T’is the season for all things spooky! That’s why it’s a perfect time to find out that spiders can still hear you, even without ears.
A new study on the ogre-faced spider shows that the arachnid is capable of picking up on sounds through vibrations felt in the legs.
Researchers inserted tiny electrodes into the brains and legs of spiders for this study.
In the national news: Researchers from @UNLincoln and @Cornell have shown that the ogre-faced spider relies on hearing, rather than its massive eyes, to catch airborne prey. @CNN has published a story on the research. https://t.co/I8etKYG1bc #Nebraska #UNL @UNLsbs @unlcas
— Nebraska Today (@NebToday) October 29, 2020
It was found that ogre-faced spiders react differently depending on the frequency of vibrations. Low frequencies would result in “backward” strikes while hunting for food. High frequencies, like sounds of birds, caused spiders to stay motionless.
Are you afraid of spiders? Do you think animals are more perceptive than we might believe?
