Fun Yellow Sac Spider Facts For Kids

Cheiracanthium inclusum, also known as yellow sac spiders or black-footed spiders, is a group of pale yellowish spiders that are indigenous to the Americas and can be found in forests or even in human households. Another group of species that is closely related to Cheiracanthium inclusum is the Cheiracanthium mildei, which have similar characteristics and can be found in houses of North America. This species of spiders hide in their silken sacs during the daytime and come out of their abode, in search of food during the nighttime. They are the most common group of spiders to be found in the United States.

If you are fascinated by the yellow sac spiders, then you may want to read the following amazing facts about them.

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What type of animal is a yellow sac spider?

Yellow sac spiders are a group of spiders that can be found in the regions of North America. They're generally described as yellow spiders or even as a spider with yellow back!

What class of animal does a yellow sac spider belong to?

Yellow sac spiders belong to the Arachnid class of animals.

How many yellow sac spiders are there in the world?

Although the exact population of these spiders is still unknown, they can be found frequently in households and trees. Females can produce as many as five egg sacks which may contain as many as 115 eggs at a time. They are the most common type of spiders found in the United States.

Where does a yellow sac spider live?

These spiders can be found in homes, crawling on walls, or any other type of vertical surface. They can also be found on the branches and the leaves of trees and shrubs.

What is a yellow sac spider's habitat?

Yellow sac spiders can be found in the United States, Mexico, some parts of South America, and Africa.

Who do yellow sac spiders live with?

These spiders live with their own packs, by forming silken sacs where they rest during the day and go out to hunt at night.

How long does a yellow sac spider live?

These spiders generally live for about one to two years. Female species tend to live longer than male ones.

How do they reproduce?

Summer is the mating season for these spiders when the males hunt for the females and breed with them. Females produce their first egg mass after 14 days of mating. Female spiders can produce five egg sacs which contain almost 17-85 eggs. It is done mostly in the month of June and July, and by spring, a whole new generation of spiderlings are born. Females guard their eggs and stay with the juvenile spiders for about 17 days until they hatch. In some cases, females may produce an additional sac after two weeks, when the previous eggs have completely hatched and dispersed. The egg sac helps protect the hatchling from any kind of threat.

What is their conservation status?

This species has no special conservation status and is evenly distributed over various parts of the world.

What do yellow sac spiders look like?

Like all other spiders, the body of yellow sac spiders is divided into two segments, a cephalothorax (fusion of head and thorax) and their abdomen. Their body is of a pale yellow color with dark brown markings on its jaws and feet. For this reason, they are called yellow sac spiders or black-footed spiders. Sometimes, there is also a line, orange-brown in color, which runs down the top center of their abdomen. They have eight similar-sized eyes, which are distributed in two rows on each side.

How cute are they?

Because of their small body size and their unique color, these spiders are often confused to be cute, however, one must never forget that they are extremely dangerous and can bite anytime. Their bite may not be lethal enough to kill a human, but it can cause mild pain and discomfort, which may last for about a week or more than a week.

How do they communicate?

The visual power of these spiders, while they are on their hunt is almost insignificant. They detect their environment with the help of their palps, which are sensory structures located just behind their chelicerae (appendages located in front of the mouth) on the cephalothorax (fusion of head and thorax).

How big is a yellow sac spider?

The size of an average yellow sac spider generally ranges from 5mm to 10 mm (0.20-0.39 in). Females are slightly larger than males. However, the legs of these spiders can be almost 1 inch (2.5cm) long, with their front pair of legs, generally being larger than their remaining three pairs.

How fast can a yellow sac spider move?

Yellow sac spiders are fast runners. Unlike all other spiders, they do not form webs and instead are predatory hunters who run fast and catch their prey.

How much does a yellow sac spider weigh?

Yellow sac spiders are extremely small in size, with their size ranging from 5-10 mm (0.20-0.39 in).

What are their male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name for male and female yellow sac spiders.

What would you call a baby yellow sac spider?

A baby yellow sac spider is called a spiderling.

What do they eat?

Yellow sac spiders are active predators, who do not form any web. They hunt their prey and generally feed on other small spiders or other arthropods, like insects. They also feed on their own eggs, when the supply of food is limited.

Are they poisonous?

Yellow sac spiders are poisonous and one bite from it can cause pain. Following spider bites, the wound is generally followed by itching and can remain sore for days and may take 7-10 days time to heal.

Would they make a good pet?

Like all other pests, these spiders are also not at all suitable to be kept as a pet. Although, they are not naturally aggressive, but if they feel threatened, they may bite as well. Females generally bite more frequently than males. Their bite usually does not contain any lethal venom, but can be painful if the wound is kept untreated or tampered with.

Did you know...

Commonly found in the United States, Yellow sac spiders or Cheiracanthium inclusum are among one of the few species of spiders that are considered to be medically significant. The name 'yellow sac spiders' is given because of the silken sacs that they produce in the corners of ceilings or any protected environment for resting. They are considered to be nocturnal animals, who rest in the day and hunt at night. The front pair of legs of yellow sac spiders are generally longer in size than their other four legs which enables them to push aside leaves or bushes while they are in search of prey.

During the nighttime, they form a silky thread which they use as a bridge to move from one spot to the other. While other species of spiders take a much longer time to build webs, yellow sac spiders can make their sacs in a much shorter span of time of 15 minutes.

Can yellow sac spiders kill you?

No, a yellow sac spider bite is not strong enough to kill a human being. These spider bites do not have any lethal venom and the bite usually produces mild symptom like a red sore, followed by itching. People may also experience mild pain and discomfort, which may be cured by using an icepack. The bites from a yellow sac spider are not considered to be as serious as those of the brown recluse or the hobo spiders.

How to get rid of yellow sac spiders

These spiders make long silk tubes or sacs, in protected areas like under a leaf or in a wooden log. The best way to control them is to get rid of the silk sacs, especially those which are located inside the house, maybe on the corners of ceilings. Using a vacuum is one of the best ways to control the growing number of these pests. Another way is to seal any type of hole or crack between the windows or below the doors, which might provide a pathway for them to enter the house.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our yellow sac spider coloring pages.