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You are here: Home / Science / Why don’t spiders stick to their webs?

Why don’t spiders stick to their webs?

May 7, 2020 by Karen Hill

Some spiders do stick to their own webs. A spider’s web is constructed of two types of silk: “anchor” and “snare” threads.

The anchor threads are used to construct the basic web; the snare threads are sticky and are used to trap insects. To get around the web, the spider uses the non sticky anchor threads.

Once in a while, though, a spider will inadvertently catch a leg or two in a snare thread. When this happens, she simply secretes an oily solvent to free herself.

Some spiders have a special claw called a scopula, at the bottom of the hind legs, that they use to slide along the sticky snare strands and help them escape from their own homespun death traps.

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Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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