Watch a Family Discover a Massive Wolf Spider in Their Pool and Watch It Literally Walk on Water

Key Points

• Wolf spiders are active hunters. They do not spin a web and wait, like most other spiders.
• Numerous species of spiders live near water, and some species can swim briefly.
• In this video, watch a wolf spider that seems to walk on water in a swimming pool.

If you are afraid of spiders, you might want to look away from this video. A United States family had a shock when they found a huge wolf spider in their pool. However, what happened next is even more surprising!

Wolf spiders are the sprinters of the spider world. They have eight dark eyes arranged around their heads, two of which are very large and prominent. Because of this, they have excellent eyesight and can chase and pounce on their insect prey like wolves. They do not spin webs. You can usually find them on the ground or under rocks.

But this wolf spider had a different fate. It was disturbed by the family as they took down their water slide for the day. The spider ends up inverted but under the water. From the top down, it looks like the spider walks on air while the rest of its body is submerged — a strange sight indeed! For a few moments, the man filming the event zoomed in and gave a little bit of text commentary on just how interesting the event looked.

Despite being amazed by the event, the man soon decided to help the spider out and flip it back over. Even still, the spider was able to crawl across the top of the water, essentially like it was on solid ground. How was this possible? Well, it all comes down to a little bit of science.

Spider, Insects, and Surface Tension

The answer lies in the surface tension of water, which is the tendency of water molecules to stick together and form a thin film on top of the water. This thin film can support small objects or animals that are light enough and have hairy or hydrophobic (water-repelling) legs. Wolf spiders have both of these features; therefore, they can walk on water as if it were solid ground.

After the spider showed off its water-walking skills for a little bit, the person filming the video cut the feed but didn’t forget to tell us the fate of the Jesus-like spider! The person filming released the spider, knowing that it was going to be beneficial for the house and protection from pests. Wolf spiders aren’t dangerous to humans and help keep the “bad” insects away from our homes.

Wolf spiders may look scary, but they are fascinating creatures that deserve our respect and admiration. Next time you see one, don’t be afraid to watch it closely and learn more about it. What you find might surprise you!

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