for spiders - the tramp attacks insects by jumping and immobilizes them with poison. For this reason, he does not spin webs. Individuals of this species have an elongated body and long legs, with a maximum total size of no more than 5 cm.

Flies, cockroaches, two-tailed bugs, bedbugs - that's all that spiders feed on in the apartment. Having waited for the victim to become entangled in the web, the spiders inject poison and digestive juice into it; when the insect dies, the predator sucks out the insides from it.

These creatures do not form populations, so no matter how long house spiders live in an apartment, their numbers will not increase significantly, and if there is a lack of food, they reproduce only once, at the end of their life cycle. The lifespan of each individual depends on the species to which it belongs; as a rule, it is several months.

Who hibernates?

Hibernation is a very interesting and complex process that deserves our attention and observation. Animals that mostly live in a temperate climate (warm summers and cold winters) go into hibernation. For many animals, hibernation is the only way to survive during the frosty winter, since at this time it is very difficult for them to get food for themselves.

During hibernation (or hibernation), the animal's vital processes and metabolism, as well as its pulse and breathing rate, slow down. The animal begins to prepare for hibernation several months before the onset of cold weather. Before hibernation, it accumulates fat in order to survive this difficult period.

There is also torpor and suspended animation, characterized by more sound sleep and an even greater slowdown of internal processes.

In first place in this ranking is, of course, the well-known bear. However, it turns out that only three species of bears hibernate (brown, black and Himalayan). The rest of the bears (including polar bears) do not hibernate.

A bear's sleep is not as sound as that of other hibernating animals. The bear sleeps lightly and superficially. The body temperature practically does not decrease, and all internal processes work in the usual rhythm. However, waking up a hibernating bear is highly discouraged. An awakened bear is very aggressive, angry and dangerous. Often a bear simply wanders through the forest, using up its accumulated energy before winter and losing its fat reserves. Such bears are called “connecting rods”.

During hibernation, a bear can lose up to half its body weight.

2. Hedgehog.

Hedgehogs do not store supplies for the winter, as they feed mainly on insects. Therefore, they have to store fat in the summer season and sleep in the winter. By winter (in October), hedgehogs become fat and hibernate, finding refuge in dense bushes, depressions in the soil, covered with fallen leaves, among forest brushwood. The hedgehog wakes up only when the frost stops.

3. Gopher.

Gophers are animals that can hibernate for a very long time, up to 9 months a year. After awakening, they most often experience a short period of vigorous activity.

Not all bats hibernate. This directly depends on the climate and habitat. If temperatures in a bat's habitat fall below freezing in winter, they either hibernate in caves or other sheltered areas or migrate to warmer areas. Hibernation resembles deep sleep, in which the heartbeat is barely noticeable and breathing slows down to one inhalation and exhalation every 5 minutes. An active animal's body temperature is 37-40°C, but during hibernation it drops to 5°C.

5. Groundhog.

All marmots, regardless of species, hibernate.

Research has shown that marmots prefer plants rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, the higher concentration of which in the fatty tissue of sleeping animals helps them tolerate lower temperatures during hibernation. By the end of summer, marmots accumulate up to 800-1200 g of fat, which amounts to 20-25% of their weight. During hibernation, the life processes of marmots almost freeze: body temperature drops from 36-38 to 4.6-7.6 °C, breathing slows down to 2-3 breaths per minute instead of the normal 20-24, and heartbeat - to 3-15 beats per minute instead of 88-140. In winter, marmots do not eat and hardly move, subsisting on stored fat reserves. However, since energy expenditure during hibernation is low, in the spring marmots often wake up quite well-fed, with a reserve of 100-200 g of fat.

During the winter, badgers go to sleep. Just like in bears, it is almost not accompanied by a decrease in body temperature and a slowdown in basic vital functions. By autumn, the badger accumulates significant reserves of subcutaneous fat, so that its weight almost doubles. By the time it lies down, its hole has already been cleaned, the nesting chamber is filled with fresh bedding, and the badger, climbing into the hole for the last time, clogs the entrance holes with earth and leaves. If several animals live in one common “badger” for the winter, then each one sleeps in a separate nesting chamber. Animals stop appearing on the surface after the first snow falls. In the spring, they awaken with the beginning of active snow melting, when the average daily temperature passes zero.

