A Staff Report from the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board

Why don't spiders get stuck to their own webs?

September 13, 2001

Dear Straight Dope:

Here's just one of the legion of questions my 4 year old son asks me that I can't answer: How come spiders don't get stuck on their own webs? My answer was: because they have special stuff on their legs, but I really have no idea!

— Stew Weldon, Plymouth NH

Actually, spiders could get stuck in their own webs--they're just more careful than that. You see, some of the strands are sticky, and others are not. The spiders only climb on the NON-sticky strands. Even if they accidentally set foot on a sticky strand, as long as it's not their whole body or multiple legs, they can still pull their foot free fairly easily. It's not THAT sticky.

— Doug

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Staff Reports are written by the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board, Cecil's online auxiliary. Though the SDSAB does its best, these columns are edited by Ed Zotti, not Cecil, so accuracywise you'd better keep your fingers crossed.
Search the Straight Dope Archive

Send questions for Cecil Adams to: cecil@chicagoreader.com

Send comments about this website to: webmaster@straightdope.com

Advertise on the Straight Dope! Your direct line to thou- sands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks.

Publishers - interested in subscribing to the Straight Dope? Write to: sdsubscriptions@cln.com.

Copyright 1996-2010 Creative Loafing Media, Inc. All rights reserved. No material contained in this site may be republished or reposted without express written permission. The Straight Dope is a registered trademark of Creative Loafing Media, Inc.

Other Creative Loafing Media, Inc. sites:

Creative Loafing Atlanta | Creative Loafing Charlotte | Chicago Reader | Creative Loafing Sarasota | Creative Loafing Tampa | Washington City Paper