Spiders

[Spikey88]

I noticed that a spider that had built it's web on the outside of my window was every now & again frantically bouncing up & down when in the centre of it's web.Does anyone know if this is a defensive thing - as in trying to make itself look bigger? I thought it was the wind at first but noticed it did it on unwindy days

[Rabelais]

Barn spiders tend to do this in an attempt to look more aggressive and frighten things away. They normally do it when disturbed either by a puff of wind or generally when things annoy them. I've seen garden spiders do it to.

[Spikey88]

Thanks Rabelais - I kinda thought it was something like that - this little chap/chapess would do it occasionally when I walked towards the window & moved in to look at it(me on the inside - it on the outside btw!).Mind you - I frighten me in the mirror so no wonder ! I'm guessing it was a garden spider (I say was...not coz I did anything to it..but I think it probably got fed up with the attention & moved to the side of the window! - I became kinda fond of it)
They really can be fascinating creatures to watch. (as long as they don't touch me...)

[babybop6379]

They are even better when you feed them Spikey it gives a whole new meaning to fly swatting as you need to stun the fly so its still moving and then just flick it into the web gently and then stand back and watch. sooo good! lol

[slinkycat]

yep I think its a defensive thing too, I've tried gently touching a garden spiders web, and its done that manic bouncing thing, as if it knows that I'm a threat and not a prey,weird! got one on the inside of my kitchen window at mo, great biological pest control, but you should see the amount of insect husks it creates, nice :-/ (not to mention all the poo, how can one spider produce so much?)

[Spikey88]

Well babybop...no way would I feed one.I hate to see anything die (I'm a sad (= nice) person that really won't intentionally kill anything)

Hehe slinkycat - bet you have now named your little spider - & the worrying thing will be if you find the remains of a cow or sheep on your kitchen window sill...that would be garden spider from hell!!! But the demented bouncing thing is sweet ;o)

[slinkycat]

No haven't named it yet, but the strangest thing happened, couldn't resist touching her (see, now i've decided its a she!) and as soon as i did she dropped out of the web onto the windowsill and played dead! felt quite guilty! She's climbed back up now (looking a bit sulky to my mind though) do you think that is another defense mechanism, to play dead? seems a bit advanced for a spider

[Spikey88]

Looks like you are right on that slinkycat -
Other strategies include behavioural ploys, like direct threat displays of warning colours on the spider's body, or escaping a predator by dropping quickly away on a silk dragline and playing dead on the ground.
(I can't believe I'm looking for things like this on the net btw !)
Have you decided on a name yet? ;o)