Folk signs

Whether a meeting with a spider will be favorable or not is determined by environmental conditions, time of year or day, movement along the web, position and shape. You can listen to these signs, or you can ignore them. Although why, if superstitions, as a rule, bring positive news.

Let's remember the signs about the consequences of meeting spiders:

• found on your head - get a big sum of money that you don’t expect;
• to see in the morning means good luck for today, at noon (when the sun is at its zenith) - wait for the beginning of a great love story;
• a spider hanging on a thread hangs in front of your face - an unexpected conversation with a person you haven’t seen for ten years;
• appeared on the bathroom wall - to quick changes;
• a spider hanging over the dinner plates means they are talking behind your back or eavesdropping;
• a catching net over the bed - discord or betrayal (This sign will lose its meaning if you simply clean up, check the corners in the bedroom, remove traces of cobwebs from the ceiling, and send the spiders into the yard.);
• if the spider moves upward on the web, expect a promotion, advancement in work matters.

Folk remedies and methods will help in the fight against spiders if the case is not advanced. The simplest method, as noted above, is to get rid of the food source of arthropods: cockroaches, midges, mosquitoes and other insects. You shouldn’t feel sorry for the cobwebs woven by predators in the corners of the house. It is better to clean it with a damp cloth, taking the spiders along with it.

In a private house, with an abundance of vegetation under the windows and in the yard, it makes sense to use boric acid in the fight against spiders. A special effect can be achieved by combining acid with a vacuum cleaner, which can easily remove all spiders, including those from hard-to-reach places.

Not the easiest, but effective method is home renovation. Spiders cannot stand the smell of paint, whitewash, or putty. Replacing the floor and wallpaper followed by general cleaning will get rid of arthropods for a long time and help refresh the interior.

Another folk remedy against domestic arthropods is mint. Even a small amount of a fragrant plant placed in the corners of the house will scare away spiders. You can enhance the effect with the help of peppermint aromatic oil, sprayed through a spray bottle around the house in spider habitats. The same effect can be achieved using eucalyptus or tea tree oil.

Spiders, for the most part, are harmless animals, and people have many superstitions about them:

if a spider came into the house, good luck came with it; spiders living in the corners attract all the negative energy, preventing it from spreading to the owners of the house; if it weaves a thick web, it means drought; sits in the corner of a large web - predicts rain; a spider seen in the bathroom warns against danger: something you planned will not bring benefit, but harm; the presence of a spider in the house means prosperity; a spider crawling towards you promises sudden profit. Creeping away from you - to expenses; if an arthropod frightens you, it’s bad news

But if you are not afraid - good news; If you notice a spider hanging from the ceiling by a thread, pay attention to where it is moving. Up - to the fulfillment of a desire, down - the dream is not destined to come true; did a spider fall on your head? Expect to get rich soon; the earlier in the day a small fly hunter is encountered, the more negative the overall effect of the omen

Ideally, meet him in your apartment late in the evening; You cannot kill spiders - you will lose your health and luck.

Spiders in the wild

Today, more than 42,000 species of spiders are known. They live in different regions, but are more widespread in areas with a warm and humid climate.

It is known that large spiders, inhabitants of desert-shrub areas, are prone to slow growth and long life expectancy. Spiders, native to tropical rain forests, grow quickly but do not live long. In most cases they do not live more than 12 months.

Spiny or horned orb weaving spider (Gasteracantha cancriformi). The male dies 6-7 days after fertilization of the female, if he does not become her dinner before that. The female dies after laying eggs. Thus, the lifespan of this species is not long at all: for males - up to 3 months, for females - up to 1 year.

The life expectancy of one of the most dangerous spiders in the world - the black widow: females - about 5 years, males - less.

The Mexican red-knee tarantula spider lives about 30 years.

Curly-haired tarantula spider - about 20 years old.

The goliath tarantula is one of the largest representatives of arachnids. The average lifespan of a male is 9 years, 14 years for a female.

Pecilotheria regalis is another species of tarantula; males live for 5 years, females for about 9 years.

Tarantulas live up to thirty years in the wild.

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They overwinter with young offspring (the female is eaten in the spring)

The black fathead spends its winter in a special way. With the onset of autumn, the mating period approaches, and the males go in search of females. Having carried out the necessary fertilization ritual, the male remains to live in the same burrow with the female. The fathead spider makes a cocoon for its offspring, where it soon lays eggs.

