The Moroccan flic-flac spider was recently discovered in the Sahara desert and has caused quite the stir because of its incredible defense mechanism…
Cartwheels!
Yes, cartwheels. The flic-flac spider is able to move twice as fast through performing a series of cartwheels to escape predators.
The scientific name for the spider is Cebrennus rechenbergi and while its acrobatic moves are extremely impressive, performing too many cartwheels in one day could result in death.
The maneuver requires a large amount of the spider’s energy, allowing it to go from 3.3 feet per second to 6.6 feet per second, but performing the defense mechanism five to ten times within one day is typically fatal.
After discovering the flic-flac spider in 2009 and eventually having the species named after him, Ingo Rechenberg, a bionics expert at the Technical University of Berlin, has developed a 10-inch-long spider robot that moves like the real thing.
The robot, called the Tabbot, may soon be used on Mars with its unique way of getting from place to place.
