Spiders are arachnids. All spiders have 2 body parts and 8 legs. Their skeletons are on the OUTSIDE of their body!

I like to read about tarantulas. Tarantulas are found in many places: Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia, South and Central America, Mexico, and the Southwestern United States.

Tarantulas eat crickets, insects, and other spiders. The also like frogs, lizards, snakes, and birds. Tarantuals grab their food and bite it until the poison kills it. Then they suck all the fluids out of their prey.

Some taratulas are from 8 to 13 inches long, including the body and legs. The king baboon tarantula from Africa is one of the biggest. Some of the small ones, called pink toed tarantulas, are less than 1 and 1/2 inches.

Camouflage is used by tarantulas to defend themselves from their enemies. Sometimes the tarantula tries to scare the predator away by rearing back (like a tiny horse!). If a tarantula bites you, it can hurt, but it won't kill you.