For 2 months, spiders guard the clutch in a cocoon. With the onset of spring, spiders appear. Spiders serve as food for them. By the end of summer there are 3 molts. Young spiders crawl out of their holes to find a home. After 2 moults they will become sexually mature and will look for a female. A male spider, whose life cycle is less than a year, dies by this time.

Are house spiders dangerous?

After reading a lot of information about spider species

, which are most often
found in the houses and apartments
of residents of the CIS countries, I realized that, basically, they
do not do much harm
(sometimes they even do good, kill flies, for example).
But this does not mean that you should give spiders complete freedom in your home, because after all, they are not pets and they should live outside. By the way, all spiders are poisonous
, it’s just that most of them do not have enough poison to harm a person.

Here are some interesting facts about spiders:

1. The spider's brain occupies one-fourth of the volume of the entire body.
2. Many types of spiders eat their relatives.
3. Spiders are not family mates at all; they mostly live alone.
4. At one time, the female spider lays about 1000 eggs.
5. The only place on the planet where there are no spiders is Antarctica.

Despite the fact that human beings have a natural fear of spiders, many are increasingly choosing them as exotic pets. Spider owners say this is an ideal option if you don't have time to care for your little friend. If you do not suffer from arachnophobia and dream of owning an unusual pet, we will help you understand the features of care and maintenance, types of spiders, as well as all the pros and cons of such a choice.

Myth 3. Spiders constantly make scary noises.

Video from Live Science / YouTube channel

In horror films, eight-legged monsters cannot take a step without ominously purring, chirping and crackling. The potential victim hears eerie sounds over his shoulder, turns around... and is bitten, swaddled and carried away into the darkness.

In particularly advanced cases, arthropods also talk. But in order to understand their muttering, you need to wear a special ring or be a friend of Hagrid, if you know what I mean.

But in reality, spiders frightening victims with sounds are stupid, because they do not have vocal cords. These creatures are simply incapable of roaring, hissing and squealing and attack silently.

There are, however, some exceptions to this rule. For example, wolf spiders can sit on easily vibrating surfaces (in nature this is usually a bed of dry leaves) and quickly rub their jaws against each other, making a nasty creaking sound. Tarantula spiders behave in much the same way.

But very few arthropods do this, and only to scare off BRIEF: Spiders “Sing” to Avoid Becoming Supper / Inside Science or to deceive enemies, and not to warn prey about an attack. For wolf spiders, their purring also allows them to lure females. They pick up the vibrations with their sensilla (i.e., knees) and follow the call.

In general, if we consider the behavior of movie spiders, armed with this knowledge, we can assume that they do not want to eat their victims at all.

Reasons for appearing in the apartment

Why do spiders appear in the apartment? If they are regular guests in a home, it means they are attracted to the conditions, the most important of which is the availability of food.

These creatures will not stay long where there are no small insects. Therefore, the best way to prevent spiders in an apartment is to make sure that there are no midges, cockroaches, or ants.

There are other reasons for the invasion of spiders in the home:

• Favorable temperature. In autumn, spiders from the street are looking for a warmer place to live.
• Humidity level. Spiders, depending on their species, are attracted to both dry rooms and places with high humidity, for example, a basement or a bathroom.
• Unsanitary conditions. Where cleaning is rarely done, insects most likely live, serving as food for arthropods; spiders receive enough food and actively reproduce.

Spiders do not start on their own; they enter a home from the street in various ways; if the room is suitable for living, they will settle for a long time; if there is no food, they will leave to look for a new place.

Where do spiders appear in the apartment:

1. small cracks in the floor;
2. open windows;
3. Street clothes;
4. pieces of furniture (that have been outside for a long time);
5. wild or garden flowers (tree branches, berries) brought into the house.

If spiders appear in a large number in an apartment, then the reason is not accidental entry from the street, but active reproduction already inside the home; in such a situation, it is necessary to take measures to eliminate unpleasant neighbors. To do this, you need to know what spiders are afraid of. Chemical insect repellents, sticky tapes, and ultrasonic devices can cope with them. They are also repelled by many smells: paint, wallpaper paste, mint, orange.

Myth 6. Female spiders always eat males.

Image: Alex Keda / Unsplash
In general, because of their dislike for members of their own species, furry misanthropes experience some problems with sex.

