Zombie Spiders Return from the Dead to Haunt Your Dreams

So you start out with a simple experiment, so simple in fact, that it sounds like Andrew and I came up with it when we were seven: How long do different species of spider survive underwater? You take 120 wolf spiders of three different species that live in marsh lands, and you submerge them underwater until they drown. Simple enough. Some live 24 hours, some 28 hours, and some 36. Ok, that's a long time, but it makes sense as these creatures live in marshes so they must have adapted to survive submerged for extended periods of time. It is then, however, that things take a turn for the horrifying.

As you're weighing out the dried out spider corpses, you notice that some of them start twitching. Then more and more begin twitching. Then all of a sudden, most of them are alive again. Not only are they alive, but they have grown to five times their normal size, have become exponentially more aggressive, and violently attack your entire research staff.

i-71bd6746df0bb051fa37bd73147c0358-Wolf Spider.jpg

A scene from Left for Dead 3

While the last sentence of that previous paragraph was not, not false, the rest is completely true. Researchers at the University of Rennes in France had just this experience recently when conducting just such an experiment. It turns out the marsh dwelling wolf spiders are able to put themselves into comas, effectively changing their metabolic process to no longer require air, in order to survive long periods underwater.

"This is the first time we know of arthropods returning to life from comas after submersion," Julien Pétillon, one of the lead researchers told National Geographic.

I wish I could have put myself into a coma to survive Andrew's wedding last summer. Borrrrrring.

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Flushing them down the toilet is not enough anymore,they will come back up!

Seriously tho, this is amazing.

I've been bringing submerged arthropods back to life for many years; a friend showed me the trick in grade school. Submerge a fly or ant for several hours, take it out, and cover it with sugar (I assume salt would work as well). After a while, the insect starts moving and within a few hours is fine. Just did it last week with a 'dead' carpenter ant I found in the dog's water bowl. (I have a stupid hypothesis that the carpenter ants in the house keep away the annoying, swarming red ants.)

When I clean my hummingbird feeders I sometimes find ants inside. They sure look dead.

An occasion with both Blieman brothers in attendance borrrring! Impossible!!!

By John Gallagher (not verified) on 30 Apr 2009 #permalink

I've been trying to cope with Andrew's marriage for a while. I'm dealing with it really well now.

But it should have been me.

huh - obviously they've never heard of Sydney Funnelwebs, the world's deadliest spider. It's *well-known* that the male you find at the bottom of your swimming pool is going to come straight back once you fish him out.

"the last sentence of that previous paragraph was not, not false"

Um, you mean that the last sentence WAS false, or was NOT true. I hope.

John

it's not, not true (as opposed to not not true).

I've been bringing submerged arthropods back to life for many years; a friend showed me the trick in grade school. Submerge a fly or ant for several hours, take it out, and cover it with sugar (I assume salt would work as well). After a while, the insect starts moving and within a few hours is fine. Just did it last week with a 'dead' carpenter ant I found in the dog's water bowl. (I have a stupid hypothesis that the carpenter ants in the house keep away the annoying, swarming red ants.)

have a question that next generation has the right to live and will survive in clean and pure air?if yes the why yes? and if not then why not? plz ans me with examples

Your site is very easy in terms of expression and open. I think everyone who enters your site is very gratifying, but also sharing a very nice opportunity to give ...

You should not be eating live animals especially not Goldfish just because they are lower in the food chain. I love fish and the sea! Poor sea creatures... Oh, and yes, we should not underestimat

After a while, the insect starts moving and within a few hours is fine. Just did it last week with a 'dead' carpenter ant I found in the dog's water bowl. (I have a stupid hypothesis that the carpenter ants in the house keep away the annoying, swarming red ants

It turns out the marsh dwelling wolf spiders are able to put themselves into comas, effectively changing their metabolic process to no longer require air, in order to survive long periods underwater.