A new spin on the usual anatomy video: field biology! Basic external anatomy of an orb-weaving spider, using a live, wild specimen. This is a Cat-faced Spider (Araneus gemmoides), a common species found near/on buildings in North America. I’ve used this as a model although typically the Garden Spider (Argiope sp.) is used in zoology labs.
Also: I let a giant spider walk on my hand. Ha! But it’s ok, they don’t bite:
This video was produced by C. Ernst, a Teaching Assistant
2012