Spiders (and other small animals) are in fact fine with falls many times the height of their own body, because of the difference in how quickly volume (and therefore mass) and surface area (and therefore air resistance) are scaling. On the other hand, the larger they are, the harder they fall
I believe you’re referring to Terminal Velocity
Right in theory. But I used to live on the fifth floor and carried spiders to the window like I used to do before. In that Appartement the only difference to before was that I yeeted the spider from a height of 15m and not just 1m. That must be like skydiving without a parachute for the spider.
You could throw that spider off the 50th floor, it would be fine: https://youtu.be/f7KSfjv4Oq0?feature=shared
The depicted spider is a cellar spider btw., they are known to attack and eat redback spiders, huntsman spiders and house spiders. This is the anti-spider spider, the traitorous black legger.
We had a problem with ants this summer and leaving the apartment for a week to return to a spider haven was the best thing we could have done. The spiders took care of them. We are still finding eaten shells of ants wrapped in spider webs. Thank you little leggys
So “Yay me!” for throwing it to it’s certain death?
As an arachnophobe I don’t relate.
Here is one the arachnophobes:
Ahhhhhh!
I’m an arachnophobe as well and I do this, if the spider isn’t huge (fortunately, there are no huge spiders when I live… AFAIK).
For me it’s worse the longer the legs are compared to the body. Small spiders with barely any legs? No problem, they’re not much more than any bug, eg. a ladybug. But a weaver? Fuck me I need some way to extend the vacuums tube.
It may be scary, but they’re okay! I actually felt bad and looked up if they could get fall damage, but most bugs are so light that it doesn’t do anything to them. Let 'em fly!
“Let it out?” You mean let it out of this terrible life, right? That’s the real sarcasm part right? You were about to squash it, right? I’m trying to sleep at night, man!
My spiders make such efforts to get away from my hand that I often end up taking the simple route and…killing them.
Normally I’m fine with them around to cut down on other insects, but they do show up in some annoying places for me.
Though some larger spiders can be quite fragile and actually die from falls that wouldn’t kill a human or even injure one who’s prepared and knows how to land.
