Sticky Spider Feet

My friend Natalie asked me a question on Facebook:

How can a spider walk upsidedown on the ceiling?

That’s a great question.  Different animals have different ways of sticking to walls and ceilings.  Frogs, like the Chinese gliding frog, have sticky pads on their toes that have a sticky glue on them.  Insects that can walk on walls and ceilings also have a glue on their toes.

Spiders are different.  They don’t have glue on their toes.  Instead, they have tiny little hairs on their toes.  Here is a picture of the foot of a jumping spider.  This picture was taken by a scientist with a scanning electron microscope.  It is magnified 200 times.

There is some kind of law of physics that makes the molecules in these little hairs stick to the ceiling like a magnet.  Scientists are studying spider feet to see if they can learn how to make things stick the same way that spiders stick to the ceiling.  They are trying to make a better sticky note.  You can learn more about it at this link.

Thanks for asking the question.  Happy birthday, Natalie and Carter!

About Raymie

Raymie is a 11 year old boy who loves animals. He is always looking around for new animals. He wants to be a zookeeper someday.
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6 Responses to Sticky Spider Feet

  1. Molly's Mom says:

    Ew. Rayme, you may have just turned me off of sticky notes. I may never touch one again.

  2. Uncle Jim says:

    Raymie, thank you for the interesting information on how spider feet stick to ceilings through molecular Van der Waal forces. If you choose, you are going to make a great scientist or engineer because of your great desire to understand and learn all you can.

  3. Uncle Paul says:

    And not too many people know this, but the turtle is also nature’s suction cup. Watch this. You see? It sticks! How ’bout that huh? Ok. What else I got for you?

  4. Daddy says:

    Today we’re teaching poodles how to fly.

  5. Natalie Piepenburg says:

    Thank you, Raymie!! 🙂

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