Everyone has heard that black widows devour their males after copulation. As a matter of fact, this species itself received its name thanks to this custom. But in reality the situation is somewhat more complicated.

Not only black widows, but also all other spiders practice cannibalism with enviable enthusiasm. A spider attacks a spider if it is hungry, and it is not necessary to arrange mating games in order to attack each other. And if the female does not hunt, she may ignore the male RF Foelix. Biology of Spiders.

There is a possibility Myth: When black widow spiders mate, the female always kills and eats the male / Burke Museum that the myth about female black widows appeared because the reproduction of this species was observed mainly in the laboratory, and not in the wild, where such The incident is rather an exception to the rule. And in the male bank there is nowhere to run.

Moreover, sometimes males also eat MJ Roberts. Spiders of Britain & Northern Europe females - if they can handle them. Hungry after romantic courtship - well, it doesn’t happen to anyone. Water spiders, for example, kill and eat small spiders and look after only large ones - survival of the fittest, culling of outsider individuals, that's all.

Silverfish even mate with their friend, only after having first securely wrapped her in a web. A well-fixed girl does not need foreplay.

Amazing Pisauras (pisaura mirabilis) feed their females before a date so that they are not tempted to attack. Particularly advanced P. Stålhandske. Nuptial gift in the spider Pisaura mirabilis maintained by sexual selection / Behavioral Ecology gentlemen wrap something inedible in a cocoon and, while the lady is unwrapping the gift, manage to get the job done and leave without saying goodbye.

And mimetids, or pirate spiders, approach females of other species and imitate NI Platnick, MU Shabad. A review of the pirate spiders the behavior of their males, ready to mate. The trusting girl responds to the advances, the predator silently pounces on her and eats her. There is no point in relaxing.

What spiders can you keep at home?

Not all types of arthropods can be kept at home.

Some of them are deadly poisonous, while others have an unremarkable appearance (for example, the gray spider or the haymaker spider, which most often live in secluded corners of houses and apartments). Many people choose tarantula spiders, and there are several reasons for this:

1. They have a presentable appearance: large sizes, bright colors, shaggy bodies.
2. This species includes more than a hundred subspecies, from which you can choose a pet to suit every taste.
3. They live somewhat longer than other species.
4. They can reproduce in captivity.
5. The tarantula's venom does not pose a fatal threat to a healthy adult.

Popular types of tarantulas are: white-haired, two-colored, giant, striped, horned and others. In addition to tarantulas, the choice is often made of tarantulas, cross spiders, wolf spiders or jumping spiders. The listed species extremely rarely bite people (only in the event of a sudden attack), but even if this happens, their poison does not cause any serious consequences.

Classification of arachnids

Today, science knows more than forty thousand different species of arachnids: from miniature house spiders to huge tarantulas. Individuals differ not only in external data, but also in the type of life activity. In general, tarantulas are divided into the following categories:

• woody. This species is adapted to life not only on the ground, but also in trees. Young individuals that have reached puberty move to higher altitudes;
• ground. Throughout their lives, spiders live on the surface of the earth;
• burrows. The most popular type. Tarantulas break holes or move into shelters abandoned by other animals. Most often, fox and badger holes become the place of residence.

Specific examples of life expectancy

Today, several dozen species of spiders, which are of the greatest interest in keeping, have become widespread as pets. Let's talk in more detail about exactly how long arachnids live in captivity.

1. Tarantulas. These are real record holders for life expectancy. Under natural conditions, tarantulas can live more than 15 years. If such a giant is kept at home, it can live 20-30 years.
2. Tarantulas in natural conditions live up to 10-12 years. Whereas if kept at home, such a pet, provided it is properly fed and provided with appropriate conditions, will live 15-20 years.
3. Goliath. These are large arachnids that are extremely interesting to keep. They usually live 8-9 years. Moreover, females usually live to a ripe old age, and males die by the age of 5-6 years.
4. Cross. The average lifespan of these arthropods usually does not exceed 5-6 months. Males die immediately after mating, while females usually live 4-6 months, they manage to create a cocoon, after which they die. During their short life, crosses can reproduce only one generation.
5. Peacock. This is an extremely interesting species of small arachnids that are brightly colored. The lifespan of this type of spider is usually no more than 9 months.

