Why don’t pond-skaters sink?

Contents

Pond Skaters:

  • Pond skater are also known with many other similar names such as water striders, water skaters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, Jesus bugs and water skimmers.
  • They belong to the kingdom Animalia and phylum Arthropoda.
  • They come under the class of Insecta and order Hemiptera.
  • Pond skaters are the insects of family Gerridae.
  • Most insects of this family are fresh water insects only with only few exceptional presents.
  • Gerridae insects are said to be a true bug due to their habit of sucking and piercing through their mouthpart.
  • Pond Skaters are small long-legged animals with their size ranging in between 2 mm to 25 mm.
  • They are famously known for their ability to walk on the surface of water.
  • Because of this ability only, they are counted as on surface animal.

Why don’t pond-skaters skit?

  • Water skaters are build in such a way that they can transfer their body weight equally to be able to run and walk on the surface of the water.
  • The reason behind water skaters not getting skit inside the water can be based on multiple factors.
  • The first factor can be taken as their ability to equally distribute their weight on each body part helps them to maintain the equal flow with water.
  • The body surface of water skaters are lined by a special kind of hairs called as Hydrofuge hairs.
  • In simple terms, Hydrofuge hair means waterproof hair.
  • This hair not only prevent the water skater from getting wet, but also provides extra surface area for the distribution of body weight to maintain its posture and flow.

Fun Facts:

  1. Pond skaters eat small animals such as spider and insects for its survival.
  2. Pond skaters can float on water even in rain or waves.
  3. The general speed of water skater has been found to move at 1 meter per second or more faster on average.

Related Questions:

  1. How do pond skaters detect their food?
  2. Describe basic anatomical parts of pond skaters.
  3. Who all are the prey of pond skaters?

True or False:

  1. Pond skaters belong to the kingdom plantae.
  2. Pond skaters can not walk on water.
  3. Pond skaters eat fishes for their survival.
  4. Pond skaters vary from 1 cm in size to 12 cm in size.
  5. Pond skaters are also known as water skater.

Objective Quiz:

  1. Pond skater are also known as ______.
    1. Water skaters.
    2. Jesus bugs.
    3. Water bugs.
    4. All of the above.
  2. Water skaters eat _______ for their survival.
    1. Fishes.
    2. Insects.
    3. Spider.
    4. Both 2) and 3).
  3. Most water skaters are found to be __________ species.
    1. Fresh water.
    2. Salt water.
    3. Marine water.
    4. None of the above.
  4. Water skaters come under the class of _______.
    1. Insecta.
    2. Animalia.
    3. Plantea.
    4. None of the above.
  5. The body surface of water skaters are lined by______.
    1. Hydrofuge hairs.
    2. Normal hairs.
    3. Epithelial cells.
    4. None of the above.

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