Millions of spiders flee deadly floods in Tasmania building giant webs covering trees

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Meanwhile, millions of spiders flee the deadly floods in Tasmania creating massive webs.

Incredible pictures show how these spiders use a technique called ballooning to escape floodwaters… and cover whole trees in spider webs.

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smh.com.au

Ballooning, sometimes called kiting, is a means by which spiders, and some other small invertebrates, can move through the air through different locations.

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smh.com.au

They are thus at the mercy of air currents.

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smh.com.au

The spider climbs to a high point, stands on its toes and points its abdomen to the sky, releasing fine silk threads from its spinnerettes until lift off occurs.

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ABC.net.au

Journeys achieved vary from a few metres to hundreds of kilometres.

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DailyMail.co.uk

Even atmospheric data have collected samples of balloons at five kilometres above the earth and ships in mid-ocean have reported spider landings.

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RT.com

The phenomenon of ballooning explained:

Of course, mortality is high.

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