Science question regarding spiders

[Coradams]

My son and I were just checking on our freshly molted B. boehmei and my son asked if spiders can sense magnetic fields. Has anyone ever heard about this?

 

[ColeopteraC]

My son and I were just checking on our freshly molted B. boehmei and my son asked if spiders can sense magnetic fields. Has anyone ever heard about this?

Research does suggest that they are sensitive to the earths electrical fields, as are many other animals. The spiderlings of true spiders utilise this in order to ‘balloon’ (young spiders ‘flying’ with web by harnessing electrical fields in order to distribute).

It’s possible they are sensitive to magnetic fields but no research proposes this.

 

[omni]

I once had the notion in the early 2000's to expose 50 slings from a sac to low levels of magnetic disturbance such as found around electrical transmission towers in 3rd world countries to gauge if there's any effect on their lives to maturity. Another 50 were to be kept identically but quite far away from the magnetic waves. It would've been a long study (lol!) and I might still do it, but I failed at my only pairing of G. rosea and research time went to other things.

I do think that electrical disturbances can create waves of magnetic force, that might disorient any # of kinds of animals. T's seemed like a good idea to test, because esp with most T's originally coming from these rural communities wild populations might be hurt with advancing technology. It was a eco thing.
To my knowledge there hasn't been much progress by anyone along these lines, but there is some general info on urbanization's negative impact on animals. Usually it's centered around construction or habitat removal. Around these towers and high voltage lines, abnormalities in many critters are found. More than would random genetic variation occur.
Bad timing and bad luck pairing my rosea's. Maybe for the best tho? haha can you imagine tending 100 Rosehairs for 8-12 years or more? how much space it would've taken lol. But I almost took it on. Maybe I still will but not with Grammy's! maybe something cool like Phormictopus...

My hypothesis is that arachnids are not as sensitive to changes in magnetic fields as are more complex animals, but are not immune to it. Data was to include growth size and rate, dysfunction and mortality.

 

[viper69]

My son and I were just checking on our freshly molted B. boehmei and my son asked if spiders can sense magnetic fields. Has anyone ever heard about this?

It generally doesn't affect them because in the wild they wear pointy metal hats. This is why they escape in captivity, they are looking for aluminum to make a hat. Most people won't admit this, but it's the truth.

 

[Coradams]

I once had the notion in the early 2000's to expose 50 slings from a sac to low levels of magnetic disturbance such as found around electrical transmission towers in 3rd world countries to gauge if there's any effect on their lives to maturity. Another 50 were to be kept identically but quite far away from the magnetic waves. It would've been a long study (lol!) and I might still do it, but I failed at my only pairing of G. rosea and research time went to other things.

What an interesting experiment that would be as well as a major effort! Temperature, light, humidity and food (in both amount and quality) would have to be the same for both groups. If you ever try this, keep me posted!

 

[Coradams]

It generally doesn't affect them because in the wild they wear pointy metal hats. This is why they escape in captivity, they are looking for aluminum to make a hat. Most people won't admit this, but it's the truth.

What a wonderful visual! I give you the Kracka potamus in its natural habitat:

 

[viper69]

What a wonderful visual! I give you the Kracka potamus in its natural habitat:

That's photoshopped, any self-respecting T would have a hat with silk on it!

 

[Coradams]

That's photoshopped, any self-respecting T would have a hat with silk on it!

Not photoshopped exactly. It is a plastic model with an honest-to-god, custom-made aluminum foil hat! We are old-school.