spiders with missing legs

[nfn]

A genuine question - my little boy asked me this morning. If you pull the leg off a spider (he did) does it grow a new one or does it die?

[commoner]

...mm......apparently not if it loses a leg by accident, (or from a naughty boy pulling off one of it's legs ;-) ), it doesn't regenerate ANOTHER but the poor beastie can happily function on it's remaining legs...........on the other hand I have read that if a spider loses a leg during one of it's skin moults then it will get a new leg..........

[commoner]

...Sorry I hadn't quite finished.........it depends on whether the spider is full grown or not .........if not then the leg will come back fully at the next moult..............

[crete]

does he often pull the legs off spiders ? and why

[andybaird68]

hello nfn

My wee lad is fascinated by all crawling creatures and I have to say he is a little horror too where they are concerned for some reason he will leave ladybirds alone -andy

[Andy2306]

i agree with commener. if the animal is full grown and it can still hunt with leg (or legs missin) it can quite happily carry on, if it cannot adapt to hunting properly with a leg( or legs) missin then it will die of staration

[Andy2306]

thats meant to say starvation ^

[nfn]

thanks folks. the spider was one of those giant ones, you know the type - you can see their eyelashes they're so HUGE! It's gone to the great web in the sky now, via my Dyson!

[lou cypher]

they actually go deaf!! i had one i told him to go away and he went away, i called him and he came scurrying back. i pulled he's legs off and told him to leave and he never heard me

[bubbly girly]

It probably doesn't grow back but I am pretty sure he will still live.