A new jacket

Bird spiders have no bones in their bodies. Instead, they have a hard outer shell. This is called an exoskeleton. Such an exoskeleton does not grow with the spider. As it grows bigger, it has to molt. It then crawls out of its old skin. The new skin underneath is still soft in the first few days.

Sensitive

The curly-haired bird spider does not make a web to catch its food. It waits patiently at the entrance to its burrow. On its legs are very sensitive hairs that pick up vibrations. This is how the spider senses if an insect or other small animal is approaching. It then quickly runs out of its burrow to catch its prey.

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