Download - Meet Leonardo Some Halloween Safety Tips · breaks it down into a liquid. Spiders can eat only liquids. When their venom has turned the prey to liquid, the spiders suck it into their

© 2008 Universal Press Syndicate

release dates: October 18-24 42-1 (08)

from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate

BETTY DEBNAM – Founding Editor and Editor at Large

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Do you run from theroom screaming whenyou see a spider? Or doyou look at them andtheir webs with wonder?Spiders are bothamazing and creepy.

To celebrateHalloween, The Mini Page talked to anentomologist (en-tuh-MAH-luh-jist), anexpert about insects and spiders, to findout more about the awesome spider.Spiders or insects?

Spiders are in the family calledarachnids (uh-RAK-nuds). Ticks, mitesand scorpions belong to the same class.

Although spiders look a lot like insects,they are not insects. Here are somedifferences:Spiders:

• have eight legs• have two body

parts• spin silk• have glands

filled with venomInsects:

• have six legs• have three body

parts• Most have

wings andantennae.

VenomVenom is a poisonous material. Spider

venom paralyzes its prey, or makes itunable to move.

The venom also digests the prey, orbreaks it down into a liquid. Spiders caneat only liquids. When their venom hasturned the prey to liquid, the spiderssuck it into their stomachs.

Spiders’ venom is in their fangs at theend of each jaw. First the spider capturesits prey, then bites it. The venom flowsthrough an opening in thespider’s fangs.

Spiders eat only livefood. Once its venom hasparalyzed the prey, thespider can keep its mealalive until it’s done eating.

Being carefulMost spiders are too

small to break humanskin, and they are notdangerous to humans.

But many non-poisonous spiders canstill cause serious

reactions in people. Spider bites cancause a high fever, body aches, and somepain or swelling where the person wasbitten.

When you see a spider or a spider web,treat it with respect. Don’t put yourhands on it. Spiders would rather runaway than bite you. They usually bitehumans only if they are rolled on orpinched against someone’s skin. You donot need to be afraid. Just be careful.

Creepy and Cool

The Spellbinding Spider

The black widow spider livesin the southern and westernstates. Many female spiders,such as the black widow, eattheir mates.

photo courtesy University of Nebraska Dept. of Entomology

photo courtesy University of Nebraska Dept. of Entomology

photo courtesy National Park Service

The brown recluse likes tolive in cities and can befound under logs in the wild.

The hobo spider can be found onthe West Coast and in northwestAmerica. It likes to live infallen leaves and in basements.

Spiders to avoidExperts list only three types of spiders as poisonous to humans in America: the

black widow, the brown recluse and the hobo spider. If you are bitten by one of thesespiders, you should see a doctor right away.

Mini Spy . . .from The Mini Page © 2008 Universal Press Syndicate

Mini Spy and her friends are trick-or-treating!See if you can find: • word MINI • question mark

• owl • kite• heart• cat• mushroom• knife• book• whale• cheese• letter D


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Here are some important tips to keepyou safe on Halloween.

• Trick-or-treat beforeit gets really dark.

• Don’t eat yourtreats until you gethome. Have anadult check yourtreats before youeat them.

• Stay inyour ownneighborhood.

• Wear comfortable,well-fitting shoes.

• Eat your treats slowlyso they’ll last longer.

• Visit onlyhouses that arewell-lighted.

• Wear a hat thatlets you see.

• Your costume shouldbe a good fit. Don’t wearone that is too baggy.Wear a bright color soyou can be seen bydrivers.

• If you’re invitedinside, say, “No, thankyou,” and do not stepinside.

Some Halloween Safety Tips• Go trick-or-

treating with agroup. Be surethere are adultsin the group, orwith you if youare trick-or-treating alone.

• Do not wear amask. Wear facemakeup so you cansee better.

• Light jack-o’-lanternswith flashlights.

• Cross streetsonly atintersections.

Words that remind us of spiders are hidden in the block below. Somewords are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: WEB, ORB,FUNNEL, STICKY, SILK, SPIDERLINGS, BALLOONING, GOSSAMER,VENOM, BLACK, WIDOW, ARACHNIDS, LEGS, PARALYZE, PREY,BITE, EGG, AIR, SPINNERETS, WEAVE, NET, VIBRATE.

Spiders TRY ’NFIND

SPIDERS ARECOOL!

S V B L O N S D I N H C A R AV I E L E R E V Y K C I T S EI P L N A G B T L E N N U F GB W R K O C S W V W O D I W GR V E E L M K R E M A S S O GA W L B Y K K E Z Y L A R A PT E T I B G N I N O O L L A BE A I R S G N I L R E D I P SE V A E W S T E R E N N I P S


Basset Brown

The News

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Look through your newspaper for storiesabout Halloween.

NO,THANK YOU!

Rookie Cookie’s RecipeSpooky Spider TreatsThis makes a fun and tasty treat for Halloween parties.



Meet LeonardoLeonardo Biciunas, known simply as Leonardo,

is a singer and guitarist with several CDs for kidsand other CDs for all ages. He has his own recordlabel.

Leonardo grew up in Chicago. He startedplaying guitar when he was 11 after going to aPete Seeger concert. After high school he led a

rock band in the Chicago area. He then played solo music inEurope and the United States as part of a folk music tour. Henow lives in Beverly Shores, Ind.

