Meet the scuba diving spider! A one-of-a-kind, air-breathing
animal that spends most of its life underwater. How does it do it?
No bigger that your thumbnail, the scuba diving spider
triggered the curiosity of scientist Roger Seymour since he was a young boy. At
10 years old, he read Erna Pinner’s book, Curious
Creatures. He told me, “One of the
chapters described the diving bell spider that lived in ponds in Europe. I
imagined what it would be like to live inside an underwater bubble.” That image
remained in Seymour’s mind until he became a scientist and studied the spider’s
secret.
Seymour teamed with scientist Stefan Hetz and together they
made a home for the spiders in aquariums in the lab, and observed and measured
their activities. They discovered how the spiders achieve this unique and quiet
lifestyle. It has worked well for the spiders; it allows them to remain out of
sight from predators, trap food, and create an underwater home for them to grow
and have a family.
The spider, too, has an amazing name, Argyroneta aquatica, which means “aquatic spinner of silver.”
TheSecret of the Scuba Diving Spider book also includes four more secrets: the
secret of the not-so-quiet caterpillar, why bats jam with each other, zombie
beetles, really?, and the secret of the unstoppable cockroach.
If this book appeals to you, may I entice you with more
animal secrets? I invite you to visit my website to explore the
other titles of this series.
ATTENTION TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS
Coming up soon: Teacher’s Guides for Animal Secrets books!
Follow me on Twitter @RodriguezAMaria
Facebook at Ana Maria Rodriguez Writer
My website: Ana Maria Rodriguez
Contact me! I am available for school visits, conferences and science talks at your event!
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