The web made by a spider is a fascinating thing but spider itself is more amazing in many other respects. It is a peculiar creature found in all seasons and at all places- air water land and also inside the earth. Its size varies from that of a small dot to 20 cms. There are some spiders which can live without water for a year. A giant spider called tarantula feeds on birds and can live for as long as 15 years. The silk that spider fabricate for making their webs is produced in certain abdominal glands. A liquid in the from of fine thread comes out from a small hole at the top of its abdomen which solidifies after coming in contact with air.
These threads are of various types. Some of them are sticky while some others are dry and soft. The sticky thread help the spider in catching its prey. It is interesting to note that the spider itself does not get trapped in it because it has a kind of oil on its legs. In fact when the spider moves across the web it uses the dry-soft threads and is careful to avoid touching the sticky threads with its legs. Even if it did the oily secretions on its feet would prevent it from sticking and it moves along those threads easily. The spider make many kinds of webs. Some of these are wheel-shaped while some are shaped like a funnel. The sticky threads which are meant for trapping the prey are separately located.
