The thing that got me to really like spiders is when I learned that spiders are actually tiny mechs! Their legs are powered by hydraulics, rather than directly moved by muscles! I just thought that was so adorable!
It’s actually both! Most spiders will extend their leg using “hydraulics” which is really just their blood (but called hemolymph). But the contraction is usually done by flexor muscles. That’s also the reason dead spiders curl up. No more blood pressure means the muscles win.
The thing that got me to really like spiders is when I learned that spiders are actually tiny mechs! Their legs are powered by hydraulics, rather than directly moved by muscles! I just thought that was so adorable!
It’s actually both! Most spiders will extend their leg using “hydraulics” which is really just their blood (but called hemolymph). But the contraction is usually done by flexor muscles. That’s also the reason dead spiders curl up. No more blood pressure means the muscles win.