Question

Black widow spiders are considered the most venomous spiders in North America. They are roughly 1.5 inches long. Black widows have a life cycle of one to three years.

Is a black widow spider a vertebrate or an invertebrate? Be sure to justify your answer.

Answer 1

A black widow spider is an invertebrate. Invertebrates are animals that lack a backbone or spinal column, while vertebrates have a skeletal structure that includes a backbone. Spiders, including black widows, belong to the class Arachnida, which is part of the phylum Arthropoda. This group of animals is characterized by having jointed limbs, exoskeletons, and no backbone, thus categorizing them as invertebrates.