Why Do Tarantulas "Happy Dance"

[OzzakInEire]

Hey guys,
I'm new to the hobby and I'm doing a lot of research about this wonderful creatures.
And I've found quite a bit of videos showing tarantulas do the "Happy Dance" while they eat.
I tried to find some information on why they do it.
But couldn't find anything definitive.

Sooo...
What do you guys think?
Why do tarantulas dance?
How did this behavior evolve?

 

[Poonjab]

Laying some web so if they drop their prey it can’t scurry away.

 

[chanda]

It's because they don't like to share. They see you watching them with that plump cricket or juicy roach, and they're afraid you might try to take it for yourself. By laying down a little webbing, they are marking it as being their territory - essentially saying "This is my cockroach. Go get your own."

But seriously, I've heard that it's a way of making sure the prey doesn't escape, just in case the bite isn't immediately fatal, by tangling any legs or wings if the prey item is still moving - and that it can be a way of preserving the prey item if it isn't eaten right away, so it is still fresh later. I've noticed with my own spiders that they are more likely to do this with larger prey items (like cockroaches) but don't do it as often with crickets.

 

[Arachnoenthusiast]

I've heard the web blanket is to wrap up left overs

 

[Colorado Ts]

Hey guys,
I'm new to the hobby and I'm doing a lot of research about this wonderful creatures.
And I've found quite a bit of videos showing tarantulas do the "Happy Dance" while they eat.
I tried to find some information on why they do it.
But couldn't find anything definitive.

Sooo...
What do you guys think?
Why do tarantulas dance?
How did this behavior evolve?

I don’t have any idea why they do this...complete mystery to me. But gosh it is so cool to watch. My Phormictopus are real dancers, they love their prey items and they love their “ Happy Dance”.

Put on a little Samba in the background, and feed the Ts.

 

[omni]

yeah some of it is so prey is not lost, but maybe a little bit that it's kind of a table cloth for them to catch scraps, sometimes I wonder about that. another guess can be they lay down a mat to be soft for when they stop doing the elevator legs

 

[ArachniMarc]

They also lay down the webbing, because they are vulnerable while eating. The webbing holds off insects such as ants from attacking them.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

Tarantulas eat by regurgitating digestive enzymes onto their prey, mashing it up with their chelicerae, and then sucking up the liquidised insides.

They wrap their prey in silk to prevent it from falling apart during the process. This is why they do the "happy dance".

 

[Goopyguy56]

I think it might help keep other thing like ants away to if the put a little web down

 

[viper69]

Hey guys,
I'm new to the hobby and I'm doing a lot of research about this wonderful creatures.
And I've found quite a bit of videos showing tarantulas do the "Happy Dance" while they eat.
I tried to find some information on why they do it.
But couldn't find anything definitive.

Sooo...
What do you guys think?
Why do tarantulas dance?
How did this behavior evolve?

There's no scientific reason that has been proven. T behavior is almost never studied.

 

[viper69]

because they are vulnerable while eating.

I disagree, I've had Ts take off when eating when they are disturbed.