Daddy Long Legs

They are not spiders. They are arachnids and closer to the scorpion family. They don’t produce silk. They have one pair of eyes. They are known only as daddy long legs. They are not venomous. The species has been found in fossils over 400 million years old. They are found on every continent except Antarctica. They’re social: They sometimes hang out in large groups. They play dead to repulse predators. They excrete smells to repel others. They live two to seven years unless stepped on. They groom themselves by sliding one leg at a time through their mouth, a practice called “leg threading.” Males have much longer legs than females. Their legs do not grow back if plucked off by predator. Little is known about the reproductive cycle and whether they are predators or scavengers. --Fermilab at Work

© Janet Criswell

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