Keeping tarantulas, tarantulas and other arthropods at home is not particularly difficult. Using simple equipment in a glass container with spiders, you can maintain optimal humidity and temperature, and you can purchase food for such pets at most large pet stores. All this will be the key to trouble-free maintenance of arthropods, which can live with you for as long as possible without getting sick or causing trouble.

How to keep tarantulas?

Before you get an exotic animal, you need to prepare a terrarium. Tree spiders need a vertical container. For individuals that live in underground tunnels and for terrestrial animals, a horizontal type container with a wide bottom is adapted.

Ceilings may be low. The terrarium must have ventilation holes. The tarantula spider is accustomed to fresh air. At home, it often starts to get sick if ventilation is not provided in its container.

Soil must be poured into the terrarium. The thickness of the bedding for arboreal animals is 5 cm. For ground spiders it is 5-7 cm. Some species like to make their homes in shallow burrows. For burrowing tarantulas, deep bedding is laid, up to 15-18 cm. Their tunnels are distinguished by branching and a complex architectural design.

The following substrate is chosen as bedding:

• soil, peat; proportions 1:1; for young individuals add a little sand; for adult spiders I use vermiculite instead of sand;
• vermiculite and soil; proportions 1:5;
• crushed stone, pebbles for aquariums;
• coconut substrate; it is used both independently and as combined soils; added to vermiculite, to the soil.

Beginners are advised to learn how to care for arthropods. The soil is constantly irrigated with water. South American tarantulas need high air humidity. Moistened soil is soft and pliable.

It's easy to make tunnels in it. Individuals can break their chelicerae on hard soil. In adult animals they may not recover. In young spiders, fangs grow after 3 molts.

To bring the keeping of spiders closer to natural conditions, various objects are placed on the ground. It could be the bark or branch of a tree, or a coconut shell. For arboreal animals, vertical products are provided that imitate trees.

The tarantula uses these items to arrange its shelter. He covers them with cobwebs. Makes a shelter with exits and partitions.

A drinking bowl is installed in the terrarium. It is strengthened in the ground. The tarantula needs to drink liquid and cool its body. A flat and wide lid is used as a drinking bowl. For young animals, choose a container with a small diameter.

The drinking bowl is filled with clean filtered water. Liquid is necessary not only for drinking, but also to maintain moisture in the bedding and air in the terrarium.

The optimal humidity in the terrarium for South American individuals is 80%. During the molting period 90%. The container is installed in a room with dim light. Direct sunlight should not fall on the animal.

The soil needs to be moistened regularly, but the soil should not become waterlogged. When there is excessive moisture, mold and mites develop on the litter. Fungus and parasites spread to the spider's body, causing serious illness. The tarantula dies. Keeping an animal requires knowledge and attention. To control humidity, purchase a hygrometer.

Tarantula spiders are thermophilic. Thermal conditions are provided by an infrared lamp. It is both a lamp and a heating device. The light from it is dim, it will not disturb the animal.

The optimal temperature is 24-26 0C. For tarantulas that live in semi-deserts and deserts, higher temperatures are required, up to 32 0C, and the humidity for them is reduced to 50%.

How long does the largest spider in the world live?

The list of “The largest spiders in the world” is headed by the Goliath tarantula. As its name suggests, this spider is large enough to feed on birds. The body length of Goliath reaches 10 cm, and its powerful fangs grow up to 2.5 cm. Its bite is not fatal to humans, but severe pain and nausea are guaranteed. Its distinctive feature is the hissing sound that it can produce with its paws.

How long do spiders that belong to the goliath species live? Males live an average of 9 years, with 14 years being the average age of the female of the largest spider in the world. When answering the question of how long spiders live, an interesting pattern is revealed: on average, females live longer than their partners; for example, one of the most dangerous spiders on the planet lives about 5 years. For known reasons, males live much shorter lives.

You began to notice that there are more and more spiders in your house. At the same time, you always do wet cleaning on time, dust does not accumulate for weeks, and the number of spiders only increases. Naturally, you will think about why there are a lot of spiders in the house and how to get rid of them.

There are many legends and fairy tales that spiders in the house bring good luck, happiness, wealth, etc. However, many people disdain them or are even afraid to the point of losing consciousness (). It is not permissible to kill spiders, as this action can bring disaster to the house. And even non-superstitious people try not to do this, just in case. And if there are a lot of arthropods in the house, then you need a spider repellent that will help you deal with them without assault.

