Arthropods 

You live with them almost everyday, even in the very cold winter months! They are
everywhere and are the largest animal phylum -- about 85% of all known animals in the
world are part of this class. There are far more species of arthropods than there are species
in all the other animal groups combined.Arthropods are adapted to living in almost every
environment. They vary in size from microscopic dust mites to the large, Japanese spider crab.

The easiest way to tell an arthropod from any other animal is to see if they have:
1) ​A segmented body: ​This means that they will have a body made up of more than one
part. Spiders have two segments and flies have three segments.
2) ​Jointed legs or limbs​: The word arthropoda means “jointed foot.” The jointed
appendages of arthropods can include legs, antennae, claws, and pincers. Arthropod
appendages are adapted for moving about, capturing prey, feeding, mating, and
sensing their environment. All arthropods have at least 6 legs--Spiders have 8 legs,
millipedes can have... Hundreds!
3) ​An exoskeleton​: This is an external skeleton. Like armor, it protects the arthropod's
body. When arthropods are born the exoskeleton is soft but hardens quickly and it
can be shed as the creature grows. Arthropods are invertebrates; which means that
they do not have a backbone.
4) ​Bilateral Symmetry:​ This means that the body is divided in half and has nearly
mirror images of eachother
5) ​Wings:​ Not all arthropods have wings, but they are the only invertebrate that might
have wings!