Spider molting: how does it change its skin and why does it shed, what does it look like?

Ecology

Spiders may be scary or disgusting, but they are some of the most amazing creatures alive.

on the planet.
These animals do not belong to the class of insects
, as you might think, but are separated into a separate group -
arachnids
, among which you can also find orders
of ticks and scorpions
.

Spiders often exhibit strange behavior

: They are able to eat their own kind, build super-strong networks, and also have an amazing eye structure. But there are other equally interesting features of spiders that will be discussed.

Preparing for molting in spiders

Since spider molting is an energy-consuming and tedious process, before it the arthropod must gain a certain shape. It is important to accumulate a sufficient amount of nutrients, which will serve as the foundation for a significant leap in growth after shedding the old exoskeleton.

Therefore, at first, the ever-hungry predator actively hunts for insects and larvae. This continues until the abdomen increases to the desired size. Afterwards the arthropod loses its appetite.

At this time, the following physiological processes occur in the animal’s body::

The abdomen begins to darken greatly, as a new, wrinkled one is formed under the old exoskeleton.
A special liquid is secreted under the skin, which softens the lower layer.
The old skin is slowly coming off, but some nerve endings are still connected to the old exoskeleton. This is necessary so that the animal does not lose the ability to respond to pathogens.

Most often, the spider changes its skin, safely hiding in a secluded and safe place. This is due to the fact that during molting the spider is most defenseless. If attacked, he will not be able to defend himself or escape. Therefore, some species dig holes in the ground, while others weave a reliable cocoon from a web.

Changing the exoskeleton can last from 20 minutes to several hours. The older and larger the arthropod, the longer it lasts.

Let's look at how a spider sheds:

First, a crack runs along the limbs on the cephalothorax.
The skin on the abdomen breaks.
The spider begins to slowly crawl out of the skin. His paws emerge from the execuvium one at a time, like fingers from a glove.
The spider fills its body with hemolymph, which it stored in the abdomen. The entire body and limbs are stretched and enlarged. It is now that the animal is most vulnerable. Even insects, which it usually hunts itself, can harm it. The new skin has not yet hardened, and therefore any mechanical impact can cause fatal damage. Even a small wound can cause the animal to bleed hemolymph.

There are times when, for some reason, arthropods get stuck in an old exoskeleton. This can result in the loss of one or more limbs, or death. This may be due to insufficient air humidity.

Immediately after molting, the spider lies on its back and slowly moves its limbs. This is necessary so that when the new exoskeleton hardens, all joints work correctly. Otherwise, the arthropod will not be able to walk. When the skin hardens a little, the animal turns over on its paws. Afterwards it sits motionless. Some species chew their execuvium to extract nutrients from it.

It will still be a long time before the grown arthropod is strong enough to come out of hiding. Since a lot of nutrients were spent on growth, the abdomen is greatly reduced in size. Therefore, the predator immediately goes hunting.

Ermine

The stoat is a small predatory animal with an elongated body from the Mustelidae family. Many people confuse the ermine with a weasel, but this animal is larger in size and is less able to cope with mouse-like rodents.

The ermine has short but thick fur. In the summer, the sides, tail, upper back, paws and top of the head become brown with a hint of brown, the tip of the tail becomes black, and the throat, paws on the inside, chin, and abdomen turn yellow with a lemon tint.

Unlike the weasel, the ermine has a thicker and longer tail. Animals molt twice a year. Spring molt occurs in March-April, autumn moult occurs in September-November.

In the spring, real molting occurs. At this time, the winter heavy fur is replaced by lighter fur. In autumn, you can observe an increase in the undercoat and a change in coat color from brownish-brownish to white.

Depending on the ecological situation in the region where stoats are distributed, a shift in the timing of molting can be observed.

The spring molt is very interesting. First, you can see a dark spot located above the eyes, then it constantly increases, spreads along the animal’s spine, then “crawls” onto the sides, then onto the paws and tail. The lower part does not change its color, only acquires a lemon tint. Females and males moult at the same time.

Do spiders molt?

Not only reptiles can shed and exchange their skin for a new one. Almost all types of arthropods have this ability. Insects most often molt during the stage of transformation of the larva into an adult. Also, each molt marks the transition of the insect to a new stage of development.

