What is it about baths?

[Colette]

Random question a friend asked me this week and I have no idea...

Why is it, when they can easily scale a vertical glass tank wall that so many spiders get stuck in bath tubs?

 

[mconnachan]

Bath tubs are made from ceramic, which in turn makes it smoother than glass, they can climb up to certain point, but when it becomes more of an incline they slip not fall to the bottom of the bath, hence the reason I use the bath for re-housing.

 

[Colette]

That makes sense. I use the bath too but had never thought about it until someone asked me.

 

[CJW]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've also read that tarantulas have the ability to apply a small amount of silk with their "feet" which helps a lot with sticking to very smooth surfaces. Other spiders do not have this ability and hence find it much more difficult to climb smooth surfaces.

 

[mconnachan]

That makes sense. I use the bath too but had never thought about it until someone asked me.

I re-housed my O. schioedtei in the bath a few days ago, it did try to bolt, but only managed to slip back into the strategically placed enclosure. Thank Armitage Shanks for bath tubs....lol
Nice to see another UK member on the boards, enjoy.

 

[Ungoliant]

Why is it, when they can easily scale a vertical glass tank wall that so many spiders get stuck in bath tubs?

Climbing ability varies by species. Most web dwellers have special claws on their feet that, while great for navigating a web, hinder the ability to climb smooth surfaces. These spiders probably wouldn't do much better on a vertical glass surface than they do in ceramic bathtubs.

On the other hand, there are many true spiders that can climb both.

Tarantula feet have thousands of tiny hairs that help them grip smooth surfaces, although arboreal species are much better climbers than terrestrial species.

 

[Anoplogaster]

I've had avics climb tubs, if they do it slowly. Even pokies can't do it. They just run in circles until they're out of gas. If you have an arboreal T molt, feel the foot pads. They feel "sticky" in one direction. Very interesting. And oddly enough, all the hairs are facing toward the terminal end of the feet, making them sticky only when you rub toward the base of the appendage. So that means they actually climb by pushing, rather than pulling

 

[viper69]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've also read that tarantulas have the ability to apply a small amount of silk with their "feet" which helps a lot with sticking to very smooth surfaces.

This was published in primary scientific literature, but has since been refuted.

Ts stick to surfaces via van der waals forces.

 

[viper69]

So that means they actually climb by pushing, rather than pulling

Hmm... but their front legs aren't pushing, otherwise they'd go backwards...I don't think I understand what you are getting at. However your observation is quite cool. I'll check that out too.

 

[Anoplogaster]

Hmm... but their front legs aren't pushing, otherwise they'd go backwards...I don't think I understand what you are getting at. However your observation is quite cool. I'll check that out too.

I imagine they are pushing with their rear legs more than anything. I also considered that they might be exerting outward pressure to stay on the surface. But I don't actually know for sure.

 

[mconnachan]

Hmm... but their front legs aren't pushing, otherwise they'd go backwards...I don't think I understand what you are getting at. However your observation is quite cool. I'll check that out too.

I imagine they are pushing with their rear legs more than anything. I also considered that they might be exerting outward pressure to stay on the surface. But I don't actually know for sure.

Both of your points are valid, I feel that they use each appendage when and if necessary, so both of you are correct, most likely we will never get to the bottom of this amazing phenomenon, like with true spiders walking upside-down on ceilings....go figure....nature at it's finest.

 

[viper69]

I imagine they are pushing with their rear legs more than anything. I also considered that they might be exerting outward pressure to stay on the surface. But I don't actually know for sure.

We need a biomechanics person to examine this.

 

[Ellenantula]

Really thought this was going to be about bathing Ts.

I've never rehoused in a tub -- I think bending over the tub edge would limit my mobility and quick response. Plus, I am getting old. lol

I like working from a high surface surrounded by lots of open floor space best -- figure they have to cover more ground to reach freedom -- across table, beneath underside of the table and down the table leg first -- maybe buy me a few extra seconds before they get far. Only a C fimbri sling ever made it to the floor where he was eventually catch-cupped and returned.
Just me.

 

[EulersK]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've also read that tarantulas have the ability to apply a small amount of silk with their "feet" which helps a lot with sticking to very smooth surfaces. Other spiders do not have this ability and hence find it much more difficult to climb smooth surfaces.

That has been disproved. Turns out that those strands we saw coming from their feet was hemolymph oozing from their chemo-receptors.

Source:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1467803913000212

Ts stick to surfaces via van der waals forces.

Indeed. For those unfamiliar, Van der Waals forces basically work like static cling... sorta. Here's an entertaining video on the subject (about Spider-Man!):