Why Spiders Have 8 Legs
WouterWhen you think about spiders, you probably don’t think about eight legs. However, many other animals, including some spiders, are also crawling species that have eight legs. And, the spiders have evolved to use their legs in several different ways.
One of the main reasons why spiders have eight legs is to help them navigate. A spider has a combination of eyes and other senses, such as touch, taste, vibration, and motion, to guide it through its environment. These features are also used to help the spiders catch prey and avoid predators.
Another way that spiders have eight legs is to create a network of webs. They build these webs with specialized hairs on their fourth set of legs. This creates a wool-like structure, which is thought to be charged with static electricity.
Spiders can also regenerate their missing legs. This doesn’t keep them down for too long, but it does affect their growth and their foraging ability. In some cases, they lose a pair of legs for flight or to escape a predator. But in other cases, they replace the missing limbs with another set.
In the same way that spiders can regenerate lost limbs, they can also make new ones. Some species can do this, but others are unable to. The resulting legs are usually not as thick as the original limbs. Depending on the spider species, the regenerated legs are used for sensory functions or to help the spider grow.
