Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda, and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others. Arthropods are characterized by their jointed limbs and cuticles, which are mainly made of α-chitin; the cuticles of crustaceans are also biomineralized with calcium carbonate. The rigid cuticle makes growth hard, so arthropods replace it periodically by molting. The arthropod body consists of repeated ligaments, each with a pair of appendages. It is so versatile that they have been compared to Swiss Army knives, and it has enabled them to become the most species-rich members of all ecological organisms in most environments. They have over a million described species, making up more than 80% of all described living animal species, and are one of only two animal groups that are very successful in dry environments.
Tarantula
Some genera of tarantulas hunt prey primarily in trees; others hunt on or near the ground. All tarantulas can produce silk—while arboreal species will typically reside in a silken "tube tent", territorial species will line their burrows with silk to stabilize the burrow wall and facilitate climbing up and down. Tarantulas mainly eat insects and other arthropods, using ambush as their main method of capture. The biggest tarantulas can kill animals as large as lizards, mice, birds and including Snakes. Their skeletons however are not like any we have seen before. Like all arthropods, the tarantula is an invertebrate that relies on an exoskeleton for muscular support. A tarantula’s body consists of two main parts, the prosoma and the opisthosoma (abdomen). The prosoma and opisthosoma are connected by the pedicle, or what is often called the pregenital somite. This waist-like connecting piece is actually part of the prosoma and allows the opisthosoma to move in a wide range of motion relative to the prosoma. Their exoskeleton helps then travel and capture prey as they are able to move swiftly and fast throughout their habitat and capture their prey.
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable food source in coastal areas they population. Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most often associated with the name. Clawed lobsters are not closely related to spiny lobsters or slipper lobsters, which have no claws, or squat lobsters. Lobsters are invertebrates with a hard protective exoskeleton. Like most arthropods, lobsters must molt in order to grow, which leaves them vulnerable. This is because the lobster became to big for the shell. During the molting process, several species change color. Lobsters have 10 walking legs; the front three pairs bear claws, the first of which are larger than the others. This exoskeleton also provides shape and rigidity to the animal.
Long Horned Beetle
The longhorn beetles are a cosmopolitan family of beetles, typically seen by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than the beetle's body. In various members of the family, however, the antennae are quite short, and such species can be difficult to distinguish from related beetle families. The family is large, with over 20,000 species in existence, slightly more than half from the Eastern Hemisphere. Many are serious and dangerous pests, with the larvae boring into wood, where they can cause extensive damage to either living trees or untreated lumber. Just like the other animals described on this page, the long horned beetle has an exoskeleton. Its exoskeleton serves for different purpose than we have seen so far. Their exoskeleton is designed for them to sneak into small nooks and spots were they can be protected from any predators.