How Many Legs Does A Spider Have?

Spiders are arthropods of the class Arachnida, which are widely spread all over the world.

Until now, all spiders were thought to be predators, but this turned out not to be true.

I can’t sleep since I heard that some spider species only eat grass 😀

Spiders belong to their own species, Arachnida (arachnids).

Winter will meet us soon. Soon it will be time to take off the coats, scarves, gloves, and hats.

Although the cold months bring snow, warm nights by the fireplace, and not to forget Christmas, there are some people who want to live in our homes during this period. Spiders!

During the autumn months, male spiders leave their hidden nesting areas to find new mates and explore new homes.

These arachnid species cause nightmares for some people, especially those with arachnophobia.

This fear may lessen once you realize these 10 interesting facts about spiders.

Let’s come to our most important question.

How Many Legs Does A Spider Have?

Arachnids (Spiders) always have two body parts (front and hind body) and eight legs.

Unlike insects, spiders do not have antennae or wings.

At the end of their abdomen are spinnerets that spiders can use to produce a variety of fine silk threads.

They use them to weave webs, make cocoons, or catch their prey. They can also paralyze their prey with their mouthparts, chelicerae.

Spiders are really close to insects because they too belong to the arthropod tribe, that is, animals with exoskeletons and jointed legs.

Spiders can also lose a leg while escaping from enemies or thieves.

Spiders’ worst enemies are birds, followed by lizards, toads, and small mammals, not counting humans.

To protect, spiders hide or camouflage themselves.

But, of course, they are often prey to enemies as well.

If spiders go through several molts, the legs will grow back.

His feet are hollow, reminiscent of a knight’s armor.

Spiders, like humans, can only open their knees in one direction.

Spider leg consists of several parts and has six joints.

There are even spider species that deliberately lose their leg so that the attacker can focus on the leg while the spider itself flees.

Now that we have answered the question how many legs does a spider have, let’s look at interesting information about spiders.

What Do Spiders Eat?

Spiders feed on grasshoppers, crickets and small spiders.

Larger spider species feed on mice, frogs, lizards or carrion.

They inject venom into their prey and use it to paralyze or kill them.

There Are Many Types Of Spiders

Body size and weight may differ depending on the species of spiders.

Each spider species has its own unique appearance and characteristics.

There are about 30,000 different species of spiders currently known.

For example, Bird dung crab spider is a strange spider because it can camouflage itself very well.

However, some scientists believe there are more spider species to be discovered.

That’s not all! This animal not only looks and shows itself like a bird droppings, it also smells like feces.

This causes predators to dislike this smell, while at the same time attracting small insects that love feces, and turn them into bait.

There Is No Country Where There Are No Spiders

Studies show that there is a spider every 10 meters away.

Don’t worry because most of the time they hide in a crevice or crack.

Not All Spider Bites Are Fatal

There are spiders that cause bites that can cause risky complications to your health due to their venom.

However, most spiders do not bite humans.

And when they do, their venom is usually not strong enough to cause harm.

Spiders Love The YMCA Dance

You probably think we’re joking right now, but it’s true! The peacock spider Maratus volans performs a dance as part of their mating ritual, which is very similar to the well-known YMCA dance.

The bright color patterns on her belly complete the spectacular spectacle, which is so much fun to watch.

However, if the male spider’s YMCA dance performance does not impress the female, it will attempt to attack, kill, or even eat her.

Spider Silk Is Very Durable

Yes, you read that right, spider silk is very strong.

The silk in a spider’s web is five times stronger than a steel thread of the same thickness!

Therefore, it is believed that if the wires were as thick as a pencil, a spider web could even stop an airplane in flight!

Female Spiders Have Big Appetites

Unfortunately, this is not good news for male specimens, as some female spider species will eat the male spider before, during or after mating!

Did you know that this sexual cannibalistic behavior inspired the name of widow spiders like the black widow?

Spiders’ Blood Is Blue

Unlike us, spiders have blue blood.

In humans, oxygen is bound to an iron-containing molecule, which gives our blood its red color.

But spiders have copper in the oxygen-bound molecule, which makes their blood blue.

Spider Silk Is In Liquid Form

This may sound strange considering we are used to spider silk as a web, but did you know that it is actually a liquid?

Silk hardens when it comes in contact with air, allowing them to form their webs.

Male Spiders Love To Give Gifts

Some spider species not only serenade their prospective mates, but also offer their loved ones a silk-wrapped gift to meet on their mating date.

Some male spiders fail when trying to impress females.

Then the male spider does not discard this gift and gives it to the next female.

This is very clever 😀

Spiders Have Weird Muscles

It’s fascinating how spider muscles work.

Spiders can only pull their legs inward using their muscles, but they cannot extend them again.

To perform this movement, spiders pump a watery liquid into their legs to push it out again.

That’s why when you see a dead spider, its legs always curl inward as no liquid is dispersed to pull it back.

Result

Almost all spiders have the same number of legs.

Spiders are carnivorous, but sometimes you can also see grass-eating spiders.

The males of some spider species (Mastophora) are much smaller and do not make bolas.

They secrete different pheromones that attract moth flies and trap them on their front legs.

Spiders have been exposed to some changes over millions of years.

Spiders have lived on earth for millions of years and are not in danger of extinction.

Some species have incredible eyesight (jumping spiders and wolf spiders).

They are very good at build webs and it is very difficult for the victim to escape from this web as they wrap their victims tightly in the web.

The fourth pair of legs on the front of the spider are used for sensory functions.

Most species have 1 pair of eyes, but these have eyes inside to allow them to see well at night.

In answer to the question Do Spiders lack antennae, we can say that unlike most insects, spider species do not have antennae.

The largest spider Goliath birdeater is a species of incredible size, living in South America, body length 13 cm, weight 175 grams.

Spiders are capable of producing sticky, elastic and strong silk.

If you are wondering about the lifespan of butterflies, you can check out this article.