Versi and Rosea behaviour questions

[Botar]

I've noticed a couple of different things that I was wondering about. First off, my G. roseas will lay out a mat of webbing after they catch a cricket before they eat it. Has anyone else noticed this and why do they do it? Is it just a fastidious eater?

Secondly, our little A. versicolor kind of lays around in its web with its "feet" hanging over the edge of the funnel web. Has anyone else noticed similar behavior or have I acquired an exceptionally lazy T?

Botar

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Botar
I've noticed a couple of different things that I was wondering about. First off, my G. roseas will lay out a mat of webbing after they catch a cricket before they eat it. Has anyone else noticed this and why do they do it? Is it just a fastidious eater?

All terrestrial Ts do this. The characteristic standing on the tippy toes waving the abdomen around is commonly known as the "happy dance" The exact function is unknown but it's suspected to have one of two related functions: When there is a lot of prey available, the T will use this mat and other silk to form a big prey ball that lets it catch additional morsels without losing anything. Second, it's suspected that it might play a role in making a better sensory mat where it just caught the last prey item increasing the odds it will catch another one.

Secondly, our little A. versicolor kind of lays around in its web with its "feet" hanging over the edge of the funnel web. Has anyone else noticed similar behavior or have I acquired an exceptionally lazy T?

No, it's just a typical Avic. They do this while waiting for something to come within sensory distance of their tube and, wham, dinner time. When my versicolor was a tiny sling it was like watching a scene from Aliens in its jar as it would lay hanging just out of a hole in the bottom of its tube web. Dumb cricket would walk underneath and out woud grab the sling and yank the cricket up into the tube for a meal.

 

[Vayu Son]

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wot e' said.

 

[Botar]

Thanks. I knew someone would know something about it.

Botar