Spider's Web

Spider silk is truly one of the wonders of nature. I love finding webs in meadows, and can barely fathom how spiders are able to produce webs made of impossibly thin, impossibly strong, and impossibly flexible silk.

Some fun facts:
-Spider silk is incredibly light and thin, yet it is stronger than steel, on a per-weight basis. It's actually 5x stronger than steel of the same diameter. Plus, it can stretch 4x its original length without breaking.

-Their design is geometrically very organized, in order to optimize function: radial threads anchor the web to nearby objects, while spiral threads crisscross and anchor the web to the radial threads.

-A spider can produce up to 7 different kinds of silk for different purposes: some silk is sticky, some is not sticky, some is fine for wrapping prey, other strands are thick, etc. They can even produce special silk that withstands UV damage if they are constructing it in a sunny spot!

-Webs are designed to increase in strength when damaged. This is a crazy one and I don't completely understand it enough to explain it. But, the load capacity of a web increases up to 10% when damaged...the spider anticipates damage to its web. This is why the web can catch multiple prey items without breaking. And, somehow, localized damage makes the web stronger.

Habitat: Meadow

comments (8)

Calbost Niel

Lion

Great info Posted 4 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks! I could go on and on, lol. The wonders of nature never cease to amaze me. Posted 4 years ago

Ruth Spigelman

Lion

Fab shot and informative Christine. Re the 'stronger when damaged' topic, I can add something plucking at my memory banks - I've read some research that, (if memory serves), indicates the silk has the ability to stretch, become stiff, then become stretchy again. In contrast, in webs made of material with a more uniform stretching response, local stresses cause much more widespread damage. Posted 4 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks so much for the added information, Ruth! It's so fascinating! Posted 4 years ago

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Great post! Posted 4 years ago
1. Christine Young
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks Ferdy...I had to force restraint on myself lest I could have written a book. I love spider's webs. Posted 4 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    I would want to eat that some spider eat their own silk for protein. I think that's beautifully efficient. Posted 4 years ago
  2. 1. Christine Young
      
      Lion
      
      Yes! They recycle it by eating it to save energy. Posted 4 years ago