Now let's look at whether spiders molt . Arachnids, like insects, are capable of shedding their old chitinous shell. Spiders molt several times throughout their lives. Each moult during the growth period is marked by a significant increase in the size of the animal. Some species can molt even after they reach sexual maturity.

That is why the corpse of a “dead” arthropod hanging on a web may turn out to be just a discarded skin.

skinning an animal

See what it means to “skin an animal” in other dictionaries:

sand - SKIN, dial. - Skinning an animal. “Skin, boys,” the centurion ordered the Cossacks who surrounded them (1.46). SSG 338: skinning “to remove the bark of trees”; SYUG 435 “to skin the beast; remove the bark of trees" ... Dictionary of the trilogy "The Sovereign's Estate"

The wolf or canine family - (Canidae)** * * The family unites 16 modern genera and 36 species. Canids are widespread in Eurasia, Africa, North and South America; they entered New Guinea and Australia with humans. With the exception of one species, they have more... ...Animal life

stockings - lok, lkam, plural. (unit stockings, lka, m.). 1. Machine- or hand-knitted items worn on the legs and extending behind the knees. A pair of stockings. Wool stockings. □ Her mother knitted stockings for her and put them on her little feet herself. M. Gorky, Mother. 2. Wool of a different color... ... Small academic dictionary

Skinning is a no-brainer. trans. 1. Skin a dead animal and gut it. 2. Cut the meat of a killed animal into pieces. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000 ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

flay - chew, chew; prib. suffering past flayed, van, a, o; nesov., pereh. (owl. skinn). Skinning and gutting a dead animal. Olenin found him in the yard in front of a boar carcass, which he was deftly skinning with a happy and proud face... ... Small Academic Dictionary

World of Warcraft - The information in this article or some sections of it is out of date. You can help the project by updating it and then removing this template... Wikipedia

Source

Why do they shed

To understand why spiders molt, we first need to talk about physiology. Their body is divided into two large segments: the cephalothorax and abdomen. The cephalothorax contains the eyes, mouth, and limbs. The entire body is covered with a durable chitinous layer that protects the arthropod from damage.

The chitinous shell is not able to stretch and grow. Only on the abdomen the skin is a little more pliable. After each meal, the abdomen increases significantly in size. This is where nutrients are deposited that will serve as material for further growth. After the abdomen reaches sufficient size, the animal stops feeding.

Causes of shedding:

Since the exoskeleton interferes with growth, during life it has to be discarded and replaced with a new one.
During molting, the animal is able to regrow previously lost limbs.
Molting in spiders is aimed at the formation of new organs during puberty.

Where do spider webs actually come from?

To dispel a couple of myths, let's say that:

The spider produces its thread using glands located in the abdomen.
She doesn’t get out of his paws like the hero of comics and films.
Excretion is provided by special papillae located at the bottom of the abdomen.
It comes out of the anus, the web is not a waste product.
Its composition does not particularly depend on the spider’s diet. The main thing is that there is sufficient nutrition.
It is difficult to assess the labor productivity of spiders, but it is reliably known that spiders can continuously weave a thread several tens of meters long
.
This is all experimental data; in real life, small insects do not need such huge trapping nets.
On the other hand, one can appreciate the scale of the tragedy if one of the plots of horror films about the invasion of these huge insects comes true in real life.
The spider does not have any threads in its abdomen; the web is produced in a semi-liquid form and it solidifies only in air.
It's hard to believe that such a thin thread can be so strong. But it’s all about the physical characteristics and chemical composition of the material.

Children often ask seemingly simple questions, but they cannot find the answer right away. Now you can explain to your baby in simple words where the spider gets its thread and why it weaves its ingenious webs. It’s better to remain silent about the “prospects” of an invasion of giant spiders; the writers’ fiction will remain just a fiction.

Video: how does a spider make thread?

This video will show exactly how the spider produces its thread, how it weaves a web and catches its prey in it:

What is shedding

Molting in spiders is the replacement of the old chitinous layer with a new one in the process of life. Due to the increase in internal pressure, the old exoskeleton bursts and opens. During the period of active growth, the arthropod is capable of increasing 1.5-2 times after each molt. After reaching sexual maturity, active growth stops.

