Hi everyone

[draiko]

I got into a debate with a guy who claims a spiders exo skeleton has a wax coating. which means its waterproof so the humidty of cages do not matter. How much of this is true?

 

[Cassiusstein]

I got into a debate with a guy who claims a spiders exo skeleton has a wax coating. which means its waterproof so the humidty of cages do not matter. How much of this is true?

I believe the younger ones do not possess this "wax" although I'm not exactly aure how young. It is actual bristles that are covered in a wax like substance. So he is right. Now about the humidty part, that sounds like a huge heap of regardless of if they're covered in wax, glass, kryptonite, or whatever, they still breath through their book lungs. Ask him to use a reptifogger on full blast in one of his enclosures non stop and see what happens.

 

[ledzeppelin]

They do have a waxy coating which prevents water loss and desiccation. This is different from being wateproof.. But humidity of cages matters. To give you an extreme example: Crabs have even more waterproof exoskeleton, but will die if left out to dry

 

[draiko]

thanks for the answers.

 

[viper69]

Perhaps the word cuticle was mentioned in your conversation?