What do you know about spider silk? Find out if you are a true web wizard with this quiz.

True or False?

1. Spider silk has only one function: to catch prey.

 True

 False

2. Some spiders eat their own silk.

 True

 False

3. The strongest natural fiber on earth is the Darwin’s bark spider silk.

 True

 False

4. Spider webs come in different shapes.

 True

 False

5. Scientists are able to exactly reproduce spider silk.

 True

 False

6. The Nephila spider species can weave large webs with a golden sheen.

 True

 False

7. Some spiders can live underwater.

 True

 False

8. The Celaenia excavata spiders disguise themselves as bird poop to avoid bird predators.

 True

 False

9. All spiders build webs to catch prey.

 True

 False

10. A spider’s web may be used as wound bandage.

 True

 False

Answers to the Spider Silk Quiz:

1. False. Spider silk has a multitude of uses including; mating, communicating and marking territory.
2. True.
3. True.
4. True.
5. False. Humans have so far been unable to reproduce spider silk.
6. True. Known as the Golden Orb Spiders, these spiders can weave yellow threads that shine like gold in sunlight.
7. True. The Diving Bell Spiders thrive underwater because they live inside the air-filled webs they create.
8. True.
9. False. Some spiders prefer not to build webs to catch prey. They actively hunt or wait for prey to come to them.
10. True. A ball of webbing will dry out and harden over time so it can help stop a wound from bleeding. Its natural antiseptic properties can also keep a wound clean.