The shed skin of a spider is called an execuvium . In some species, it serves as a tool for determining the sex of an animal. For example, in tarantulas, sex is determined by the impression of the female's spermatheca or its absence between the first pair of lungs.

You can examine the spermatheca without a microscope at about 6-7 moults. With the help of special devices, it is possible to determine the sex of an arthropod earlier.

We take care of wool

Everything about your pets' fur is written here.

We have already mentioned that when shedding, you need to thoroughly comb out the dead fur with a fine-toothed brush. And so on every day. Then the new one will grow faster in those places. Blood circulation in the skin will improve and the new coat will be strong, elastic and as long as possible. If you do this hygiene procedure 1 or 2 times a day, then there will be a minimum of wool on your sofas and carpets and you will not have to vacuum more than 2 times a week.

It’s a bad sign if the fur falls out in places and sores form there. It could be some kind of skin disease, from food allergies to fungus, ringworm. In addition, hair loss may indicate diseases of the internal organs. Take your pet to see a veterinarian immediately.

Cleaning wool

The best natural bristle brushes. Most often they are made from pork or horse hair. Some dogs may experience an allergic reaction due to the synthetic brush. A good brush is moderately thick and of medium hardness.

Dogs with long hair need to be brushed especially often. A comb is convenient for unraveling tangles and removing dead hair more thoroughly. A particularly thick comb is convenient for carrying out these procedures. When a long-haired dog sheds, it is best to use soft-bristled brushes and run them gently through the fur so as not to pull out a tuft right along with the skin.

A haircut

Do you think that dogs are cut with ordinary scissors? Only beginners and inexperienced dog breeders. If the dog has long hair and constantly needs to have its hair done as the hair grows back, then it makes sense to immediately purchase a special clipper. It’s so convenient to care for poodles, lapdogs, Shih Tzus and Yorkshire terriers when you give them a hygienic short haircut for the summer. Usually, dogs of those breeds with which similar procedures are customarily cut are cut. Shepherd dogs, golden retrievers and even collies are not cut.

Adviсe

It is not enough to just clean your pet’s fur from dust and dirt in bad weather or bathe them; you need to feed your pet well so that the coat is bright, rich in color, and the hair is as healthy as possible. The best super-premium or premium food. If you constantly give them to your pet, he will be cheerful and active. An experienced veterinarian will say that long-lived dogs are more often found among those who eat not only dry food, but also raw meat, eggs, and boiled vegetables.

Dogs that live in enclosures or in private sectors with free range in the courtyard of the house are rarely bathed. Most summers, when the weather is hot, the owners buy them in a basin from a hose with cool well water. Or they take you to a local pond and wash and rinse thoroughly.

Pet dogs need to be washed more often. If your pet has not gotten dirty in something foul-smelling or in fuel oil, then you can wipe it with a damp sponge and shampoo. And if it gets seriously dirty, then it’s best to put it in the bathroom, wet the fur, soap it and rinse it off. You can repeat the procedure. Try to accustom your puppy to water procedures from childhood. Then even adults will be able to tolerate them calmly, and maybe he will enjoy swimming.

Periodically, your pet can be bathed with flea-repellent shampoo. This will prevent infection. Many owners wear anti-flea collars or drip a special product onto the withers against fleas with lice and ticks. There are especially many ticks in May, but already from February they wake up and those who drive dogs in forested areas need to treat their pets against these parasites.

It is often not recommended to bathe indoor pets due to the fact that the skin can dry out and the hair will begin to fall out more. If your pet itches frequently and you have treated it for fleas a long time ago, repeat the procedure. After all, when it itches, the hair in those places falls out. Clean your pet's ears. If he gets ear mites, he may develop bald patches behind the ears due to intense scratching with his back paw.

Reproduction and lifespan

tarantula spider matures faster than any of the females, but after that it lives no more than a year, and if it manages to mate, then even less. His readiness to have offspring can be guessed by his characteristic external signs. Firstly, bulbs are formed on his pedipalps - natural vessels for sperm.

