Carl Olson
Arachnopeon
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2020
- Messages
- 2
How does taratula remove silken door closing burrow? Does it digest and consume the silk or brush it aside with legs, or something else?
Thanks DaveM for the answer. It makes the most sense, but I'd never talked with anyone about it before.They just tear it away with their legs. Tarantulas are very strong pulling, very weak pushing, because they have no extensor muscles (their legs extend by internal fluid pressure only). They have claws on their tarsi (feet) that give them a good grip on almost anything.
The digestive enzymes can and do break down silk. Prey items are usually covered to varying degrees with silk, and I suspect some of that silk might be digested/consumed/recovered. Mature males also usually do appear to eat their sperm webs (perhaps to recover nutrients from leftover sperm). I don't believe tarantulas would normally consume the silk that they have laid down on soil or substrate. It accumulates. They would get a mouth full of dirt with that silk anyway
Chew through it, pull it open with their legs - although webbings is super strong, they are surprisingly strong too! They will figure it out themselves, I don’t think you have to worry.How does taratula remove silken door closing burrow? Does it digest and consume the silk or brush it aside with legs, or something else?
Carpace-mounted lasers, I've heardHow does taratula remove silken door closing burrow? Does it digest and consume the silk or brush it aside with legs, or something else?