[Animals] Do Tarantulas Eat Snakes?

[Wassim MH]

There are obvious size differences between tarantulas and snakes. It’s difficult to believe that tarantulas could eat snakes. But what if we told you that recent discoveries and studies have shown that it’s possible? What if we told you that widow spiders and tarantulas were responsible for more than half of the snake deaths around the world? A curious thing, right?

Let us tell you how and why this is possible. To help you understand this, we’ll first go through some information about tarantulas, what they eat, and how they hunt. Then we’ll discuss tarantulas eating snakes.

 

What is a tarantula?

 

Tarantulas are large and hairy species of spiders from the family Theraphosidae. The body of a tarantula is between two and five inches long and three to twelve inches with leg spans. Tarantulas can weigh up to three ounces. The Goliath birdeater, the largest tarantula globally, weighs six ounces. Tarantulas are common in the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. Some species may occur in Africa, much of Asia, and Australia. Certain tarantula species can be found in Europe, mainly in Spain, Turkey, Portugal, southern Italy, and Cyprus. 

Tarantulas are carnivores, which means they hunt and eat animals that are smaller than them. They eat insects, other spiders, and lizards. Bigger tarantulas eat rodents, birds, bats, frogs, and, as recently discovered, snakes as well.

 

How does a tarantula hunt?

 

Tarantulas are very skilled and clever spiders. They can easily adapt to almost any circumstance. They are extremely powerful predators. How exactly do they hunt? What advantage do they have compared to snakes?

Tarantulas usually hunt at night, using their sensitivity to vibrations from the ground. They raise their prosoma and lift their front legs, spread and extend their fangs, and some species can also make a loud hissing sound right before attacking. This is how tarantulas show that they’re in a threat position, whether they’re in danger or preparing to attack prey. After the initial attack, they catch the prey and bite it, releasing a paralyzing venom. 

A tarantula’s venom is not deadly to humans. It can cause prolonged discomfort. Some bites can be very painful and can cause spasms that last several days. People can be allergic to their venom. Some tarantulas’ venom can even cause hallucinations. While tarantulas are not a deadly threat to humans, to snakes, despite their much larger size, a tarantula’s venom is decisive. It paralyzes the snake, dissolves its flesh, liquefies it, and makes it possible for the tarantula to suck the liquid up. 

Do tarantulas eat snakes?

Yes, surprisingly. While the saying goes, the smaller the spider, the smaller the prey, recent studies have shown that even small spiders can catch snakes and feed on them. There’s a study published in the Journal of Arachnology investigating whether or not spiders can feed on snakes.

Scientists were amazed at how common this actually was. Spiders eating snakes were reported on all continents except Antarctica. Tarantulas were among those species that were most likely to feed on snakes. 

Most spiders use webs to catch and immobilize snakes. You’d think a snake could easily break it off and escape the silk, but it turns out spider silk is much more resistant. Tarantulas, unlike other spiders, rarely use their silk to catch prey. They spend most of their time under dry soil, so they only use their webs to line the walls of their burrow hole. The silk strings “tell” them when prey is nearby. Instead of relying on their web, tarantulas often catch the snake by the head, release the venom, and hold on to it until the snake is paralyzed.

Some studies show that tarantulas in captivity also eat snakes, but scholars consider it irrelevant because this doesn’t happen in natural circumstances.

 

LINK: https://a-z-animals.com/blog/discover-the-largest-cottonmouth-snake-ever-recorded/