How Do Spiders Regrow Their Legs?

Spiders are among the most abundant species on earth. They are also among the most diverse. With eight legs, they can jump several times their height and are capable of moving quickly in several directions. These abilities allow them to be extremely useful predators.

There are a variety of reasons why spiders may lose a leg. It can be due to mating, accidents, or fights with other spiders. The spider will regrow a new leg to replace the lost one.

The size of the newly-grown leg will be smaller than the original. This will prevent the replacement from functioning as well as the lost one. In the case of adult spiders, they are unable to regenerate a full-sized leg.

Juvenile spiders can regrow missing limbs partially or fully. Their regeneration capabilities do not affect their survival.

Regeneration has its own costs. A spider that has lost a limb must wait several months for the leg to regrow. As they grow, they require a larger exoskeleton. During this time, they will molt.

During a molt, the skin and old exoskeleton will peel off. After this, the spider will regrow a new exoskeleton. Some species of spiders regrow their limbs more than others.

Many other animals and plants have the ability to regrow lost body parts. In the human world, we are still working on robotic arms. But many animal and plant species can regenerate missing body parts, including the starfish and deer.