Black Widow Spiders
   
Black widows are poisonous spiders. Female black widows sometimes eat males. They got their name from this habit.
Female black widows are black and shiny. They have red markings on their abdomens. Male black widows are brown or gray. They have red dots on their bodies.

Black widow spiders live around the world. They are often found in warm places. Only female black widows spin webs.
Male black widows do not eat. Females mainly eat insects. They spin strong webs to trap their prey. The female spins silk around her prey. Then she injects the prey with venom.
A female black widow spins silk around her eggs. This protects the eggs. The egg sac hangs from the web. Males live only a month or two. Females can live approximately one year.

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    Black Widow Spider Classification: Arachnid
    Diet: Carnivore
    Endangered Status: Least Concern
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    Average Length A black widow spider is longer than a penny.
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    Average Weight A black widow spider is lighter than a quarter.
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