If you’re particularly frightened of spiders, this might be something that you’ve wondered about in the past.
After all, the thought of a very large spider running straight at you isn’t exactly the most comforting in the world, even if you aren’t that scared of spiders.
If it just happens to be one of the things that scare you the most, the thought of a running spider is nothing short of terrifying.
So, can spiders run or only walk? You can be sure that spiders can run very fast whenever the situation is right for them to do so. It is, however, unlikely that they’ll run towards you as they instead likely want to get away from you.
Check out the video below if you want to see how fast a giant house spider can run.
Why and When Do Spiders Run?
Typically, spiders only run for two reasons. They’re either going after prey or they’re trying to get away from something they perceive to be a threat.
That’s both good and bad news for you. Spiders don’t typically consider people to be prey, so you don’t have to worry about the first one.
That said, you may have to worry about a spider running at you because it thinks you’re a threat to it. In the overwhelming majority of cases, spiders that feel threatened by you will simply run away from you, quite quickly.
However, some spiders are a bit more aggressive (and unfortunately on the larger side) that will run right at you as opposed to trying to get away from you.
This is important to remember the next time you decide to pick up a broom to push a large spider out the door.
What makes the Spider Able to Run?
In short, it’s all based on hydraulics. Spiders use the blood inside their body to create a burst of high pressure when they need to get somewhere quickly.
You might equate it to the power steering system on your automobile. The hydraulics in your power steering system allows you to easily turn the steering wheel with very little effort and this allows you to turn the wheel quickly.
Without power steering, you would be using both hands to turn the wheel and struggling to get the vehicle pointed where you want it to go. By the same token, spiders use their blood to power their limbs when they need to move quickly.
If you can’t get enough of learning about spiders then I encourage you to check out the “Spiders Category Page” which consists of various articles that give answers to spider-related questions.
How Fast Can Spiders Run?
You might want to skip this section if you already have a fear of spiders.
While various types of spiders run at different speeds, the fastest ones have been clocked at running almost two feet per second.
To be more exact, it’s 1.73 feet in a single second. Stop and think about that for a minute.
If you’re six feet tall, a spider could conceivably crawl from the tip of your shoe to the top of your head in just over three seconds.
In other words, you might have a hard time out-running one that is especially determined to get away from you.
But that’s far better than having one coming at you that fast.
Are Running Spiders Dangerous?
The majority of spider species are not dangerous to human beings. It’s true, some can bite but in most cases, the venom isn’t dangerous to people.
Of course, there are always exceptions. You have to be careful if you’re bitten by a brown recluse spider or a black widow spider.
However, it doesn’t mean that a spider is dangerous just because it’s capable of running.
You may even be able to take solace in the fact that while a spider is running, it’s not likely to bite.
Typically, spiders need to be still to bite, so once the spider is running, at least you don’t have to worry about it biting you at that precise moment.
Do Spiders Know It When You are Looking at Them?
Spiders have a lot of eyes and that fact alone is enough to freak people out.
Despite the overwhelming number of eyeballs present, most spiders don’t see that well.
The majority of them navigate their world by simply sensing the vibrations of the environment around them.
However, there is one exception. Jumping spiders have rather good vision and they also tend to visually interpret the world around them.
If you are close to a jumping spider and you’re looking at it, it is perfectly capable of seeing you.
They’ve even been known to stare at humans. Some people have even noticed that they tilt their heads to follow the movement of the human in question.
How Fast Can a Tarantula Run?
Typically, tarantulas are a bit slow.
Some would even consider them cumbersome.
That’s largely the case because they don’t see very well.
They are rather large spiders and they tend to navigate their world through touch and sense vibrations.
All of this means that it usually takes them longer to get from one point to the next point.
However, they do tend to move quite quickly whenever they are properly motivated.
They also move faster when it’s very hot outside.
It all comes back to their hydraulic system.
The viscosity of those hydraulics is better when temperatures are higher.
They’re certainly not going to win a race against the fastest spider in the world, but they can still clip along at roughly a foot per second when they’re at their fastest.
What Is the Fastest Spider in the World?
If you’re looking for the fastest spider in the world then you’ll have to find a giant house spider.
Just as the name implies, these spiders are not small in size.
That fact alone is enough to make most people want to run for the hills.
If you do, you may have a true race on your hands, as this spider can run between one and one and a half miles per hour.
That may not sound like much, but if the spider had an equal size to us, say a six-foot-tall human being then that would equate to roughly 60 miles per hour.
In Conclusion
As you’ve read, spiders are truly amazing creatures. Even if you’re terrified of them, they’re still rather outstanding.
The next time you see a spider running, you’ll know that the spider is either trying to get away from danger or that the spider in question is chasing after a delicious meal.