question about the technicality of T's sensory perceptions

[Arachnopuppy]

Anyone else besides me ever observe this in your H. lividum? You know how when threatened, your T brings all 4 of their front legs up in the air and show off its fangs. This is when they will strike at you if you come close. As I understand it, their eyes are on the upper side of its carapace. In ready-to-strike position, its entire lower part of the carapace faces you. When you get close to it without making any any vibrational indication of your presence, somehow it knows that you are coming and make a strike for you. I have done this experiment with my lividum many times and I know that vibration is out of the question. Any thought?

 

[Faunya]

Well technically, vibration can't be out of the question. As your hand moves, it presses the air around it out of the way. I'd have to guess that this is what the spider is homing in on.

Then again, I'm just a beginner with the Ts...

-Faunya

 

[Jobe]

I dont think you are too far off Faunya

Its prolly, like you said, vibrations. The supersensitive hairs around the T's body would definitely pick it up. Same reason it can be hard to hit a fly.

Im not sure if they have other sences which help, but i know their eyes arent exactly too good.

I could be wrong too, but heck...heres where we learn right?



-e-

 

[Arachnopuppy]

But in some of my experiments, there was a sheet of glass between the pissed off T and my hand though. I thought about the air compression affect before too.

 

[Bob the thief]

Remember the palps are in the air also meaning they can smell you getting closer also.

 

[invertepet]

Even when reared up, they can still see changes in the light, which a big human will cause when approaching. Tarantulas are quite well keyed for light changes - they have one pair of eyes designed not unlike the third eye on top of lizard heads -- specifically for light changes (to guard against something coming from above).

Originally posted by lam
But in some of my experiments, there was a sheet of glass between the pissed off T and my hand though. I thought about the air compression affect before too.

 

[Tarantula]

What? LIzards have a third eye on their heads? Somebody should post a pic of this

 

[Arachnopuppy]

Originally posted by Tarantula
What? LIzards have a third eye on their heads? Somebody should post a pic of this

It's not really an eye. It's more like a light/heat sensor that helps them know where to go for a good bask, if I remember correctly, which I doubt. Their senses are different than us, especially their sense of touch. They can't really tell if they are burning or freezing.

 

[invertepet]

Yes, on lizards it's more of a sensor than an 'eye' per se. It helps spot birds and such that cast a shadow, that sort of thing.

bill

 

[Shadrach]

Come on ya'll haven't any of you seen Spider-Man? Everyone knows there is a spider sense! Hehehehe!

Tarantula next time you get to see a Bearded Dragon or Iguana check out the top of the head you'll notice a scale on top of the head that is clear looking thats the third eye. But its not on all lizards example....Geckos, Skinks and so on, BD's and Iggys are the only ones that come to mind.

 

[nocturnalpulsem]

Originally posted by Bob the thief
Remember the palps are in the air also meaning they can smell you getting closer also.

Spiders smell???? Wow...learned something new today.

N.

 

[Arachnopuppy]

Originally posted by nocturnalpulsem
Spiders smell???? Wow...learned something new today.

N.

As I can remember, they have a heightenned sense of smell.

 

[nocturnalpulsem]

Originally posted by lam
As I can remember, they have a heightenned sense of smell.

Good thing I don't smoke, I guess. So, they can't hear and don't see well, but they can smell and feel if anything's near? Weird.

N.