What spiders live at home?

Many different spiders can live in a house; it makes no sense to list all their varieties and scientific names. It is enough that spiders living in houses are absolutely harmless and do not pose a danger. On the contrary, they feed on flies, bedbugs, and even two-tailed fish. One answer to the question of how to remove spiders from your home is to remove all other insects. Then the spiders will have nothing to eat and will leave.

If there are a lot of spiders in your home, you will need to take additional steps. In addition to crayons and aerosols designed to kill other insects (flies, bedbugs, etc.), it is necessary to purchase special products whose action is aimed directly at spiders in the house. When collecting all the web, it must be burned, as spider eggs may remain in it.

The walls in the basement need to be whitewashed and cosmetic repairs done in the apartment. The smell of lime and paint will help keep spiders out of the house for a long time. Small and large spiders in the house will not return to you if you carry out repairs and cleaning in a timely manner. For greater reliability, use a spider repellent in your home that contains chlorpyrifos or boric acid.

Myth 1: Spiders crawl into your mouth and ears at night.

Image: Pexels / Pixabay There is a widely circulated statement floating around the Internet: on average, every person swallows eight spiders a year in their sleep. And this is confirmed by statistics. You are sleeping peacefully, with your mouth open, and a shameless creature takes it there and crawls in.

It is not particularly clear, however, why it does this, because spiders cannot live in the human intestine and feed on semi-digested food, like worms.

And in fact, this is nothing more than a story. Bill Shear, a biology professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia and a member of the Arachnological Society of America, explains Do People Swallow Eight Spiders Per Year? / Snopes that spiders try not to climb on sleeping people because they are simply afraid of them. For them, a person is like a huge walking rock from which they should stay away.

Spiders do not hunt sleeping people and do not drink their blood; there is nothing interesting for them in your bed. But bedbugs, which are classified as arachnids, really want to get into the bed. But even they don't crawl into your mouth.

This myth appeared thanks to Do People Swallow Eight Spiders Per Year? / Snopes to journalist Lisa Holst in 1993. She wrote an article for PC Professional in which she talked about how easily people believe all sorts of stupid things on the Internet.

Mocking human gullibility, Holst offered her list of made-up “facts,” including statistics about eight spiders. It's funny, but when readers saw the list, they didn't buy Lisa's irony and spread the terrible story all over the Internet.

What do spiders eat?

Spiders, despite their small size, consume a large amount of food, however, they may not eat for a long time - from a month to a year. An interesting fact is that in a year the amount of food eaten by spiders exceeds the amount of food consumed by all people in the world.

Each type of spider has its own methods of obtaining food:

1. Creating traps using web weaving. The caught prey is treated with digestive juice, which corrodes it from the inside, after which the spider swallows it.
2. Searching for food by spitting out sticky saliva, which allows it to attract food to itself.

What do spiders eat:

1. The main diet of both outdoor and indoor spiders is insects. Spiders in a private house feed on flies, mosquitoes, crickets, butterflies, mealworms, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and woodlice larvae. Read more about the answer to the question.
2. Spiders living in burrows or on the soil surface love to eat beetles, orthoptera, and even snails and earthworms.
3. Some species hunt at night. For example, the queen spider creates a trap for moths at night.
4. Exotic spiders, due to their impressive size, choose larger prey. Thus, tarantula spiders prefer to hunt frogs, lizards, other spiders, mice, and even small birds. And the Brazilian tarantula is capable of catching and eating small snakes and grass snakes.
5. Spiders that live on water use their webs to catch tadpoles, small fish or midges floating on the surface of the water.
6. Some spiders use flora as a source of food: pollen, plant leaves, cereal grains.

Reproduction and development of offspring

The male is very careful in choosing a partner, because if she behaves aggressively, she can even kill him. Having discovered a female, the male waits for some time, after which he approaches his partner and touches her with his paw. Then either mating occurs, or the female begins to attack.

After mating, she lays eggs, which hatch into young. At first they move exclusively in a group, after which they disperse and live separately. Up to 100 spiders can hatch from one cocoon. House spiders usually die after they have reproduced.

Important! Females of this species are more aggressive than males, so it is recommended to avoid them.