Zebra spider (Salticus scenicus)

Species information

Videos and images

Information authenticated by Dr Peter Merrett of the British Arachnological Society: http://www.britishspiders.org.uk/index.html

Arthropod: the Arthropoda are a very diverse phylum (a major grouping of animals) that includes crustaceans, insects and arachnids. All arthropods have paired jointed limbs and a hard external skeleton (exoskeleton).
Chelicerae: pair of appendages on the ‘head’ of an arachnid (spiders, scorpions, mites, harvestmen etc). In spiders and harvestmen these appendages are jointed and are used to kill prey, and in defence. In spiders there is a poison gland at the base of each chelicera, from where a duct leads to the tip of the fang.