Spidey Senses : Why don’t spiders stick to their webs? ; Can One Spider Get Caught in the Web of Another Spider?; Why is it Called a CobWeb?
We bring you some random creepy crawly spidey factoids for you in this article.
1. Why don’t spiders stick to their webs ?
Spiders produce a range of threads when constructing their webs, only one of which is sticky. The glue lies along the thread in globules, between which the spider daintily steps as it heads towards its prey.
2. Can One Spider Get Caught in the Web of Another Spider?
Yes, spiders can frequently get caught in the webs of other spiders. And what is more is that it isn’t usually a pleasant experience for them. Theoretically, they might well be able to navigate another spider’s web, as they do their own, but they are rarely given the choice. Spiders attack other spiders, and, if anything, spiders from the same species are more likely to attack each other than spiders of other species.
Most commonly, a spider will grasp and bite its intended victim and inject venom. Paralysis from the bite causes them to be unable to defend themselves and eventually they succumb to or become a meal! – Yuck!
3. Why Is a Spider’s Handicraft Called a Cobweb?
Cob is a short word with disparate meanings. Cob can refer to any small lump (e.g., a piece of coal), a horse, a gull, a swan, and, of course, a corncob. But cob has nothing whatsoever to do with cob- webs.
In Old English, spiders were called attercoppes, literally “poison head.” Evidently the Anglo-Saxons believed that all spiders were poisonous. The word copweb appeared in Middle English to describe the net created by spiders, and over the years the spelling changed from copweb to cobweb. Try pronouncing copweb aloud and you will see the effort required to enunciate it properly. The English penchant for slurring words probably explains why cobweb has endured.
