Spiders have 8 eyes, right?

[MAME]

I had a talk with some friends at lunch. Why do spiders need 8 eyes? Why wouldn't 2 do just as well (since they're all pretty much lined up in the same place)

 

[anxi80]

Why do spiders need 8 eyes?

the more to see (or not see) syringer with!

 

[Kilgor]

All the better to see you with.

 

[iwearnosox]

Spiders can see into other dimensions. For instance they already know what you're having for dinner and the name of the next four Ben Affleck movies.

 

[anxi80]

gigli: directors cut?!?!

 

[apac]

"Hey Richard your car is getting towed"

 

[SmoochyTX]

Originally posted by: anxi80

Why do spiders need 8 eyes?

the more to see (or not see) syringer with!

:beer:

 

[Eli]

I think spiders have 6 eyes. Or maybe it's 4.

And I think that not all spiders have 6 eyes, or however many they have. Could be wrong, but I believe some(most, all?) Salticidae, or Jumping Spiders, have two predominant forward facing eyes, and two off to the side..

pic

Jumping Spiders have the best eyesight of any spider.. they can actually see and stalk their prey from something like 8 feet. :Q

 

Originally posted by: Eli
I think spiders have 6 eyes. Or maybe it's 4.

And I think that not all spiders have 6 eyes, or however many they have. Could be wrong, but I believe some(most, all?) Salticidae, or Jumping Spiders, have two predominant forward facing eyes, and two off to the side..

pic

Jumping Spiders have the best eyesight of any spider.. they can actually see and stalk their prey from something like 8 feet. :Q

Why can't they see me coming to kill them with a shoe?

 

[Anubis]

ask lirion he will know

 

[Schadenfreude]

Now, the REAL question is, why the hell are we conten with just 2?

WE're the freaks here, people!

 

[Kilgor]

Originally posted by: Eli
I think spiders have 6 eyes. Or maybe it's 4.

And I think that not all spiders have 6 eyes, or however many they have. Could be wrong, but I believe some(most, all?) Salticidae, or Jumping Spiders, have two predominant forward facing eyes, and two off to the side..

pic

Jumping Spiders have the best eyesight of any spider.. they can actually see and stalk their prey from something like 8 feet. :Q

Yeah 8 feet to a spider is like a mile wish I had a couple extra eyes.

 

[iwearnosox]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: Eli
I think spiders have 6 eyes. Or maybe it's 4.

And I think that not all spiders have 6 eyes, or however many they have. Could be wrong, but I believe some(most, all?) Salticidae, or Jumping Spiders, have two predominant forward facing eyes, and two off to the side..

pic

Jumping Spiders have the best eyesight of any spider.. they can actually see and stalk their prey from something like 8 feet. :Q

Why can't they see me coming to kill them with a shoe?

Spiders don't fear death, they embrace it.

 

[Turkish]

Originally posted by: SampSon

Originally posted by: Eli
I think spiders have 6 eyes. Or maybe it's 4.

And I think that not all spiders have 6 eyes, or however many they have. Could be wrong, but I believe some(most, all?) Salticidae, or Jumping Spiders, have two predominant forward facing eyes, and two off to the side..

pic

Jumping Spiders have the best eyesight of any spider.. they can actually see and stalk their prey from something like 8 feet. :Q

Why can't they see me coming to kill them with a shoe?

Cause they can run but they can't hide.

 

[Nikamichi]

Originally posted by: apac
"Hey Richard your car is getting towed"

JKidd has 8 eyes?

 

[Wallydraigle]

Most spiders have eight eyes, but a few have less than eight. There are some species that don't have eyes at all.

Different kinds of spiders have their eyes in different configurations and use them in different ways. That part of your question is very general, and I don't think I can answer it. That's like asking why spiders have eight legs when insects do just fine with six. That's just how they evolved to fill their respective niches.

 

[JackHomer]

Originally posted by: apac
"Hey Richard your car is getting towed"

As much as I hate Jason Kidd, I really love that commercial, it really cracked me up the first time i saw it.

 

[MAME]

Thank's lirion.

More specifically: do the extra eyes provide better sight? Are they there because they are often damaged and need backup? Is it because they can't see well with only 2? Etc.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: MAME
Thank's lirion.

More specifically: do the extra eyes provide better sight? Are they there because they are often damaged and need backup? Is it because they can't see well with only 2? Etc.

prob the same reason flys has eyes with all thoes facets, so they can see a tone of crap at once

 

[cronos]

Originally posted by: apac
"Hey Richard your car is getting towed"

hahaha.. that's a funny commercial.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: lirion
Most spiders have eight eyes, but a few have less than eight. There are some species that don't have eyes at all.

Different kinds of spiders have their eyes in different configurations and use them in different ways. That part of your question is very general, and I don't think I can answer it. That's like asking why spiders have eight legs when insects do just fine with six. That's just how they evolved to fill their respective niches.

They grew eith legs to be creepy and scary. Little spiders are fine, but the big ones, 2 inches and above give me the hebbie jeebies.

 

[MAME]

Originally posted by: Anubis

Originally posted by: MAME
Thank's lirion.

More specifically: do the extra eyes provide better sight? Are they there because they are often damaged and need backup? Is it because they can't see well with only 2? Etc.

prob the same reason flys has eyes with all thoes facets, so they can see a tone of crap at once

Right, I actually mentioned that too. But flys can see really well from both sides, while spiders mainly have 2 columns of 4 rows of eyes (I think). So it seems like it doesn't really improve what they can see all too well.

 

[SmoochyTX]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski

Originally posted by: lirion
Most spiders have eight eyes, but a few have less than eight. There are some species that don't have eyes at all.

Different kinds of spiders have their eyes in different configurations and use them in different ways. That part of your question is very general, and I don't think I can answer it. That's like asking why spiders have eight legs when insects do just fine with six. That's just how they evolved to fill their respective niches.

They grew eith legs to be creepy and scary. Little spiders are fine, but the big ones, 2 inches and above give me the hebbie jeebies.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski

Originally posted by: lirion
Most spiders have eight eyes, but a few have less than eight. There are some species that don't have eyes at all.

Different kinds of spiders have their eyes in different configurations and use them in different ways. That part of your question is very general, and I don't think I can answer it. That's like asking why spiders have eight legs when insects do just fine with six. That's just how they evolved to fill their respective niches.

They grew eith legs to be creepy and scary. Little spiders are fine, but the big ones, 2 inches and above give me the hebbie jeebies.

woudl a 1 inch long ant do that as well? they only have 6 legs
hes looking at you

 

[Wallydraigle]

Originally posted by: MAME
Thank's lirion.

More specifically: do the extra eyes provide better sight? Are they there because they are often damaged and need backup? Is it because they can't see well with only 2? Etc.

The simple answer is that no one knows. Most spiders don't rely heavily on vision at all. They sense vibrations to know when prey are near, and use chemical cues for courtship and mating.

Jumping spiders and some lynx spiders and a few others actually have very good vision, and these have been studied extensively. But about the rest there just isn't a whole lot known for certain.