Spider vs. Squirrel — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 20, 2024
A spider is an arachnid with eight legs and often spins webs, whereas a squirrel is a small mammal with a bushy tail, known for climbing trees and storing nuts.
Difference Between Spider and Squirrel
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A spider is an arachnid, meaning it belongs to a class of joint-legged invertebrates with eight legs. Spiders are known for their ability to produce silk, which they use to spin webs for catching prey. Their bodies are divided into two main parts: the cephalothorax and the abdomen. A squirrel, on the other hand, is a rodent, which is a mammal characterized by a pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. Squirrels are known for their agility in climbing trees and their habit of storing food, particularly nuts, for later consumption. Their bodies are covered in fur, and they possess a long, bushy tail that aids in balance.
Spiders are predominantly solitary creatures, and their behaviors revolve around their web or burrow. They have specialized glands that produce silk, and their diet mainly consists of insects and other small arthropods. Spiders have a wide range of habitats, from forests to deserts. Squirrels, however, are more social and are often seen in groups, especially during feeding. They have a varied diet that includes nuts, seeds, fruits, and sometimes small insects or bird eggs. Squirrels are found in diverse habitats, such as woodlands, urban areas, and parks.
Spiders undergo a process called molting as they grow, shedding their exoskeleton to form a new, larger one. They also exhibit various methods of reproduction, with some species known for their elaborate mating rituals. Spiders can live for several years, depending on the species. Squirrels, in contrast, grow continuously without molting and have a clear distinction between juvenile and adult stages. They typically reproduce twice a year, and their young are born blind and helpless, requiring parental care for the first few months. Squirrels can live up to 6-12 years in the wild.
Comparison Chart
Classification
Arachnid
Mammal
Number of Legs
Eight
Four
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Body Structure
Two main parts (cephalothorax and abdomen)
Four main parts (head, body, limbs, tail)
Primary Habitat
Varied (forests, deserts, homes)
Woodlands, urban areas, parks
Diet
Insects and small arthropods
Nuts, seeds, fruits, small insects
Social Behavior
Predominantly solitary
Often social, seen in groups
Compare with Definitions
Spider
An arachnid with eight legs and the ability to spin webs.
The spider spun a web in the corner of the room.
Squirrel
Arboreal, often seen in trees.
The squirrel built its nest high in the oak tree.
Spider
Invertebrate belonging to the class Arachnida.
Spiders are known for their unique silk production.
Squirrel
Reproduces twice a year, with young requiring parental care.
The mother squirrel cared for her young in the nest.
Spider
Undergoes molting to grow.
The spider shed its old exoskeleton to grow a new one.
Squirrel
A small mammal known for its bushy tail and agility.
The squirrel darted up the tree with ease.
Spider
Spiders (order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all orders of organisms.
Squirrel
Stores food for later consumption, especially nuts.
The squirrel buried acorns in the yard to eat during winter.
Spider
An eight-legged predatory arachnid with an unsegmented body consisting of a fused head and thorax and a rounded abdomen. Spiders have fangs which inject poison into their prey, and most kinds spin webs in which to capture insects.
Squirrel
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots (including groundhogs), flying squirrels, and prairie dogs amongst other rodents.
Spider
An object resembling a spider, especially one having numerous or prominent legs or radiating spokes.
Squirrel
Any of various arboreal rodents of the tribe Sciurini and especially of the genus Sciurus, characteristically having a long flexible bushy tail. Also called tree squirrel.
Spider
Another term for crawler (sense 2)
Squirrel
Any of various other rodents of the family Sciuridae, such as the ground squirrels and the flying squirrels.
Spider
Move in a scuttling manner suggestive of a spider
A treecreeper spidered head first down the tree trunk
Squirrel
The fur of one of these rodents.
Spider
Another term for crawl (sense 4 of the verb)
When the search engines spider your site they'll find all of the pages
Squirrel
To hide or store
Squirreled away her money.
Spider
Any of numerous arachnids of the order Araneae, having a body divided into a cephalothorax and an abdomen, eight legs, two chelicerae that bear venom glands, and two or more spinnerets that produce the silk used to make nests, cocoons, or webs for trapping insects.
Squirrel
Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae distinguished by their large bushy tail.
Spider
One that resembles a spider, as in appearance, character, or movement.
Squirrel
A person, usually a freezoner, who applies L. Ron Hubbard's technology in a heterodox manner.
Spider
A program that automatically retrieves webpages and follows the links on them to retrieve more webpages. Spiders are used by search engines to retrieve publicly accessible webpages for indexing, and they can also be used to check for links to webpages that no longer exist. Also called crawler, search bot.
Squirrel
One of the small rollers of a carding machine which work with the large cylinder.
Spider
New England, Upper Northern, & South Atlantic US See frying pan.
Squirrel
Someone who displays a squirrel-like qualities such as stealing or hoarding objects.
Spider
A trivet.
Squirrel
(transitive) To store in a secretive manner, to hide something for future use
Spider
Any of various eight-legged, predatory arthropods, of the order Araneae, most of which spin webs to catch prey.
Squirrel
Any one of numerous species of small rodents belonging to the genus Sciurus and several allied genera of the family Sciuridæ. Squirrels generally have a bushy tail, large erect ears, and strong hind legs. They are commonly arboreal in their habits, but many species live in burrows.
Spider
A program which follows links on the World Wide Web in order to gather information.
