Page 27 - The Miracle in the Spider

Spiders' Methods of Hunting 27

of creation. It is God Who created all living creatures, plants, animals, and
insects. God has infinite power, knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom:
'Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything between them, the
Almighty, the Endlessly Forgiving,' (Surah Sad: 66)

The Trap-door for Living in the Desert

Desert climates can be lethally hot for many living creatures.
Nevertheless, some creatures have skills which enable them to survive in
the desert despite the heat. Either their hunting techniques, the
construction of their bodies, or their modes of behaviour enable them to
live comfortably in a desert environment. One species of the subject of this
book, the spider, possesses the characteristics necessary for living in the
desert. This living thing, known as the "trapdoor spider" uses its insulated
home in the desert floor both to protect it from the heat and as a trap to
catch its prey.
First of all the spider digs a burrow in the ground. It sticks tiny bits
of earth together with a special fluid it produces and plasters the inside of
the tunnel. This process strengthens the walls against the danger of
collapse. Later it covers the walls in a thread it makes. This plastering
technique is similar to the thermal insulation technique we use today. In
this way the inside of the nest is made resistant to the high desert
temperatures outside.
We mentioned how the second feature of the nest was its use as a
trap. The spider makes a cover for the nest out of its own silk. One side of

this is attached by a hinge made of strong thread to the nest, turning it
into nothing less than a door. This door also helps the spider conceal itself
from its prey. It camouflages the cover with bits of brush, scrub, and soil.
Then it stretches taut threads under the leaves, from the outside of the
nest in. When an insect approaches the nest and steps on the leaves or the
earth, the underground threads start to vibrate. Thanks to these vibrations
the spider can tell that prey is near. When everything is in position, the
spider enters its nest and waits for its prey.