Garden spider amputates its own leg

[Still Waters]

A garden spider has been filmed amputating its own leg.

BBC Earth web editor Tim Edwards was filming the spider wrapping up a wasp when he noticed the unusual behaviour.

Spiders are known to sever their limbs as a protective response, and naturalists suggest the spider may have been stung by its prey.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/24756662

[George Ford]

Wow, I didn't know spiders were that smart!

[Commander CMG]

Nice post.

I hadn’t actually given much thought to ‘What a spider would do if it gets stung while capturing its prey’

You would think a sting from a wasp or bee would be a fast death to a small insect unless they are immune? Interesting video.

[PlanB]

Reminds me of a Walking Dead episode where a leg got chopped off to stop the spread of a zombie infection.

[Skep B]

And this is why humanity will eventually lose this war.

[libstaK]

Nice post.

I hadn’t actually given much thought to ‘What a spider would do if it gets stung while capturing its prey’

You would think a sting from a wasp or bee would be a fast death to a small insect unless they are immune? Interesting video.

The spread would be as fast as the flow of body fluid - or "blood" through an organisms system, perhaps spiders have a very slow flow.

[Commander CMG]

The spread would be as fast as the flow of body fluid - or "blood" through an organisms system, perhaps spiders have a very slow flow.

That would be my understanding also. You see this in action when a small field mouse is bitten, the quick heartbeat pumping the blood around the body and then how quickly the mouse dies after envenomation.