Spiders of Australia

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/spiders-of-australia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the estimated total species?Approximately 10,000
2. What is the described species?Around 3,600
3. How many different kinds of spiders live in Australia?There are about 10,000 different kinds of spiders in Australia, and scientists have officially described around 3,600 of them.
4. What kinds of places do Australian spiders live?Australian spiders can be found in deserts, forests, rainforests, coastal areas, underground burrows, and even high in trees.

Endemic: Native or restricted to a certain place, in this case, Australia.
Neurotoxin: A poison that acts on the nervous system.
Arachnology: The scientific study of spiders and related animals like scorpions.
Biochemical Weapon: A substance produced by an organism that is harmful to others, used for defense or attack.