# Why do tarantulas spin in circles right after they catch their prey?



## scarhbar (Jan 28, 2015)

All tarantulas I've owned seem to always spin in a circle right after they catch their prey. I can see their spinnerets working and touching the ground, but I never see any webs afterwards?


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## Hobo (Jan 28, 2015)

It's webbing up it's prey, in what I assume to be a means to keep the food together while it eats. It also results in a sort of web mat where it eats.
It's difficulty to see, but the web is there.

Reactions: Like 2 | Informative 1


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## Poec54 (Jan 28, 2015)

It's holds the prey together as they tear it apart to eat, and initially it also tangles up prey that revives and tries to escape.  Very ingenious.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tfisher (Jan 28, 2015)

scarhbar said:


> All tarantulas I've owned seem to always spin in a circle right after they catch their prey. I can see their spinnerets working and touching the ground, but I never see any webs afterwards?


The way I see it is, I don't enjoy eating off the ground.  lol they don't like it either.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Poec54 (Jan 28, 2015)

Tfisher said:


> The way I see it is, I don't enjoy eating off the ground.  lol they don't like it either.


When you eat off the ground, you get dirt, which is not the best thing to add flavor-wise.  And with spiders taking several hours to eat, food on the ground draws ants.

Reactions: Like 1


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## 14pokies (Jan 28, 2015)

Stan Shultz refers to this as the feeding waltz!

+1 to all that have posted so far...

When the digestive enzymes start to work on a cricket if there were no web holding it together it would just be a soupy mess..

Reactions: Like 2


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## viper69 (Jan 31, 2015)

I also think they do it to re-lay any trip wires that were broken during the attack

Reactions: Like 1


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## IHeartTs (Jan 31, 2015)

they're setting the table! I think they just don't wanna eat off the ground. They stand on their tip toes. I can only guess it's so they don't shovel dirt and whatever else is on the ground into their mouths when they readjust the prey.

Reactions: Clarification Please 1


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## Poec54 (Jan 31, 2015)

viper69 said:


> I also think they do it to re-lay any trip wires that were broken during the attack


What the spider lays while eating is probably going to get fairly torn up by the time it's thru.  It may be a small benefit, but the primary reasons have already been said.  It needs to be able to finish that meal as efficiently as possible, and keep other crawling animals from sharing in it.


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## viper69 (Jan 31, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> What the spider lays while eating is probably going to get fairly torn up by the time it's thru.  It may be a small benefit, but the primary reasons have already been said.  It needs to be able to finish that meal as efficiently as possible, and keep other crawling animals from sharing in it.


No one factually knows what the "primary" reasons are. It's all speculation based on reasonable assumptions, nothing more to my knowledge.


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## Poec54 (Jan 31, 2015)

viper69 said:


> No one factually knows what the "primary" reasons are. It's all speculation based on reasonable assumptions, nothing more to my knowledge.


The 'fact' is silk holds their prey together as they tear it up during eating.  It also keeps it off the ground, which helps keeps ants away.  Big benefits that would outweigh anything else.  There may be other side benefits too.  

You and I will have died of old age before most things about tarantulas are ever 'proven'.  We can make logical assumptions on why they do some of the things they do, but we'll never know all of them.  It will probably be hobbyists figuring things out as they go, not anything scientific.  Lots of species and not many controlled experiments, nor the funding for them.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## viper69 (Jan 31, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> The 'fact' is silk holds their prey together as they tear it up during eating.  It also keeps it off the ground, which helps keeps ants away.  Big benefits that would outweigh anything else.  There may be other side benefits too.
> 
> You and I will have died of old age before most things about tarantulas are ever 'proven'.  We can make logical assumptions on why they do some of the things they do, but we'll never know all of them.  It will probably be hobbyists figuring things out as they go, not anything scientific.  Lots of species and not many controlled experiments, nor the funding for them.


I personally don't think keeping bugs away is a primary factor when I see them eating raised up on toes holding their dinner.


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## Poec54 (Jan 31, 2015)

viper69 said:


> I personally don't think keeping bugs away is a primary factor when I see them eating raised up on toes holding their dinner.


It is in the tropics.  Their are some very aggressive ants in the world.  We have South American fire ants all over Florida.  Ants of all species send out scouts and when they find anything edible, they'll soon be a swarm.  You should see what a bowl of dry cat food looks like once fire ants find it.  NOTHING will dare eat out of that bowl.  They'd kill a tarantula if they found it with a wad of food on the ground.

