Spiders have adapted to live in almost any habitat and are among the ten most diverse populations on Earth. They play a vital role in all ecosystems.
Fact number one.
All spiders produce silk. What all 40,000 species of spiders have in common is that they all spin silk. As spiders have evolved, so has their ability to work with silk. One spider can produce up to seven different species, each used for a different purpose, such as weaving webs or catching prey.
Fact number two.
Not all spiders are carnivorous. All spiders were thought to be carnivorous, catching and eating other insects, but one species in Central America has been found to be mostly herbivorous! Bagheera kiplingi lives on trees, which produce protein-rich buds on their leaves.
These buds are part of the symbiotic relationship between trees and ants, but Bagheera kiplingi also benefits from eating the buds. However, these spiders are known to be carnivorous during dry seasons. They may eat each other or steal ant larvae when food is scarce.
Fact number three.
Spiders are myopic. Most spiders have eight eyes, but some, like the brown recluse spider, have only six. Spiders usually have a primary set that can produce images, while the secondary sets can only detect light and shadow. The secondary sets of eyes are thought to have evolved from the complex eyes of a common ancestor of both spiders and insects.
But even with all these eyes, spiders cannot see far. Myopia is a problem for humans, but the habits of spiders are such that myopia is not a disadvantage. They wait for prey to get caught in their web and use silk stretches to warn of approaching predators.
Fact number four.
Females can lay up to 3,000 eggs at a time. These eggs are housed in one or more silk pouches. The level of care a female spider gives her cubs depends on the species. Some females die shortly after laying their eggs, while others carry the spiders on their backs or share their prey with them.
Fact number five.
Jumping spiders can jump up to 50 times their length. When hunting or trying to escape from a predator, jumping spiders can perform very dexterous movements and jump several times their body length. This is possible thanks to an internal hydraulic system. Jumping spiders can change the fluid pressure in their legs, resulting in a springy motion that pushes the spiders forward.
Fact number six.
Not all spider bites are fatal. There are a few spiders that inflict unpleasant bites. These bites, because of their venom, can cause some dangerous complications to your health. Most spiders do not bite people, and if they do, their venom is not strong enough to cause any harm.
Fact number seven.
Spiders have blue blood. Unlike us, spiders have blue blood. Although there is actually a scientific explanation. In humans, oxygen is bound to a molecule containing iron, which gives our blood its red color. In spiders, however, the molecule that oxygen is bound to contains copper, which gives their blood its blue color.
Fact number eight.
Spiders have strange muscles. To be honest, the way spider muscles work is quite fascinating. Their muscles can only retract their legs inward, but they can’t extend them again. To get around this problem, spiders pump watery fluid into their legs to push them out again. This is why whenever you see a dead spider, its legs are always bent inward because the fluid is not distributed to retract them.
Fact number nine.
The silk of the spider is strong and liquid. Yes, you read that correctly, spider silk is actually very strong. It may seem weak and brittle, but that’s only because of how thin it is. The silk in the spider web is actually five times stronger than steel thread of the same thickness.
It is also believed that a web of thread the thickness of a pencil could stop an airplane in flight! This may seem strange, given that we are used to seeing spider’s web as a web, but did you know that it is actually a liquid? When silk comes in contact with air, it hardens, allowing spiders to create and build their webs.
Fact number ten.
Male spiders like to give gifts. Not only do some species of spiders like to serenade their potential partners in a dance, but they also like to offer their loved ones a gift wrapped in silk to try to sweet talk a date. Sometimes, however, these males can be quite sneaky and a bit cheap. Instead of offering gifts such as flies and other insects, they offer cheap duds such as leaf clippings or old gifts that were not successful with other females.
Save a Spider Day is celebrated annually in the United States on March 14. Save a Spider Day was created to encourage people not to kill a spider you find in your home, but to move it outside.