SPIDERS ALIVE! Exhibit Returns to American Museum of Natural History Today

Spiders Alive! (Saturday, July 4-Sunday, November 29, 2015) offers a comprehensive look at the fascinating and complex world of arachnids. Among the exhibition's live animals are 16 species of spiders, two species of scorpion, a chemical-spewing vinegaroon, and several long-legged tailless whip spiders, which-despite their name-aren't spiders at all.

The Museum has the world's largest research collection of spiders and has been at the forefront of studying spider diversity for over 75 years. In Spiders Alive!, visitors will explore spider anatomy, diversity, venom, and silk, and encounter little-known behaviors such as mimicry and noisemaking. In addition to live spiders, the exhibition features videos, fossils, and larger-than-life models, including a huge, climbable trapdoor spider. Museum staff will handle live arachnids for visitors to see up close, and the exhibition will focus on debunking spider myths like that spiders need gravity to build webs, that they all neglect their offspring, and that all spiders are dangerous to humans.

Among the live spiders visitors will encounter in this exhibition is the goliath bird eater, one of the largest spiders in the world. Including leg span, this spider measures about 12 inches long, or about the size of a dinner plate, and preys on snakes, mice, and frogs. Other species include the black widow, a member of one of the few North American spider groups that can be harmful to people; the fishing spider, which senses prey by resting its front legs on the surface of the water; and thegolden orb-web spider, which weaves a golden web that can reach more than 3 feet in diameter.

Species from other arachnid orders will also be on display, including tailless whip spiders, whose whip-like feelers, up to 10 inches in length, help the animal find its way; the giant vinegaroon, which can spray a foul-smelling vinegar-like chemical from its abdomen if disturbed; and the desert hairy scorpion, the largest scorpion native to America.