What kind of spider is in this pic I took? What kind of spider is this? ![black and white spider]( It has a weird black and white backpack looking thing. Found a couple of them in Auburn, Alabama. Any help is greatly appreciated.

It's a Spiny Orb Weaver, aka Spiny-backed Orb Weaver. Orb Weavers are a very large genus of spiders; this one is a Gasteracantha _cancriformis_. The spikes can be black or red; there are many colors as well.

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