Spiders of New Zealand

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-new-zealand

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. How long is Spiders of New Zealand?Up to 3 cm
2. What is the estimated total species?Approximately 2,000
3. What is the scientifically described species?Over 1,100
4. Why are there so many different spiders in New Zealand?New Zealand is far from other land, so spiders that arrived there have had a long time to evolve on their own. This has created over 2,000 species, most of which are found only in New Zealand.
5. How do spider babies travel across the ocean to New Zealand?Spiderlings use silk threads called 'balloons' to catch wind and float over long distances, which is how they reach the islands.

Endemism: The ecological state of a species being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island.
Ballooning: A dispersal method used by spiderlings to travel by air currents using strands of silk.
Troglobite: An animal species that lives exclusively in subterranean environments, such as caves.
Systemic Effects: Effects of a venom or toxin that spread throughout the body, affecting multiple organs or systems.