Tarantulas Bend Rules to Keep Running After Losing Two Legs

Tarantulas adapt their running style after losing legs

Six legs can work just fine for the flexible Guatemalan tiger rump tarantula.

Tarantulas bend rules to keep running after losing two legs

It might be hard to imagine, but dropping a limb or two is routine for spiders. If molting goes wrong or a leg gets stuck, the pragmatic arachnids simply detach the limb just beyond the body joint. Then it regrows within a month when they are young. But how do impaired spiders cope when suddenly relieved of a couple of limbs?

A young tarantula can run just as fast after losing two of its legs

Losing limbs is a common problem for spiders, and international researchers have found young tarantulas are adaptable enough to run at the same speed just a day after losing two legs. The researchers say young tarantulas are able to detach their legs and regrow them if necessary, so they experimented by filming young spiders before and immediately after losing two of their legs. They continued to film them as they regrew their legs, and after a …