Off to See Spiders!
We are off to see spiders, Some large as a plate, some small as a pin. We will see so many spiders, Our heads will spin, spin, spin!
"Is that an ant or a spider?" asks Kaveri. It looks like an ant, but it has eight legs.
"Uff, ants are insects. All insects have six legs, not eight. But you are right, this does look like an ant!" says Shivi.
"Full marks," says Shama. "It is an ant-mimic spider."
Kaveri and Shivi love being with Shama. She is studying to be a wildlife biologist, and is full of fun facts and stories about different animals and plants.
Just then, Kaveri spots the sac spider. It's neatly rolled up inside a leaf! "How did you find it?" asks Shivi. "Ah! When you get to know the different signs that spiders make, you start finding them everywhere," Shama says, with a wink.
We are off to see spiders, Some fat, some thin, some hairy. They have eight legs and eight eyes, But don’t worry! They are not scary!
"Ummm, that looks like a crab!" says Shivi, squinting at a yellow flower.
"Ha!" Shama says. "It’s the crab spider. And look! It has caught a poor bee that was visiting the flower for nectar."
"Ah, no wonder the bee didn’t see the spider. It’s almost the same colour as the flower," says Kaveri.
"Look, look," yells Shivi, pointing towards the leaves on the damp ground. A female wolf spider is carrying her egg sac.
"And there is another one! Ooh! There are hundreds of tiny baby spiders on her back!" Shama whispers in awe.
We are off to see spiders, Oh where, oh where, oh where? On grass, on leaves, on flowers, Here, there and everywhere!
Shivi is leaning on a tree trunk when suddenly he jumps in fright! Something scuttled by at lightning speed.
"There you are!" Shama says, moving closer. "See how well the two-tailed spider blends with the tree bark?"
"Here’s a spider that looks like it has only four legs," Kaveri says excitedly, pointing towards a bush. The spider has spun a wheel-shaped web between two plants.
"What a beautiful zigzag pattern! This has to be the cross spider," Shama exclaims.
We are off to see spiders, So far we have had quite a catch! Hey! Someone’s spinning lovely webs, On this grassy patch.
Kaveri, Shivi and Shama stumble upon a sheet-and-tunnel web spider.
"So many webs," Kaveri exclaims. "They look like delicate sheets!"
"This juicy grasshopper stuck in the web will become spider food soon. Slurp!" says Shivi.
"Right! It’s time to go home now," says Shama, looking at her watch. "I have to study for my class tomorrow." Kaveri and Shivi’s faces fall. "Oh don't worry, there’s plenty to see at home as well," says Shama.
Back home, Shama spies the common house spider. "Oh! There’s the daddy-long-legs spider."
"They are funny," says Kaveri. "They dangle upside down and have long, long legs."
We saw so many wondrous spiders, On grass, trees and flower heads.
Let’s crawl and look for more of them, Will we find some under our beds?
Spider Guide Meet the spiders that Kaveri, Shivi and Shama see on their walk.
Two-tailed spiders These spiders get their name because of their long spinning organs that look like a tail! With a flat body, these spiders blend in very well on tree trunks and walls.
Ant-mimic spiders They behave just like ants and look like them too! These spiders in disguise trick animals and birds that like to eat spiders.
Crab spiders With a much longer and stronger pair of front legs, these spiders often extend their legs while waiting to catch their food. This pose makes them look very much like a crab!
Wolf spiders You will often find wolf spiders scuttling on the ground, especially where there are leaves and shrubs. A female wolf spider carries egg sacs attached to her spinning organs. When the sac opens, hundreds of baby spiders climb onto her back and stay there for several days.
Sac spiders These spiders rest inside silken sacs that they make within rolled leaves and blades of grass. They come out of their silken retreats when they have to hunt for food.

Sheet-and-tunnel web spiders These spiders make beautiful and delicate sheet- like webs. A tunnel at the end of the sheet web is the perfect hiding place for them. They dart out when an insect gets caught in the web.
Daddy-long-legs spiders These common house spiders are found on the ceiling, in corners of houses and sheds. Their cobwebs may look untidy, but they catch a lot of flying insect pests.
Cross spiders When cross spiders are on their wheel-shaped webs, they look like they’re making an X-shape! They are also called signature spiders because of the zigzag pattern they make on their webs.