Males also develop special hooks called tibal hooks, which play a certain role during mating. These devices are needed to hold the partner, as well as protection from her, since the chosen ones of spiders can turn out to be very aggressive individuals.

With the help of arranged webs and hairs on the body, the tarantula senses everything around

In preparation for a meeting with the “lady,” males weave a special web, secreting a drop of family fluid onto it, then grab it with hooks and begin searching for a partner.

But even when the spider is there and responds to the call, showing consent with all her appearance, intercourse does not occur without performing the required rituals. Without them, spiders are unable to determine whether they belong to the same species. This may include bodily shaking or paw tapping. Each variety has its own mating movements.

The intercourse itself can be instantaneous, but sometimes it lasts for hours. And the process consists of the male’s pedipalps transferring his sperm inside the partner’s body.

Such games are completely unsafe for spiders. Some of them may suffer even before copulation if the couple does not get along with each other (this happens more often in aggressive species). And after the act itself, the male usually flees for his life, since if he does not show agility, he may well end up eaten by a hungry female.

Next, the process of egg formation occurs in the spider’s body. And when the time comes, she forms a nest of cobwebs, where those same eggs are laid. Their number varies, in some species it is in the tens, and in others it reaches a couple of thousand.

After completing this, the spider makes a special spherical cocoon and incubates it. This period lasts differently for different species (it can last twenty days or more than a hundred). Moreover, the female can guard her offspring with aggressiveness and zeal, and can even eat the entire farm if she is hungry.

That's the nature of spiders. From the mentioned cocoons, nymphs first emerge, molt and grow, turning first into larvae and then into adult spiders.

Nature has given females a longer lifespan than their male counterparts. Spiders are considered the champions among arthropods in terms of lifespan. The record is 30 years old. But, strictly speaking, the duration of the life cycle depends on the species, and is sometimes measured in ten years, but in some varieties it is only a few years.

Danger to people

Since the Brazilian wandering spider is not averse to entering people's homes, cases of bites are not uncommon. The secretion of its poisonous glands contains a neurotoxin that causes difficulty in muscle control, which also affects breathing. The bite is very painful, causes inflammation, high blood pressure, and dizziness.

A portion of poison injected after a bite can cause death from suffocation. The bite is deadly for a small child, a person with a weakened immune system or diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, or nervous systems. In addition, its venom contains a remarkable component that affects erection in men. This characteristic feature is being studied with the aim of creating remedies for the treatment of impotence.

Although the Brazilian wandering spider is the most poisonous in its order, no more than 3% of people bitten by it die. For relatively healthy people, the bite of this spider is most often not fatal, but can cause harm to health if the antidote is not administered in time.

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Arrangement of the terrarium

The main thing a spider needs is the right terrarium. It must meet several requirements:

material – plexiglass, ordinary glass or food-grade plastic. An aquarium or a plastic container with holes for ventilation is suitable;
Dimensions – a large terrarium is not suitable for a spider. Optimally - three times the span of his paws;
shape - selected based on the type of spider - arboreal spiders need a vertical one, burrowing and ground spiders need a horizontal one.
the presence of a lid - spiders move well on vertical planes, so they can leave an uncovered terrarium.

Before introducing a tarantula into its home, the terrarium must be prepared. Soil must be placed at the bottom. Experienced owners recommend coconut substrate - it is easy to find in flower shops. An alternative is any other that is clean, has good air permeability and is not very small. The soil needs to be moistened by periodically wetting it with water at room temperature, but avoid overmoistening. When soiled, clean the walls and bottom of the terrarium and change the substrate.

You should not introduce someone to a tarantula. Your pet should live alone. If it is a ground spider, then it will need some kind of shelter. The easiest way is to use coconut shells.

In the wild, tarantulas live in warm countries in warm and dry climates, so the temperature in the terrarium should be maintained at 28-30 degrees. Heaters sold in pet stores can handle this task. You can do without heaters if the room temperature is not lower than 24 degrees. Avoid sudden changes in temperature, which are dangerous for tarantulas.

Tarantulas have poor vision and do not need bright light. Place the terrarium in a dark place so that your pet does not experience stress.