Northern ants are wimps.  Don't judge the ant family by what you live with.  I've had carpenter ants get in a large cage of adult crickets, and eat hundreds of them.  Totally wiped them out, ants that are about 1/4".  In the tropics, small animals fear ants, and for good reason.


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## viper69 (Jan 31, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> It is in the tropics.  Their are some very aggressive ants in the world.  We have South American fire ants all over Florida.  Ants of all species send out scouts and when they find anything edible, they'll soon be a swarm.  You should see what a bowl of dry cat food looks like once fire ants find it.  NOTHING will dare eat out of that bowl.  They'd kill a tarantula if they found it with a wad of food on the ground.
> 
> Northern ants are wimps.  Don't judge the ant family by what you live with.  I've had carpenter ants get in a large cage of adult crickets, and eat hundreds of them.  Totally wiped them out, ants that are about 1/4".  In the tropics, small animals fear ants, and for good reason.



You do not know what I live with nor do you know what I have lived with, don't assume. I'm familiar with Fire Ants, because I have lived with them. I'm also familiar with other species of ants. I've had carpenter ants as well.

Like I said, I don't believe part of the spinning is about keeping ants away at all because they eat the food raised off the ground floor. I could be wrong, the truth is, no one is knows.

Oh btw, there's a "new" invasive ant species in Texas which easily out competes and kills off fire ants like they are dust!


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## cold blood (Jan 31, 2015)

I think a swarm of ants is a situation a t needs to use his legs and get away and find a safer place to eat.   Ants are indeed aggressive, and in a swarm would have little issue climbing right up onto a t:wink:

I've seen a few videos of healthy t's and scorps get taken down and disassembled by armies of ants.   

I do think that there are probably lots of other small insects that would make it advantageous to keep it off the ground.

I always figured that as they were turning the cricket/roach into a little ball, that it was just easier to rotate the prey above the ground.  Like, if I wanted to work on a rubics cube, I would have a much tougher time moving it around if it were on the ground, elevating it makes it easier to rotate.   Just a thought anyway.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Ellenantula (Jan 31, 2015)

Agree with all the practical scientific explanations, but still, I like to think my Rosie is doing a little Snoopy dance with her prey -- she just looks so happy and her little spinnerets just going to town.


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## Poec54 (Jan 31, 2015)

viper69 said:


> You do not know what I live with nor do you know what I have lived with, don't assume. I'm familiar with Fire Ants, because I have lived with them. I'm also familiar with other species of ants. I've had carpenter ants as well.
> 
> Like I said, I don't believe part of the spinning is about keeping ants away at all because they eat the food raised off the ground floor. I could be wrong, the truth is, no one is knows.
> 
> Oh btw, there's a "new" invasive ant species in Texas which easily out competes and kills off fire ants like they are dust!


Having a bad day, are we?  

Have you had carpenter ants wipe out a cage of adult crickets?  The invasive new ant in Texas only further proves my point.


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## cold blood (Jan 31, 2015)

Ellenantula said:


> I like to think my Rosie is doing a little Snoopy dance with her prey -- she just looks so happy and her little spinnerets just going to town.


There is a certain degree of enthusiasm that they lay that webbing with....I think this enthusiastic webbing is what leads to the term "happy dance"

So do you play that crazy "peanuts" music every time you feed??:laugh:

Reactions: Like 1


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## Poec54 (Jan 31, 2015)

Ellenantula said:


> I like to think my Rosie is doing a little Snoopy dance with her prey -- she just looks so happy and her little spinnerets just going to town.


I'm sure you'd be just as happy with a mouthful of crickets yourself.

Reactions: Like 2


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## viper69 (Jan 31, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> Having a bad day, are we?
> 
> The invasive new ant in Texas only further proves my point.


My day is great. You're the one having a bad day with your assumptions.

The invasive ant species doesn't prove your point to me. We have a difference of opinion, case closed.


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## Poec54 (Jan 31, 2015)

viper69 said:


> The invasive ant species doesn't prove your point.


About how aggressive some ants are and tarantulas not wanting to run into them when they're eating?  Yeah, I think it does.  

Come on, lighten up.


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## bscheidt1020 (Feb 1, 2015)

"One loooove! One heeeaaaart! Lets get together and feeel aaal-right!"
or
"Don't worry about a ting...Cause every little ting....is gonna be alright!"

To settle this argument, tarantulas circle while eating as a means to please their gods and thank them for the blessing of sustenance. The web serves as a small sacrifice to complete the sacred ritual of Nom Nom.

