Why do they web when they are eating?

[mybabyhasfangs]

I have noticed this is a few of our A. geniculatas before, but Jason noticed it last last also. Jason gave the bigger spiders pinkies last night and they started webbing a little mat type thing while holding the pinkie in their fangs. 3 genics did it and the adult B. smithi.

I did try the search function and didn't come up with anything. Just curious.

Christina

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Search for "happy dance" you'll find posts then...

 

[juggalo69]

Just a guess, but I think they lay the web to make it easier to wrap and dispose of the leftovers.

 

[Varden]

Good answer. I was wondering if they didn't lay webs to mark where they found food.

 

[brachy]

Hi
I heard, they making web beacause on te eart live small mikroorganisms, small parazits and dirty.

 

[ilovebugs]

sometimes they pull up some of the web mat when they grab something with the fangs, so they could be repairing. but they don't always do it on matted ground... hmm

 

[PhormictopusMan]

Hmm, well just on observation, spiders seem to be pretty tidy. They lay the web mat, perhaps to protect it from micro-organisms as mentioned above and decrease the decay rate of the prey item. I see them dispose of molts and wastes into the farthest corners of their enclosures. They preen themselves and just seem to be clean-conscious/instinctive? Another thought, perhaps this is the precedent to the total body wrap of evolved true spiders, who wrap the prey up to constrain it but also to preserve it.

Just a thought from an amateur...

--Chris

 

[ilovebugs]

I have observed (on several occasions) a g. rosea laying a web mat, dropping the prey, webbing it up, rolling it around webbing more, and then, picking it up again and eating it.

make up your mind! lol

 

[Mattyb]

They also web because silk is the perfect anti-biotic and it keeps the food sterile and fresh.


-Matty

 

[Sobrino]

It supposed to be like a feeding mat or something to hold the left overs.

 

[Mr Ed]

My guess is that they wrap up the remains in it to make it nice and tidy. Could be a similar response to our mouths watering when we eat part of the digestive process, then again this is just my thought.

 

[cacoseraph]

They also web because silk is the perfect anti-biotic and it keeps the food sterile and fresh.


-Matty

also, since they use external digestion in part, a firmly wrapped prey item is less likely to leak, losing the spider precious drops of food/moisture

 

[mybabyhasfangs]

Thanks for all of the replies everyone!

 

[Steve Nunn]

They also web because silk is the perfect anti-biotic and it keeps the food sterile and fresh.

Exactly Matt, well, damn close anyway Tarantula silk does have antibacterial properties and is a great way to keep the food as clean as possible, all other larger parasites and organisms are filtered out during "initial" digestion.

Steve

 

[Runaway987]

If im feeding my blondi a large locust it will turn it into ball of mush after 10-15 minutes and it dumps it on the mat, weaves more web over the top of the mushy mess then picks it back up. The "cocoon" od silk keeps the meal intact. If it dunked it onto the ground it would

A) Becomes filthy

B) Lose moisture

C) Attract mites

Runaway

 

[msfairydust]

I'm so glad someone asked this because I noticed the same thing with my Pink Toe. A friend of mine also referred to this as the "happy dance" as well...it's nice reading all the explanations

Madeline