Spiders, which come in 43,000 varieties, have thrived for nearly 300 million years on every continent except Antarctica. A new exhibit at New York's American Museum of Natural History, which boasts the world’s largest spider collection, showcases some of the arachnids.
Exhibit Brings Spiders to Life
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This is a rare 100-million-year-old spider fossil in limestone. Spiders do not preserve well in sediment because they have a relatively soft “shell.” (© AMNH\D. Grimaldi)
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One of the biggest spiders in the world, the Goliath bird eater preys on snakes, mice, and frogs but, despite the name, rarely birds. (© AMNH\R. Mickens)
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This stunning tarantula, which lives mainly on the Pacific coast of Mexico, resides in burrows, hurrying out to prey on insects, small frogs, lizards, and mice. (© AMNH\R. Mickens)
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Trapdoor spiders spend most of their time in underground burrows, emerging mainly to grab prey. Their rear half is segmented, a trait visible in some of the earliest spider fossils. (© AMNH\R. Mickens)
