Infact
Infact Get the full experience — check any claim instantly
Open
68
Mostly True North America

Spiders can walk on water due to surface tension. Tarantulas can swim by rowing on the surface using their front legs.

The claim that tarantulas can swim by 'rowing' on the surface of the water using their legs is supported by multiple web sources, indicating that the behavior has been observed in some tarantula species. The use of their first three pairs of legs as paddles is also corroborated by similar web evidence. However, sources are mainly of medium reliability like personal blogs and forums, thus reducing confidence. The behavior is reported but not uniformly documented across all scientific resources, which is common for specific species behaviors that might not have widespread attention. The claim about spiders walking on water due to surface tension is a well-known fact in physics.

March 30, 2026 Language: en 3 claims analyzed

Individual Claims

79
Mostly True Science
Spiders can walk on water because of surface tension.
This is a widely accepted fact explained by the principles of surface tension in physics, requiring no further verification from external sources.
Fact Check Score None
Fact Check Weight 0
Web Consensus Score None
Web Consensus Weight 0
Source Quality Score None
Source Quality Weight 0
Llm Reasoning Score 85
Llm Reasoning Weight 100
Weighted Total 79
Evidence Summary None
62
Mostly True Biology
Tarantulas effectively swim by ‘rowing’ on the surface of the water.
The claim is supported by medium-reliability web sources that describe tarantulas using their legs to ‘row’ on the water surface. Sources include tarantula-centric websites and forums, which, while not the highest in reliability, provide observational evidence of this behavior, particularly in the Hysterocrates gigas species.
Fact Check Score None
Fact Check Weight 0
Web Consensus Score 70
Web Consensus Weight 50
Source Quality Score 50
Source Quality Weight 25
Llm Reasoning Score 60
Llm Reasoning Weight 25
Weighted Total 62
Evidence Summary Observed behavior supported by medium-quality web sources.
62
Mostly True Biology
Tarantulas use their first three pairs of legs like paddles.
This specific behavior of tarantulas using their front legs like paddles is mentioned in medium-reliability sources similar to the accompanying swimming claim. This further supports the behavior without expert confirmation or rigorous scientific study.
Fact Check Score None
Fact Check Weight 0
Web Consensus Score 70
Web Consensus Weight 50
Source Quality Score 50
Source Quality Weight 25
Llm Reasoning Score 60
Llm Reasoning Weight 25
Weighted Total 62
Evidence Summary Claim supported by medium-quality sources, consistent with related behaviors.

Try Infact

Instant AI-powered fact-checking — on any platform

Chrome Extension WhatsApp Telegram Telegram Group Telegram Channel