A Wonderleaf question
How do spiders spin webs?
a real page from the book
Spiders spin webs by making silk inside their bodies and pulling it out through tiny openings called spinnerets. The silk begins as liquid and firms up in air. A spider lays strong support lines first, then adds sticky threads where insects will be caught.
The clever part is that one spider can make several kinds of silk for different jobs: bridges, egg cases, safety lines, and traps. Many web-building spiders also tidy up by eating old silk, saving the protein for tomorrow's careful work.
Wonder words
- spinnerets
- silk
- protein
- vibration
Try it out
Stretch string, yarn, or even lines of tape between chair legs and test which shapes feel strongest.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
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