Ten things you probably might not have known about SPIDERS
* Spiders are everywhere!
Research suggests that you are never more than 10 feet away from a spider. Most of the time they are hiding away somewhere in some crevices minding their own business.
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There are a lot of spiders
They come in all different shapes and sizes, each with their own unique look and characteristics. There are approximately over 35,000 different species of spider currently known. However, some scientists believe that there are a lot more to be discovered.
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Not all spider bites are deadly
There are a few arachnids in the world that cause some nasty spider bites, which due to their venom can cause some risky complications to your health. The majority of UK spiders will not bite people
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Female spiders have a large appetite
Unfortunately this isn’t good news for the males. In some cases, depending on the species, the female spider will eat the male spider before, during or after copulation!
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Spider silk is strong
It may seem weak and brittle but that is only due to how thin it is. The silk in a spider’s web is actually five times stronger than a strand of steel the same thickness. It is also believed that a spider web made of strands as thick as pencil could stop an aeroplane in flight!
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Spiders have blue blood
Science is at work …. In humans, oxygen is bound to a molecule that contains iron, this gives our blood that red colour. However, in spiders the molecule that oxygen is bound to contains copper, which gives their blood the blue colour.
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Spider silk is liquid
This may sound strange, considering we are used to seeing spider silk in the form of webs, but did you know that it is actually a liquid? When the silk comes into contact with the air, it hardens, allowing them to create and build their webs.
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Spiders have strange muscles
Their muscles can only pull their legs inward but can’t extend them out again. To get around this issue, spiders will pump a watery liquid into their legs to help push them out again.
This is why whenever you see a dead spider, its legs are always curled inwards as there is no fluid being distributed to retract them.
- Source: With thanks to https://www.rentokil.co.uk/
