The Barnyard Bite- Maze Mystery
Spiders are fascinating, highly successful creatures that have been on Earth for over 300 million years. Unlike insects, which have three body segments and six legs, spiders have two body sections and eight legs. The front section is the cephalothorax (a fused head and thorax), and the back section is the abdomen. The cephalothorax has the eyes, mouthparts called chelicerae that end in fangs used to inject venom, and all eight walking legs. Silk is created as a liquid inside the abdomen and hardens into a solid strand as it is pulled out through tiny organs called spinnerets.
The mystery
Farmer Noah was doing chores in the barn (our barn…up here in Northern Minnesota) when he felt something on his arm and ended up with a bite. Find all 6 clues inside the maze to learn a little about spiders and to figure out which member of the eight-legged line up below bit Noah.
You can use this form to help track and check your answer. It will open in a new window so you can go back and forth between the two windows. Good luck! You can also check your answer at the bin. Shhh... Don't ruin it for anyone else!
The Eight-Legged Lineup (suspects)
Yellow Garden Spider
Size: About the length of a paper clip
Hunting strategy: Webweaver- weaves large orb webs
Bite Effect on Humans: Harmless. Gives a mild pinch that causes slight swelling but requires no medical attention.
Interesting Characteristic: Weaves a highly visible, thick, white zig-zag pattern right down the center of its web to warn birds not to fly into it.
Northern Black Widow
Size: Roughly the size of a large grape
Hunting strategy: Webweaver- builds an irregular tangle/cobweb
Bite Effect on Humans: Severe Risk. Venom is neurotoxic.
Interesting Characteristic: Their messy webs are spun from incredibly tough silk that makes an audible velcro-like crackle when ripped.
American House Spider
Size: Delicate, about the size of an M&M when resting.
Hunting strategy: Webweaver- builds an irregular tangle/cobweb
Bite Effect on Humans: Harmless. The bite causes temporary localized itching.
Interesting Characteristic: Spins a flat sheet web suspended by a loose, messy scaffold of lines above it. Its overhead "scaffold" lines are designed to trip flying insects, causing them to tumble helplessly down onto the sticky sheet below.
Brazilian Wandering Spider
Size: Massive, can easily span the size of an adult hand.
Hunting Strategy: Active hunter- Nocturnal, uses sensory hairs on its legs to sense movement.
Bite Effect on Humans: Severe Risk. Highly neurotoxic, causing intense burning pain, sweating, and heart irregularities.
Interesting Characteristic: Its official scientific genus name is Phoneutria which translates to "Murderess". This spider also has an unusual side effect on human men and is being used in clinical trials...
Sydney Funnel-Web Spider
Size: Thick and Stocky, the size of a chicken egg
Hunting Strategy: Hybrid- builds webs to detect, but then actively ambushes prey.
Bite Effect on Humans: Severe Risk. Toxic to humans, causing immediate breathing issues, drooling, and muscle twitching.
Interesting Characteristic: Highly dependent on humidity; it can survive underwater for over 24 hours by trapping an air bubble around its belly.
Dark Fishing Spider
Size: About the size of a soda can top, 4 inch leg span when stretched!
Hunting Strategy: Active hunter- sits and waits, can put front legs on the water's surface to feel vibrations.
Bite Effect on Humans: Harmless. Bites are rare and feel like a mild bee sting with no lasting damage.
Interesting Characteristic: Uses water-repellent leg hairs to walk directly across the surface of the water to catch small fish.
Bold Jumping Spider
Size: Like a fuzzy jelly bean
Hunting Strategy: active hunter- uses s visual stalking and leaping strategy
Bite Effect on Humans: Harmless. Mildly itchy red bump, similar to a mosquito bite.
Interesting Characteristic: Possesses incredible 3D vision and can leap up to 40 times its body length to ambush flies and crickets
Brown Recluse Spider
Size: On average, about the size of a dime when resting.
Hunting strategy: active hunter- nocturnal, virtually blind hunts through accidental collision.
Bite Effect on Humans: Severe Risk. Venom is necrotic.
Interesting Characteristic: Famous for a dark, violin-shaped marking on its head section; loves hiding in dark cardboard boxes.