Book 17, Question 113
Why Do Some Rainforest Spiders Live Together in Giant Webs?
Most spiders live alone, but a few kinds in the Amazon live in big family groups! Hundreds or thousands share one giant web. Working together helps them survive in the rainforest.
More fun facts
- Only about 20 of the 50,000 kinds of spiders are known to live together in groups.
- In French Guiana's rainforests, some spider webs are longer than a school bus.
- Some social spiders, about the size of ladybugs, live in colonies of thousands.
- When prey hits the web, the spiders attack together as one big force.
- Moving in sync helps them find food in their giant webs.
Sources: BBC, National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
How big can social spider webs be?
In French Guiana's rainforests, some webs are longer than a school bus.