4 FACTS ABOUT EIGHT-LEGGED CREATURES

1 MITES

Mites are microscopic arachnids, around 0.1 millimetres in length, that feed on both living and dead tissue. It’s estimated that there are at least 45,000 different mite species that can survive in a wide range of environments, including seas, forests and inside households.

2 TICKS

These tiny blood-sucking arachnids use their eight legs to run around dense vegetation in pursuit of a red-blooded meal. As parasites, ticks secrete a cement-like glue to stick to the skin, cut the surface and use a feeding tube to guzzle blood.

3 SCORPIONS

There are around

2,000 different species of scorpions on

Earth, but only around 40 of these arachnids possess a venom potent enough to kill a human. Scorpions can be found on every continent on Earth except Antarctica.

4 TARDIGRADES

Also known as water bears, tardigrades are not related to spiders but share their eight-legged quality. There are around 1,300 different species of these hardy creatures, which can survive in the world’s most extreme environments, such as at temperatures close to absolute zero, or -273.15 degrees Celsius.