Tarantula keep frogs as pets?

[whovian89]

Is this true or just a myth?

 

[ThisMeansWAR]

True. See references in this article for scientific articles on the topic.

http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/07/03/tiny-frogs-and-giant-spiders/

 

[Camman1983]

That's awesome

 

[Moakmeister]

It's true. The two have a mutualistic relationship. The H. arizonensis scorpion and different species of death feigning beetle live together and share meals in the wild, and a lot of people keep them communally.

 

[Walker253]

It's true. The two have a mutualistic relationship. The H. arizonensis scorpion and different species of death feigning beetle live together and share meals in the wild, and a lot of people keep them communally.

I had the opportunity to buy some of the blue death feigning beetles at the last show. I was going to put them with my H arizonensis. I forgot and left without them. Kicked myself driving away. Hopefully, I see them again soon

 

[viper69]

True. See references in this article for scientific articles on the topic.

http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/07/03/tiny-frogs-and-giant-spiders/

Who needs references if it's on the internet, it MUST be true

 

[TRection]

Thats awseome!

 

[GreyPsyche]

Don't try it at home. A hungry T eats what it must, lol.

 

[dragonfire1577]

Hadrurus and the feigning beetle are different than this situation I'm pretty sure, This is a case where the spider could easily kill the frog if it wanted, Hadrurus just tolerate the beetles because they can't eat them.

 

[vespers]

A hungry T eats what it must, lol.

Hadrurus and the feigning beetle are different than this situation I'm pretty sure, This is a case where the spider could easily kill the frog if it wanted, Hadrurus just tolerate the beetles because they can't eat them.

The T likely cannot kill and eat the microhylids, either, due the the toxins in the frog's skin.

 

[dragonfire1577]

The T likely cannot kill and eat the microhylids, either, due the the toxins in the frog's skin.

Yeah it would seem most situations like this involve the larger predator being unable to eat the other animal so leaving it alone, although off my head I can think of western banded geckos, Coleonyx variegatus and stripe tailed scorpions, Hoffmannius spinigerus being a case where the scorp could possibly kill the other animal but doesn't.

 

[GreyPsyche]

Yeah I also thought of this but I'm curious how a captive bred T would know not to eat the said frog. Could go either way IMO. Things happen in captivity that don't happen in the wild and vice versa.

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

"Pets" is being rather anthropomorphic, probably. More like "symbiotic", I think...

 

[keks]

Doesn't that mean that tarantulas after all have something like a "reflective thinking"? Everybody says that tarantulas have not "enough brain" for thinking about something. But if they know that just this frogs are saving their eggs and leaving it alive for that reason is still needing a kind of "thinking"?
I hope this is understandable? I just miss a lot of right words and grammatic knowledge .... .

 

[AphonopelmaTX]

Yeah I also thought of this but I'm curious how a captive bred T would know not to eat the said frog. Could go either way IMO. Things happen in captivity that don't happen in the wild and vice versa.

That toxic substance produced by the frog makes them unpalatable to tarantulas. It doesn't matter if a tarantula has ever encountered them before or not. The chemoreceptive setae within the scopulae on each tarsus tells the tarantula "don't eat it."

Doesn't that mean that tarantulas after all have something like a "reflective thinking"? Everybody says that tarantulas have not "enough brain" for thinking about something. But if they know that just this frogs are saving their eggs and leaving it alive for that reason is still needing a kind of "thinking"?
I hope this is understandable? I just miss a lot of right words and grammatic knowledge .... .

Not necessarily. People, even scientists, like to infer behaviors in animals based on their own experiences and sense of logic to make sense of why an animal would or would not do something. In this case, it seems more like the microhylid frogs are only just tolerated by the tarantula since the spiders won't eat them. From the tarantula's perspective, I would be more inclined that their thought process, if there is one, would be more of indifference than anything.

This exact same topic, even using the exact same image came up last month. I summarized some literature on the cohabitation of tarantulas and microhylid frogs in the other post which may offer more insight.

Click Click

 

[keks]

That toxic substance produced by the frog makes them unpalatable to tarantulas. It doesn't matter if a tarantula has ever encountered them before or not. The chemoreceptive setae within the scopulae on each tarsus tells the tarantula "don't eat it."

Not necessarily. People, even scientists, like to infer behaviors in animals based on their own experiences and sense of logic to make sense of why an animal would or would not do something. In this case, it seems more like the microhylid frogs are only just tolerated by the tarantula since the spiders won't eat them. From the tarantula's perspective, I would be more inclined that their thought process, if there is one, would be more of indifference than anything.

This exact same topic, even using the exact same image came up last month. I summarized some literature on the cohabitation of tarantulas and microhylid frogs in the other post which may offer more insight.

Click Click

Thanks, that sounds logical .

 

[FinnMosin]

Aphonopelma hentzi/Gastrophryne olivacea as flipped. NE OK. I see this VERY often.

 

[Mila]

Tarantulas are not conciously creating this relationship. The frog is toxic so doesn't get eaten and the frog likes the animals that attack the T's egg sack. It's 2 animals acting selfishly but to us looks like they're helping each other.
It's like plants that emit more nectar to attract aphids which attract ants which will protect the plant. Obviously a plant doesn't know this it's just how it's evolved

 

[EmmaHeppy]

This all makes sense, I’d love to believe that tarantulas have a more intelligent thought process. Mine escaped once and when I found her and put her back, she went straight back to the place she’d escaped from and tried again!!! This surprised me.
I believe she knew.
But I agree in the fact that it would probably be symbiotic rather than more anthropomorphism.