Class Arachnida
Appearance:
The body is on average 8 mm in size and soft. In contrast, the leg span of its 4 pairs of legs is very large at up to 50 mm. Native spiders have a grey to brownish coloration.
Reproduction:
Spiders reproduce via eggs, which are laid in large groups in silk cocoons. After hatching, young spiders are fed by the female for a few days before they begin to search for food themselves and start weaving webs. The spider sheds its skin up to 4 times in 1-4 weeks. The intervals increase as the spider grows, so that moulting takes place at longer intervals in an adult spider. Adult spiders have an average lifespan of 2 years.
Way of life:
Spiders are insectivores. With their mere presence and the webs that can be seen everywhere, spiders are perceived as unpleasant roommates that can cause fear and pure disgust. However, spiders are useful insect hunters due to their predatory nature. They bite when threatened. However, the bite of a native spider does not penetrate human skin. Tropical spiders (tarantulas) are much larger and can be really dangerous to humans. They are not naturally native to our country, but are often brought to Switzerland from their tropical homeland on goods transports. However, the small black widow (Latrodectus mactans) is also a dangerous spider species for humans.
