Water life · Gerris lacustris
Discover the pond skater
Puschel spots little dimples in the water, with nobody splashing in.
The short answer
Pond skaters are insects with six legs. Water-repellent hairs and surface tension help prevent sinking. The surface behaves somewhat like a stretched skin, but is not a solid layer.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
Puschel“It walks without a bridge!” says Puschel. A slender animal moves across the water. Flauschi points to tiny dimples beneath its legs.
Flauschi“That is no running track for us,” she says. Puschel looks at his big paws and laughs. Puschel“The little one wins today.”
They follow it only with their eyes. Puschel’s race ends on the dry path, but it is still fun.
Discover
Pond skaters are insects with six legs. Their middle and hind pairs are long; the front legs help hold prey.
Understand
Water-repellent hairs and surface tension help them stay on the water surface.
Connections
They hunt small animals and can detect their movements through vibrations in the surface.
Little Wusel quiz
Why does a pond skater not simply sink?
Show answer
Water-repellent hairs and surface tension help support its light body.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
Understand step by step
How it works – simply explained
The surface holds together
Water particles attract each other. Surface tension behaves rather like a stretched skin, but is no actual solid skin.
Hairs and low weight help
Water-repellent leg hairs and weight distribution help avoid breaking the surface. A light skater is supported; humans and Wusels are not.
Movement provides information
Small animals disturb the surface. Skaters detect vibrations and find prey. Front legs and longer other pairs have different jobs.
Why you cannot stand on a pond like a pond skater
A pond skater is light and distributes its weight over suitable water-repellent legs. The water surface can support it. A person has far more weight and different contact areas. The insect does not prove the surface is solid ground for everyone. This comparison explains the light animal, not a walkable pond.
References for this explanation: [1]
Explore animal sounds
We currently have no freely reusable recording reliably identified as this animal. That does not mean it is completely silent. Explore it in the picture and observe animals outdoors from a distance without touching or disturbing them.
More about this animal: The Wildlife Trusts: Common pond skater