Random, Non- Urgent T questions

[KrystalG]

I have some weird random questions about my T's, just about odd behaviors. Nothing concerning, just wondering if people see any of these things.

First, my A seemani saves her food. I didn't think tarantulas did that. Twice now, I've seen her kill a cricket and drop it on the floor. Both times, I thought that was the end and she wouldn't touch it again, as my other T's do when they've dropped their food. Keep in mind, the crickets are dead here. She didn't give a dry bite, they didn't move again, so I wouldn't imagine she'd go back to eating it. I glanced over only a few minuted later to find webbing on the cricket. Wasn't spun up in it, just kind of hanging in some webs. To my surprise, I watched her take it back in her fangs and eat it as usual. She's done this twice. Such an odd little thing.

 

[Venom1080]

Leave it. They go back to it.

Tarantulas rarely use venom for their prey. Can you imagine a cricket living after being impaled with 1/2" fangs?

 

[KrystalG]

Next, I noticed webbing from end to end of my B. albopilosum enclosure in the air, like he'd been doing some aerial webbing or something. SUPER weird. I've never seen in climb on the glass and it was super odd that there were five or six strands of silk mid air.

 

[BoyFromLA]

My tarantula do both occasionally.

• It first uses both fangs to kill it’s prey, then drops it on the ground to web around it, and takes a walk awhile, then comes back for it.

• It leaves one or two thin web thread while walking around it’s enclosure.

 

[Anoplogaster]

Tarantulas rarely use venom for their prey

Interesting. How do you know this?

 

[Garth Vader]

One of my Ts does the "kill it and save it for later" thing.

 

[KrystalG]

One of my Ts does the "kill it and save it for later" thing.

Thats so weird to me I've never heard of that.

 

[BoyFromLA]

Thats so weird to me I've never heard of that.

In my case, this often happens when T. is not that hungry.

 

[KrystalG]

In my case, this often happens when T. is not that hungry.

Good, cuz the T that does it is a chubby girl and I dont feed her as often as my others.

 

[Garth Vader]

It is like when I make a sandwich and then just set it in the corner for a while before I eat it.

Totally normal.

 

[BoyFromLA]

It is like when I make a sandwich and then just set it in the corner for a while before I eat it.

Totally normal.

I hope it is made with extra mayo, and with pepper jack cheese.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

and with pepper jack cheese.

I swear you guys eat stuff I've never heard on almost (almost) 39 years of life

 

[dangerforceidle]

I swear you guys eat stuff I've never heard on almost (almost) 39 years of life

Branch out, my friend.

 

[BoyFromLA]

I swear you guys eat stuff I've never heard on almost (almost) 39 years of life

And you will be surprised that I am same/close age as you.

 

[viper69]

Interesting. How do you know this?

I second this.... @Venom1080

 

[EulersK]

To my surprise, I watched her take it back in her fangs and eat it as usual. She's done this twice. Such an odd little thing.

Whether it's the venom or the mechanical damage of the fangs themselves, the prey will die eventually. Why would they waste their energy holding onto a squirming, resisting meal when they can just leave it on the ground for a few minutes until it dies? These are still wild animals, remember. For as much as they know, it'll be months until the next meal comes along. They make the most of every bit of energy.

To me, it's even more interesting when a spider isn't hungry but is defensive. I recently tried to feed my C. vonwirthi, and she apparently wasn't hungry. I found the roach ten minutes later on the opposite side of the enclosure, twitching like it was having a seizure. Clearly had a wet bite and was feeling the effects of the venom.

 

[Venom1080]

I second this.... @Venom1080

Common sense.. always thought it was more for defense. NWs have their hair, ows have their speed and venom. Venoms not something to be used lightly either, hence why dry bites sometimes occur.. perhaps if they have a big enough prey item.

I always assumed it worked like this for a very long time.

 

[FrDoc]

Common sense.. always thought it was more for defense. NWs have their hair, ows have their speed and venom. Venoms not something to be used lightly either, hence why dry bites sometimes occur.. perhaps if they have a big enough prey item.

I always assumed it worked like this for a very long time.

The mechanical damage resulting from the bite alone is in no way sufficient to kill a cricket. I have literally ripped crickets in half, fed the abdomens to slings and put the anterior portion in my GBB's web. That head and two legs were kicking three hours later. Alive? That's debatable, but not immobilized for consumption. However, anecdotes are not what makes the argument here.

Rainer Foelix in Biology of Spiders (page 50), "Spiders belong to the actively poisonous animals (I.e., they use their venom offensively to paralyze or to kill their prey). The quick immobilization is certainly the primary function of the venom--the lethal effect is only secondary (Friedel, 1987; Friedel and Nentwig, 1989)."

The section of this work concerning venom glands and toxicity (pages 50-58) has a very interesting description of T venom and venom glands specifically.

 

[Venom1080]

The mechanical damage resulting from the bite alone is in no way sufficient to kill a cricket. I have literally ripped crickets in half, fed the abdomens to slings and put the anterior portion in my GBB's web. That head and two legs were kicking three hours later. Alive? That's debatable, but not immobilized for consumption. However, anecdotes are not what makes the argument here.

Rainer Foelix in Biology of Spiders (page 50), "Spiders belong to the actively poisonous animals (I.e., they use their venom offensively to paralyze or to kill their prey). The quick immobilization is certainly the primary function of the venom--the lethal effect is only secondary (Friedel, 1987; Friedel and Nentwig, 1989)."

The section of this work concerning venom glands and toxicity (pages 50-58) has a very interesting description of T venom and venom glands specifically.

How bigs your gbb?

Perhaps.

So the venom immobolizes prey in seconds? Crickets stop moving almost instantly when hit by a large spider.

 

[nicodimus22]

I've always read that the venom aided in digesting the prey by starting to break it down before the T even consumed it. Not the case?