Take Time This Halloween To Learn Some Truly Creepy Facts About Spiders That Will Scare Your Pants Off
Halloween is upon us and you think you know spiders. Eight legs, check. Spin webs, check. Creepy and crawly, double check. But beneath those spindly legs and beady little eyes lurks a sinister beast far more disturbing than anything Hollywood could conjure. You may want to leave the light on after learning these creepy facts about spiders. For spiders are not just from Halloween nightmares, but nightmares incarnate. Masters of stealth and speed, spiders are nature’s most prolific serial killers. No wonder they make for creepy Halloween decoration. Read on, if you dare. The truth about spiders is far more chilling than any work of fiction.
Eight Legs And Multiple Eyes: Creepy Facts About Spider Appearances
Spiders have a creepy appearance for good reason—they want to scare you off. With eight long, spindly legs and clusters of tiny eyes, spiders look like something out of a sci-fi movie. Their alien features are unsettling, to say the least.
Some spiders, scientifically known as arachnids, sport hairy, bristly legs, while others have smooth, shiny legs. Certain species have bright red, blue or yellow coloring on their abdomens. The golden silk orb-weaver, for instance, has a yellow and black pattern that warns predators to steer clear. These spiders aren’t just relying on their freaky features, they’re using aposematism, or warning coloration.
The number of eyes spiders possess is also disturbing. Most have eight eyes, but some have six, while others have no eyes at all. The eyeless huntsman spider, for example, has evolved without eyes since they serve no purpose in complete darkness. Instead, these spiders use sensory hairs on their legs to detect prey. Now that’s creepy.
Some Spiders Are Extremely Venomous and Dangerous
Unless you live in a cave, you've probably encountered a creepy spider or two skittering across your floor. But as unsettling as that sight may be, just be glad you don't live in Australia or South America.
The Brazilian wandering spider, for example, is considered the world's most venomous spider. Its bite can be deadly to humans, especially children and the elderly. And if the initial bite doesn't kill you, the painful erection that can last for hours just might. No, that's not a typo - this spider's venom can cause priapism in male victims. Talk about adding insult to injury!
In Australia, the Sydney funnel-web spider is an aggressive creepy-crawly with a venom that can kill a human in 15 minutes. These spiders don't build webs, they hunt and ambush their prey - and their powerful fangs can penetrate fingernails and soft shoes. Yikes! No wonder so many Aussies wear sturdy boots.
Here in Tampa Bay, the brown recluse spider delivers a nasty necrotic bite that destroys skin and tissue. Their venom can lead to pain, swelling, blistering and even death of skin and muscle.
Though only a tiny percentage of spiders are dangerous to humans, it's unnerving to know that some species pack such a poisonous punch. If spiders give you the creepy-crawlies, these venomous varieties may haunt your nightmares.
Spiders Move at Lightning Speeds to Catch Prey
Spiders don’t just creep. Sometimes they sprint. Some species can run up to half a mile per hour, which may not seem fast, but when you consider a spider is usually no bigger than a quarter, that’s pretty fast. The aptly named “six-eyed sand spider” of Africa can run up to five feet per second, which would be the equivalent of a human running around 90 miles per hour. Yikes!
Lightning quick reflexes
Spiders also have lightning-quick reflexes to match their speed. They can detect prey in their web or environment and be upon it in a flash. Some spiders, like the aptly named “jumping spiders,” can propel themselves up to 50 times their body length in a single bound to snatch their victims. One blink and chomp! — there goes your juicy mosquito or other pest.
Their eight eyes (most species) give them 360 degree vision to detect the slightest movements.
They have sensitive hairs on their legs that can sense the smallest vibrations, like a bug struggling in their web.
Once detected, they pounce with the speed and precision of an eight-legged ninja.
Some spiders don’t even bother with webs and instead stalk their prey with stealth and cunning. Crab spiders camouflage themselves and lay inside flowers to ambush unsuspecting pollinators that come within reach.
When it comes to catching a meal, spiders don’t creep — they sprint, pounce and snatch with a swiftness and dexterity that is frankly quite terrifying.
Spiders Use Creepy Hunting Tactics Like Web Building
Spiders are crafty little hunters, and the ways they catch their prey are straight out of a horror movie. Ever wonder how spiders spin those perfect, glistening webs? It’s a skill that’s in their DNA, passed down through generations of arachnids.
Web Building
Spiders are born with the ability to spin silk and weave intricate traps. They can produce up to seven different kinds of silk for building sturdy frameworks, sticky spirals to catch victims, and silky cocoons. Some spiders like the golden silk orb-weaver spin massive, elaborate webs that could cover an entire garden. These webs are architectural and engineering marvels, even if they do give you the heebie-jeebies.
Once a spider has spun its sinister snare, it patiently lurks in the shadows waiting to pounce. Some web-building spiders like the black widow actually spin a little silk hammock in the middle of their web so they can lounge comfortably while waiting for dinner to fly in. How’s that for creepy? When an unlucky insect blunders into the web, the spider races out lightning-fast to wrap it in silk before delivering a venomous bite. The spider’s not interested in a quick kill - it wants its meal alive so it stays fresh.
Spiders that hunt without webs still rely on silk, using it to build shelters, wrap up captured prey, and spin safety lines in case they fall. Whether through cunning, camouflage or super-sticky silk, spiders have creepy hunting tactics down to an art form.
Spiders Eat Their Prey Whole or Drink Their Insides Like Smoothies
Spiders don’t just eat flies and mosquitoes, they’re equal opportunity predators. Some spiders will eat anything they can overpower, including other spiders. And when they eat, they don’t nibble daintily at their food—they chow down the entire meal.
Some spiders like the golden silk orb-weaver, which is common here in Florida, inject their prey with digestive juices that turn the insides into a smoothie. The spider then slurps up the liquefied guts, leaving behind an empty husk. Other spiders like the brown recluse have venom that breaks down tissues, allowing them to basically drink their meal.
While most spiders prey on insects, some of the larger species will eat frogs, lizards, snakes, and even small mammals. The goliath birdeater spider, for example, has been known to eat mice, lizards, and even small birds on occasion. And if they can’t find live prey, some spiders won’t hesitate to eat carrion. Nothing like a little rotting flesh to satisfy the appetite!
Some female spiders are known to eat the male after mating in a disturbing post-coital snack known as sexual cannibalism. The male spider makes the ultimate sacrifice to ensure his genes live on. After becoming a meal, the male is no longer needed and provides nourishment for the female and future offspring.
If spiders creep you out, these disturbing dietary habits probably won’t help.
If These Creepy Facts About Spiders Has You Scared, Call Super D Pest Control To Keep These Eight Legged Monsters At Bay
So there you have it, you now know some seriously creepy facts about spiders that will haunt your dreams tonight. Maybe now you understand why so many people are arachnophobic. Spiders are the stuff of nightmares with their eight legs, beady little eyes, and habit of suddenly dropping onto your face from the ceiling. At least now if a spider scuttles across your floor, you’ll have a newfound appreciation for how perfectly adapted they are as predators. That doesn't mean you need to have them in your house. If you have a spider problem in your home, call Super D Pest Control at (727) 433-5310 or click the "Let's Chat" button below to contact us on the web.