Can Wolfspiders feel emotion?

[suu]

I know that spiders lack the nerves to have emotion.

But while I was trying to remove my Wolf Spider's eggsack, she was extremely aggressive and defensive. When I successfully removed the eggsack (without injury to her), she started to prowl around her enclosure to look for the sack, lifting up grass and checking little dips and hills.

I gave her eggsack back since I felt legitimately bad. I usually remove my Redback's eggsack, but I don't feel bad when I remove her's since she isn't defensive at all about it

 

[cold blood]

no

 

[Ungoliant]

But while I was trying to remove my Wolf Spider's eggsack, she was extremely aggressive and defensive. When I successfully removed the eggsack (without injury to her), she started to prowl around her enclosure to look for the sack, lifting up grass and checking little dips and hills.

That behavior is instinctual.

Another good example of memory in spiders comes from experiments with wolf spiders. If the cocoon is taken away from a female, she will search for it for several hours. If the cocoon is given back within a day, she will readily accept it and attach it again to her spinnerets. However, if more than 24–48 hours pass, then most spiders will no longer take their cocoon back (Peckham and Peckham, 1887). Apparently they cannot remember such a loss for more than two days.

Foelix, Rainer. Biology of Spiders (p. 133).

 

[suu]

That behavior is instinctual.



Foelix, Rainer. Biology of Spiders (p. 133).

That's interesting. Why don't Redbacks defend their eggsacks?

 

[Veles]

This is nothing weird.
Ground and sac spiders will also defent their eggs.

 

[Ratmosphere]

No. It's just in their nature.

 

[Wolfspidurguy]

I mean they can feel stress and fear and that's about it

 

[Veles]

I mean they can feel stress and fear and that's about it

And even that is instinct more than emotions.

 

[Ungoliant]

Why don't Redbacks defend their eggsacks?

Maybe they are just more skittish, so they flee sooner?

 

[RTTB]

No they don’t feel emotions.

 

[Veles]

Maybe they are just more skittish, so they flee sooner?

They are also web builders unlike the wolf spiders,so even the slightest provocation can make them flee.
As web building spiders are mostly less defensive than active hunters.

 

[Dennis Nedry]

That's interesting. Why don't Redbacks defend their eggsacks?

They do, aside from being pressed against the body by standing on the spider or getting it caught in your clothes, the most common reason redback a bite is because somebody has stuck their hand in the web of a female guarding her eggs by accident. They're just less defensive than wolf spiders

 

[Smokehound714]

sometimes i do think they're prone to anger.