Do Spiders Change Color When They Die?
WouterIf you’re a fan of spiders, you’re probably wondering whether or not they change colour when they die. Some species of spiders can change colors to blend with their surroundings. Some can also change colors to hide from predators.
In the past, color changing spiders might have had an advantage against predators. For example, if a predator was looking for poisonous berries or a plant with a strong toxic substance, they might not notice a spider that was hiding in a tangled web. Now, however, there are over 500 species of these spiders on every continent except Antarctica.
Some crab spiders, which live on flower petals, have the ability to change their color to match the flower. They secrete a yellow pigment into their outer cells. This pigment helps them to be camouflaged against predators and protects them from being eaten.
The process of change can last from two to twenty-one days. However, this can vary from one species to the next. For instance, the whitebanded crab spider can be found around vegetation and varies in its color depending on what flowers are nearby.
In addition, if a crab spider is near a poisonous plant, it might change color. Some scientists speculate that this may help the spider to avoid predators. But, many experts do not know why spiders change color.
Researchers Miguel Rodriguez-Girones and Michelle Maldonado of the University of California Santa Cruz sought to study the behavior of crab spiders in order to determine if they can conceal themselves from birds. They used Adobe Photoshop software to gather data.