Squirrel
One of the small rollers of a carding machine which work with the large cylinder.
Spider
A float drink made by mixing ice-cream and a soda or fizzy drink (such as lemonade).
Squirrel
A kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail
Spider
An alcoholic drink made with brandy and lemonade or ginger beer.
Squirrel
The fur of a squirrel
Spider
(slang) A spindly person.
Squirrel
Belongs to the rodent family, characterized by sharp incisors.
Squirrels use their incisors to crack open nuts.
Spider
(slang) A man who persistently approaches or accosts a woman in a public social setting, particularly in a bar.
Spider
A stick with a convex arch-shaped notched head used to support the cue when the cue ball is out of reach at normal extension; a bridge.
Spider
A cast-iron frying pan with three legs, once common in open-hearth cookery.
Spider
(cooking) Implement for moving food in and out of hot oil for deep frying, with a circular metal mesh attached to a long handle; a spider skimmer
Spider
(cycling) A part of a crank, to which the chainrings are attached.
Spider
Heroin.
Spider
(music) Part of a resonator instrument that transmits string vibrations from the bridge to a resonator cone at multiple points.
Spider
A skeleton or frame with radiating arms or members, often connected by crosspieces, such as a casting forming the hub and spokes to which the rim of a fly wheel or large gear is bolted; the body of a piston head; or a frame for strengthening a core or mould for a casting.
Spider
A soft-hackle fly.
Spider
(sports) The network of wires separating the areas of a dartboard.
Spider
(maths) A spider graph or spider tree.
Spider
(obsolete) A type of light phaeton.
Spider
(photography) A support for a camera tripod, preventing it from sliding.
Spider
(lawn bowls) A competition in which several participants are spread evenly around the edges of the green, who all make one bowl towards the central jack at the same time; the winner being the person whose bowl ends up closest to the jack.
Spider
To move like a spider.
Spider
To cover a surface like a cobweb.
Spider
To follow links on the World Wide Web in order to gather information.
The online dictionary is regularly spidered by search engines.
Spider
Any one of numerous species of arachnids comprising the order Araneina. Spiders have the mandibles converted into poison fangs, or falcers. The abdomen is large and not segmented, with two or three pairs of spinnerets near the end, by means of which they spin threads of silk to form cocoons, or nests, to protect their eggs and young. Many species spin also complex webs to entrap the insects upon which they prey. The eyes are usually eight in number (rarely six), and are situated on the back of the cephalothorax. See Illust. under Araneina.
Spider
Any one of various other arachnids resembling the true spiders, especially certain mites, as the red spider (see under Red).
Spider
An iron pan with a long handle, used as a kitchen utensil in frying food. Originally, it had long legs, and was used over coals on the hearth.
Spider
A trevet to support pans or pots over a fire.
Spider
A skeleton, or frame, having radiating arms or members, often connected by crosspieces; as, a casting forming the hub and spokes to which the rim of a fly wheel or large gear is bolted; the body of a piston head; a frame for strengthening a core or mold for a casting, etc.
Spider
Predatory arachnid that usually has silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
Spider
A computer program that prowls the internet looking for publicly accessible resources that can be added to a database; the database can then be searched with a search engine
Spider
A skillet made of cast iron
Spider
Predatory creature, feeding on insects and small arthropods.
The garden spider caught a fly in its web.
Spider
Solitary animal, often territorial.
Each spider weaves its own web and defends its territory.
Common Curiosities
How do spiders and squirrels reproduce?
Spiders undergo various mating rituals and lay eggs, whereas squirrels typically reproduce twice a year, giving birth to live young that require parental care.
What is the primary difference between a spider and a squirrel?
A spider is an arachnid with eight legs, while a squirrel is a mammal with four legs and a bushy tail.
Where are spiders and squirrels commonly found?
Spiders can be found in varied habitats including forests, deserts, and homes, while squirrels are typically found in woodlands, urban areas, and parks.
How do spiders and squirrels differ in terms of diet?
Spiders are carnivorous, primarily eating insects, whereas squirrels are omnivorous, eating nuts, seeds, fruits, and sometimes small insects.
What is a significant behavioral trait of squirrels?
Squirrels are more social and are often seen in groups, especially during feeding times.
Do spiders and squirrels have different body structures?
Yes, spiders have two main body parts (cephalothorax and abdomen), while squirrels have a head, body, limbs, and a tail.
What unique ability do squirrels have?
Squirrels have the ability to store food for future consumption.
How do spiders and squirrels adapt to their environments?
Spiders build webs or burrows for shelter and hunting, while squirrels build nests in trees and store food.
What is a significant behavioral trait of spiders?
Spiders are mostly solitary and territorial, often living alone.
How do spiders and squirrels grow?
Spiders grow by molting, shedding their exoskeleton, whereas squirrels grow continuously without molting.
Are spiders and squirrels both vertebrates?
No, spiders are invertebrates with an exoskeleton, while squirrels are vertebrates with a backbone.
What is the primary mode of locomotion for spiders?
Spiders use their eight legs for walking and climbing, and some can even jump.
What is the primary mode of locomotion for squirrels?
Squirrels are agile climbers and jumpers, using their limbs and tail for balance.
What unique ability do spiders have?
Spiders can produce silk from specialized glands to spin webs.
How do spiders and squirrels differ in their lifespan?
Spiders can live for several years depending on the species, while squirrels typically live 6-12 years in the wild.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