He has three younger siblings, one of whom has Downsyndrome. Leonardo performs concerts to benefit kids withDown syndrome and other special needs. His kids album“Makin’ Waves” is to be released this October, which is NationalDown Syndrome Awareness Month. Kids with Down syndromesing the backup on this album.

You’ll need:• 12 large (3-inch) chocolate cookies• 1 (12-ounce) container chocolate frosting• 12 red licorice twists (cherry- or strawberry-flavored)• 12 red-hot cinnamon candiesWhat to do:1. Spread 21/2 to 3 tablespoons chocolate frosting on top of 6 cookies.2. Carefully cut red licorice twists in half lengthwise to make 24 skinny

“spider legs.”3. Next, slice the 24 twists crossways in half to shorten the legs (you’ll have 48).4. Arrange 8 spider legs (red licorice twists) on each of the six chocolate-

frosted cookies (4 on each side).5. Place another cookie on top, forming a black spider with red legs.6. In the top edge of the cookie sandwich, tuck in 2 red-hot cinnamon candies

to serve as eyes. Makes 6 servings.*You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.


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All the following jokes have something in common.Can you guess the common theme or category?

Sally: Why did the spider buy a car?Steve: So he could take it for a spin!

Simone: What does a spider do when he getsangry?

Sarah: He goes up the wall!

Simon: What would happen if tarantulaswere as big as horses?

Stacy: If one bit you, you could ride it to thehospital!


Importance of spidersSpiders eat billions of insects. They

are important in controlling insects thatmay harm crops. They also help protecthuman health by capturing and eatinginsects such as houseflies.

Many spiders spin silk to capturetheir prey. The largest spiders cancapture and eat small animals, such asbirds, fish, frogs and snakes.Super strong silk

Spider silk is one of the strongestmaterials on Earth. One strand ofspider silk is stronger than the samesize strand of steel. But the silk is alsoflexible, or able to be easily shaped.Spider silk was once used to makebulletproof vests.

Spider silk is a liquid inside glands,or special organs, in the spider’s body.When the liquid silk comes in contactwith air, it hardens.

Spiders usually have four littlespinnerets, or organs the silk comesout of, at the tip of the spider’sabdomen.

When spiders weave their webs, thesilk comes out of their spinnerets. Asthe spiders move the spinnerets, theyweave the silk together much likepeople weave threads with their fingers.

Spinning special silkSpiders can change the size, strength,

thickness, stretchiness and stickiness oftheir silk. All spiders spin silk, butdifferent spiders use their silk indifferent ways. Spiders use silk to:

• spin funnels, orbs or nets to trapprey;

• wrap up their prey to keep it freshand alive until they are ready to eat it;

• cover their egg sacs for protection;• make a place to hide in;• spin their nests.

Ballooning babiesSome spiderlings,

or baby spiders, spinlong strands of silk. Asthey hatch, they floataway on the wind,using their silkstrands as a kind of

parachute. This is called ballooning.In the fall, you may see fine silk

from ballooning spiderlings on grassor trees. This is called gossamer(GAH-suh-mer).

Spectacular Spider Silk

Wonderful websSpiders spin webs in many different

shapes and sizes. Some webs might bejoined at as many as 1,200 points. Oneweb could have miles of silk.

Many spiders use webs to trap theirprey. Others may chase their prey orjump out at it.

Orb-weaving spiders usually hide inthe center of the web or off to the side.When an insect lands in the web, thesilk strands of the web vibrate, ormove quickly. The spider can tell wherethe prey is by which strands of silk arevibrating. The more the insect tries toescape the web, the more it sticks.

Other spiders weave loose webs inbushes or around logs or stones. Somespiders spin a type of funnel. The spidermay go into the throat of the funnel andhide. The insect may fly or crawl intothe funnel throat. The spider thenlunges at the prey and captures itbefore it can escape.

The Mini Page StaffBetty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist

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Although this Carolina wolf spiderlooks scary, it is not dangerous.Wolf spider mothers spin an egg sac,lay several hundred eggs in it, put itunder their bodies and walk aroundwith the sac. When the spiderlingshatch, they crawl onto the mom’sface and back. An adult female withhundreds of spiderlings climbing allover her looks huge and scary andas if her fur is moving.

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Orb webs are the best-known type of webs.Orbs are flattened like a dish with manycircles going around them. They are sticky,and the spider uses them like a net tocapture its prey.

The Mini Page thanks Jim Kalisch,Department of Entomology, University ofNebraska-Lincoln, for help with this issue.

Next week The Mini Page is about thepresidential elections. photo courtesy University of Nebraska

Dept. of Entomology

Most spiders arecolored to blendin with theirsurroundings sothey won’t be seen.This goldenrodspider is almostinvisible on a stemof goldenrod.


Supersport: Mary WhippleHeight: 5-3 Birthdate: 5-10-80Weight: 106 Residence: Princeton, N.J.

At the 2008 Olympics, Mary Whipple created morethan a ripple of excitement.

Operating at the coxswain (KAHK-sun) position, the28-year-old veteran helped push the U.S women’s eight-person rowing crew to its second Olympic gold medal, the

first since 1984.Whipple, strong and durable, has competed on eight national and two

Olympic teams. Prior to that she made a big splash at the Universityof Washington, where her squad won three NCAA rowing titles.

Whipple does a lot on land as well. She likes hiking, backpacking,cross-country skiing and snowboarding. She also loves cooking andlistening to music.

But it’s in the boat that she really rocks!

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