Can Spiders Feel Pain?
WouterIf you’ve been looking at spiders, you may have wondered if they can feel pain. Some people think that they can’t. But, in fact, they can. They may feel anger, irritation or even injury.
Spiders have a complex central nervous system, but they don’t have an emotional center like humans do. Although they can recognize the physical damage they’ve been subjected to, they don’t take revenge on their attackers. This is why they tend to hide.
Spiders have a set of ganglia in their legs that are interconnected. Signals are sent from the ganglia to the central nervous system. These signals are then sent back to the original location. In addition, spiders have short-term memory.
They also have an open circulatory system that is capable of pumping nutrients, hormones, and oxygen to their organs. The hemocyanin is a copper atom that binds to oxygen. This results in a blue blood instead of red.
Spiders aren’t afraid of humans, but they are fearful of larger animals. They will react by running or hiding. However, if they come close, they will attack. And they’ll do this because of their predatory instincts.
If you get close to a spider, you may experience a slight sting. It’s similar to a bee sting. As a result, you may want to keep a distance.
Whether or not you can actually feel pain when you squish a spider is another story. That is, unless you’re a tarantula. Tarantulas can’t feel emotions, but they do have an instinctual need to avoid things that cause them harm.
