Naked Science Forum

On the Lighter Side => That CAN'T be true! => Topic started by: paul.fr on 26/11/2007 01:03:20

Title: no spiders at the poles!
Post by: paul.fr on 26/11/2007 01:03:20

is it true that spiders can live anywhere on earth, except at the poles? if it is, why can they survive the desert heat but not the cold at the poles?

Title: no spiders at the poles!
Post by: another_someone on 26/11/2007 01:46:03

Not sure if there are any insects/arachnids, etc. at the poles.  Then again, I am not at all sure how well adapted the legs of such creatures are to walking in snow (true, some insects do more flying than walking, but that is not true of arachnids, and as for flying insects, even in temperate zones, they need to build up muscle heat before taking to the air).

Deserts have the advantage that they can actually be quite cold at night, and during the day, you can protect yourself from the heat by burrowing beneath the ground, assuming you cannot find the protection of some rock, or some poor travellers boots.

Title: no spiders at the poles!
Post by: Bored chemist on 26/11/2007 21:21:47

Apart from mad scientists, what animals do live at (rather then quite near) the poles all year round?

Title: no spiders at the poles!
Post by: Alandriel on 26/11/2007 21:28:45

Microbial life can survive on the cooling rods of a nuclear reactor

Microbes are..erm..... animals ... sort of, no?

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.u2newzooland.com%2Fforums%2Fstyle_emoticons%2Fdefault%2Fhalo.gif&hash=397e45b9be148aaa2c693cd28d493bf5)


thank god there are no spiders at the poles!!!! Though with global warming and all - it probably won't be long  [xx(]

Title: no spiders at the poles!
Post by: another_someone on 26/11/2007 23:20:03

Quote from: Bored chemist on 26/11/2007 21:21:47

Apart from mad scientists, what animals do live at (rather then quite near) the poles all year round?

Could not fishes be living at the north pole?

The south pole is a different kettle of fish.

Title: no spiders at the poles!
Post by: Alandriel on 05/12/2007 21:17:04

Q. Can you do ice fishing at the North Pole?

A. There are likely some fish around, to support Ring Seals, however, likely very scarce and you could possibly wait days or weeks before you got a 'bite'. It's not practical for explorers to consider as a food source, neither is hunting ring seals, as they are scarce near the pole as well.


you might however be lucky, if you're REALLY lucky, to catch a narwhal - not literally though I hope, just with your lense

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.nationalgeographic.com%2Fnews%2F2005%2F12%2Fphotogalleries%2Fnarwhals%2Fimages%2Fprimary%2Fnarwhal1.jpg&hash=3058178b1f792f0d450c2fd207535e78)