Reactions: Like 7


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## viper69 (Feb 1, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> About how aggressive some ants are and tarantulas not wanting to run into them when they're eating?  Yeah, I think it does.
> 
> Come on, lighten up.


Thought you meant something else- of course that makes sense.


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## just1moreT (Feb 1, 2015)

bscheidt1020 said:


> "One loooove! One heeeaaaart! Lets get together and feeel aaal-right!"
> or
> "Don't worry about a ting...Cause every little ting....is gonna be alright!"
> 
> To settle this argument, tarantulas circle while eating as a means to please their gods and thank them for the blessing of sustenance. The web serves as a small sacrifice to complete the sacred ritual of Nom Nom.




I go along with that last part but only though spider will ever know


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## Poec54 (Feb 1, 2015)

just1moreT said:


> I go along with that last part but only though spider will ever know


And they're not talking.


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## Graeboe (Feb 1, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> And they're not talking.


Shhhhh don't let the secret out.


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## Wadew (Feb 1, 2015)

The reasons for silk mat are possibly many but the spider does seem to do a 'Victory Dance' after overcoming it's prey. Or it appears that way


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## Poec54 (Feb 1, 2015)

Wadew said:


> The reasons for silk mat are possibly many but the spider does seem to do a 'Victory Dance' after overcoming it's prey. Or it appears that way


Like a football player after a touchdown?

Reactions: Like 1


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## bscheidt1020 (Feb 2, 2015)

Poec54 said:


> Like a football player after a touchdown?


44, that's me! Get some cold cuts, get come cold cuts! Gonna get some cold cuts today! Whooo!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tfisher (Feb 2, 2015)

I'd like to propose a new idea...

Being that tarantulas are kind of like hydraulic pumps is it possible in order to use it's mouth or a function of its enzymes, that it would need to do this waltz. I firmly agree with keeping food off the ground and keeping its food together, but this waltz is always done.. Maybe it's necessary for them to do this to eat.


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## Poec54 (Feb 2, 2015)

Tfisher said:


> I'd like to propose a new idea...
> 
> Being that tarantulas are kind of like hydraulic pumps is it possible in order to use it's mouth or a function of its enzymes, that it would need to do this waltz. I firmly agree with keeping food off the ground and keeping its food together, but this waltz is always done.. Maybe it's necessary for them to do this to eat.


The 'dance' is necessary to get a patch of silk on the ground in the first place.  They don't do much leg bending, so I have doubts that they're building up pressure.  In fact, building internal pressure would make it harder to suck up fluids.  If they needed to increase internal pressure to disgorge digestive fluids, I'd think they'd do some obvious leg bending/pumping, more like their post-molt leg flexes just after exiting their old exoskeleton.


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## viper69 (Feb 3, 2015)

Tfisher said:


> I'd like to propose a new idea...
> 
> Being that tarantulas are kind of like hydraulic pumps is it possible in order to use it's mouth or a function of its enzymes, that it would need to do this waltz. I firmly agree with keeping food off the ground and keeping its food together, but this waltz is always done.. Maybe it's necessary for them to do this to eat.


They do indeed utilize hydraulics, but the biological activity of their enzymes and toxins is not contingent upon their dinner dance..

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tfisher (Feb 3, 2015)

Yeah just a late night idea,but it just doesn't make sense.


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## Graeboe (Feb 3, 2015)

Doing some quick research (of course jobs get in the way of everything) it's looking like venom glands are primarily surrounded by muscle tissue so won't rely on any other system for injection. As well as the secretion of digestive juices from it's glands around its mouth are separate as well. And suction for eating isn't dependant on movement. I'll have to go with binding the meal and defense of scavenging insects for the reasoning.

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Tfisher said:


> Yeah just a late night idea,but it just doesn't make sense.


Those are the dangerous ideas lol


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## Gioend (Jun 29, 2017)

I also think (besides the happy dance and all the other scientific stuff) that they are keeping the pray off the ground so it can't get any leverage to fight back and escape. I accidentally fed my tiny vagans sling a dubia that was way to big for it. So it kinda just latched on to the dubias back while the dubia ran around the enclosure. Like a cow boy on a bull. No happy dance happened.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## efmp1987 (Sep 28, 2017)

Layering web on immovable substrate allows them to retain their "grip" on that specific area. In case the dubia had other ideas in mind, such as pulling away from the poor spider perhaps!


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