Todays Learning: Sticky Feet

What is that thing?!!! Why, it's a super close up of a fly foot! In the car today, Orion started asking about how flies stick to walls. I said I thought it had something to do with sticky hairs, but said I would look up more information and see if I could find a picture. Well, what I found was totally fascinating! I never really thought about the fact that if something sticks, how does it get unstuck! Turns out their feet are so sticky they need those claw things to push them back OFF a surface!

Then he also asked about tree frogs. I new those were more like little suction cups, but I didn't find a great close up photo. I did find this article though. Turns out this idea of how sticky things get removed is a subject of inquiry regarding, well, all things sticky in nature. With the frogs it is more of a peeling motion, and the sticky act is all about using angles. Cool!