How Developed Is the Hearing Ability of a Spider?

 

The hearing ability of a spider is not as developed as mammals’ is. Instead, they can sense through the air vibrations. Scientists have conducted a new research to prove that the aural range of a jumping spider could be very broad, sometimes reaching to several feet. They have claimed that other species of spiders may have this ability more developed than others. Paul Shamble, one of the researchers of this study, has argued that spiders were only considered to have exquisite skills when it comes to tactile touch and sight. After some attentive analysis, it was also revealed that they have a perceptive sense of hearing.

They are capable of perceiving sounds which come from a great distance, although they don’t have a hearing apparatus like mammals do. They do not have ears with eardrums. Paul Shamble together with his lab partner, Gil Menda, had unveiled surprising data about spiders by accident when they were working in Ron Hoy’s lab from the Cornell University. They wanted to investigate the brain activity of a jumping spider when processing images.

When some high-intensity noises were heard in the lab, the spider’s brain activity was increasing, signalizing the fact that its brain could detect sounds. Menda was amazed, so he decided to try and make another noise to see the reaction of the brain sensor. When he started clapping, the brain sensor which was installed was indicating the excitability of the spider’s neurons. After conducting further analysis, scientists managed to determine that spiders are even able to detect the sounds emerged from their enemies’ beating wings.

Thus, it was demonstrated that these tiny creatures could hear sounds from ten feet away. Shamble has asserted that they were testing the neurons responsible for the visual apparatus which seem to be the same with those that account for hearing too. When they had stimulated the sensory hairs, they figured out that they don’t only indicate the ability to see, but also to hear. This shows that these hairs are responsible for the fact that spiders can register sounds from great distances.

Scientists weren’t aware of this spiders’ capability until now. Even if arachnids don’t have ears, they can hear you talk from across the room.

Image courtesy of: wikipedia