Can spiders "dessicate" themselves?

[Grdo88]

Hi, new to this forum and I'm not even sure that this is the right place for this but I just need to know.

It all starts with this insect killer I have, I wasn't sure how effective it was so I thought to test it out. I happened to notice this big black spider with thick legs hanging on my wall so I grabbed the bug spray and gave him a healthy dose, more than I felt should be necessary and then I picked up the spider and dropped it in my bathroom sink after plugging the drain.

Awhile later I went back to check and see if the insecticide had worked and instead of a finding the big black spider dead I found a tiny brown and grey spider and a small spot of clear goo in my sink.

So either the big black spider escaped and a smaller spider climbed into my sink while a mysterious goo appeared or spiders have the ability to purge their bodies of toxins(along with other fluids) when nessecary which almost sound too awesome to be real but I can't imagine another scenario.

 

[Adam96]

I'm not sure but this might not be the best fourm to post this.

 

[Adam96]

considering we all love spiders here

 

[Grdo88]

Well if it matters I'm pretty sure the spider didn't die.

 

[chanda]

... instead of a finding the big black spider dead I found a tiny brown and grey spider and a small spot of clear goo in my sink.

So either the big black spider escaped and a smaller spider climbed into my sink while a mysterious goo appeared or spiders have the ability to purge their bodies of toxins(along with other fluids) when nessecary which almost sound too awesome to be real but I can't imagine another scenario.

No, the spider did not purge itself of its body fluids and any toxins.

First, even if a spider could purge itself of its fluids, only the abdomen would shrink visibly. The legs and carapace have a rigid exoskeleton that would not shrink if emptied of fluids. Only the abdomen is flexible enough to shrink.

Second, if the spider were to purge itself of fluids, the legs would have been curled under it. Have you ever noticed that dead spiders have their legs curled? That's because spiders only have muscles to contact their legs, but rely on hydraulic pressure provided by their own body fluids to extend them. When a spider dies, it is no longer able to control that pressure and without the pressure to keep the legs extended, the muscles contract into spider rigor mortis, curling the legs. Same thing with your spider - if it had purged itself of fluids, it would not have been able to extend its legs. (You mentioned that the small spider was still alive, so I assume leg function was involved?)

 

[NYAN]

Why are you killing our spider friends?

 

[Greasylake]

Well if it matters I'm pretty sure the spider didn't die.

I'm pretty sure it did.

 

[The Snark]

Excuse me, everyone. @Grdo88 is as much a victim as the spider and we all know this. It's a problem with modern day mentality. See an animal we don't like, we are trained to pay homage to the planet wreckers, the chemical companies, and the profiteering which is destroying our planet.
We on AB for the most part have managed to go beyond the knee jerk reactions, the Pavlov's dogs salivating when the bell rings. In turn it is our obligation to educate others. Pass along the appreciation that has been cultivated in our minds for the wonders of nature and help other people to open their minds to these wonders.

With this thread it is very simple. Spiders are beneficial. They may present a hazard, but a far less dangerous one than the average person encounters each and every day. So let's help the people less educated to put things in perspective.
A spider -may- give a nasty bite and make a person sick. This is established as very very rare. Deaths and debilitating injuries from motor vehicles, fast food diets, and sedentary life styles number in the millions every year. We need to get this across to people. Help them get re-educated. Help them to realize their thinking is not their own and is not rational. They too are victims as much as the spider getting sprayed in the original post.

 

[SonsofArachne]

Excuse me, everyone. @Grdo88 is as much a victim as the spider and we all know this. It's a problem with modern day mentality.

I understand what you're saying, but @grdo88 picked just about the worst way to introduce his/her self here. It's like going to a site for dog people and saying "I found a stray puppy on my porch, so I threw it out into traffic...."

 

[The Snark]

I understand what you're saying, but @grdo88 picked just about the worst way to introduce his/her self here. It's like going to a site for dog people and saying "I found a stray puppy on my porch, so I threw it out into traffic...."

That is understood and a given. But the OP is only operating from his/her mental capacity. Keep in mind most of the 'education' people experience today is thinly disguised sensationalism entertainment. People with real, practical academic achievements would have posted quite differently. IE victims of the environment. TV brains, social media. Blame the parents. The schools. The entertainment venues most readily available. Which is more common, grab a book or stare at social media on the PDA?

 

[SonsofArachne]

That is understood and a given. But the OP is only operating from his/her mental capacity. Keep in mind most of the 'education' people experience today is thinly disguised sensationalism entertainment. People with real, practical academic achievements would have posted quite differently. IE victims of the environment. TV brains, social media. Blame the parents. The schools. The entertainment venues most readily available. Which is more common, grab a book or stare at social media on the PDA?

We are all (in the "1st world", anyway) subject to the same "enviroment". I try to be understanding, but with most people I see little effort made to rise above the herd mentality, and so I have little patience for their close-minded attitudes.

 

[The Snark]

I try to be understanding, but with most people I see little effort made to rise above the herd mentality, and so I have little patience for their close-minded attitudes.

Welcome to the club. We have jackets.
Look at a larger picture. Instead of a gigantic billions of $$$ tax giveaway an incentive program was implemented for the corporate planet rapers. Tax breaks for beneficial, benevolent, altruistic socially and environmentally responsible endeavors.
Take Singapore. They have only one resource. Extreme taxation on all businesses but a tax break for every employee businesses hire and keep on the payroll. Zap! Next to zero unemployment.
The more resources corporations utilize, the more flexible the taxation. So connect that with the problem the OP has. Education. Tax breaks for corporations that contribute to real, proper, practical education.

 

[NYAN]

I understand what you're saying, but @grdo88 picked just about the worst way to introduce his/her self here. It's like going to a site for dog people and saying "I found a stray puppy on my porch, so I threw it out into traffic...."

More like: “I found a stray puppy, and wanted to test out my new shotgun, so I shot the dog, put it in my empty pool, and now it’s gone, but it’s siblings appeared. Can dogs desiccate themselves after being shot?”

 

[Greasylake]

wanted to test out my new shotgun, so I shot the dog,

... my grandpa did this once, except with a rifle, and a cat.

 

[NYAN]

... my grandpa did this once, except with a rifle, and a cat.

Ouch. That’s not good at all.

 

[SonsofArachne]

... my grandpa did this once, except with a rifle, and a cat.

No offense but, your grandpa needed help.

 

[WildSpider]

It is also possible that the OP didn't do much research about Arachnoboards before signing up. Perhaps they thought the people on this site were more a group who were solely curious/interested in arachnids but not necessarily ones keeping them as pets. For instance, I find aphids interesting but I don't necessarily want to keep them as pets.

 

[pannaking22]

@Grdo88 welcome to the forum. Maybe not the best way to start your time here BUT regardless, welcome and we're here to try to answer any questions you have (preferably about keeping spiders alive). Please see the response from @chanda above to answer your question.

 

[kamakiri]

The ignorance of the public at large about insects in general but spiders in particular is astonishing. Even now I find it hard to persuade my wife that the occasional little red spot she encounters on her person is not a "spider bite" . . . to this day she is convinced that spiders exist to climb into bed with her at night to deliver a "nip" and no amount of my protestations of the absurdity of that claim seem to enlighten her, even when the evidence against it is overwhelming.

For her, the appearance of a spider in the house is a cause for great alarm and a "Do something!" shriek that these days I sigh and go gently capture the poor creature and deposit it in a place where it can do the most good, ie. the kitchen.

After all, we live in Canada, not Australia, where I hear the farmers use their spiders to herd their sheep . . .