Do Spiders Make Noise When They Die?
WouterWhen I think of spiders, I don’t usually think of making noise. But, there’s an interesting study that suggests some of these creatures actually can make some of the more rudimentary sounds. The study involved using electrodes to play different sounds to spiders from a distance.
Spiders do not have vocal cords, so they produce sound by vibrating inanimate objects, like dead leaves. Some species, such as tarantulas, also produce hissing sounds.
Another interesting discovery was that spiders use sound to tell other spiders where they are. In fact, they can localize their sounds with 100% accuracy.
For example, if a spider is in the process of building a web, it can detect vibrations from the surrounding web. In turn, it can emit vibrations that can attract a nearby female. This sounds like a general defense strategy.
While spiders make a few noises, they aren’t very loud. This is largely because they’re primarily solitary hunters. When they hear something, they either go off hunting, or they’ll flip back and forth as if they were in pursuit.
There are many types of spiders, but only a few actually make any audible sounds. The European garden spider is one of these critters. The spider builds its webs on various types of leaves, and then deposits silk around its premises to notify other spiders that it has claimed a location.
The wolf spider does the same thing, but on dry leaves. When a wolf spider is about to fight, it shakes its dry leaves in a sonic display. The vibrations, which resemble the beating of an insect’s wing, aren’t very loud, but the sound is unmistakable.
