3 Spider Hunting Techniques
The group of animals we’ll talk about in this article includes more than 47,000 species. That said, it is not uncommon, therefore, that a number of spider hunting techniques have been discovered and described. In this article, we’re going to show you some of the most common techniques and some really amazing ones.
Spiders: predatory animals
This large group of animals belongs to the Arachnida class , being commonly known as arachnids. This class also includes other species of arthropods, such as ticks and scorpions. The diversity of spiders is so great that they can be found in all corners of the planet, with the exception of Antarctica.
Another feature common to all species is their predatory nature. But, even if the objective is the same, there are several techniques for hunting spiders, although many share a common element: the production and use of silk, with which they weave the webs used to capture their prey. Once the prey is captured, the spiders inject digestive juices into the prey, which helps to dissolve the contents that they will absorb later.
The web: one of the most common spider hunting techniques
Without a doubt, the first of the spider hunting techniques is the best known of all. Through glands located in the back of the abdomen, these animals produce a protein material with a silky and very sticky consistency, which allows them to capture their prey with ease.
Although their eyesight isn’t very good, they take advantage of the sensory organs located in their paws to detect the vibrations that occur when prey gets tangled up in the web. This is when the spider comes into action and captures its prey, which it chases, if necessary, until it can completely immobilize it.
The ogre-faced, web-slinging spider
Now, let’s delve into one of the most unusual spider hunting techniques to date. The main specimen belongs to the Deinopsis genus and their way of hunting consists of casting the webs that they themselves weave over their prey.
Morphologically, these spiders are quite elongated and have two large eyes that make it easy to locate prey in the dark. His hunting technique begins with the fabrication of a common web, but which is kept open using the front paws. Thereafter, they remain immobile until a prey activates the trap.
It is at this moment that the ogre-faced spider ‘launches’ and closes the web on its prey, which is immobilized. It is an imperceptible phenomenon to the human eye, as it occurs in milliseconds.
The Crab Spider, on the lookout
Members of the Selenopidae family use a hunting technique in which the webs are not involved. In this case, we are faced with spiders that are lurking, waiting in hiding until their prey appears.
Their morphology is adapted for this purpose, in such a way that they can reach high speeds in a short period of time and thus capture prey. They usually hide on the ground or among flower petals.
In fact, recent studies have confirmed that these spiders have one of the most curious hunting techniques ever seen: thanks to the disposition of their paws, they can quickly rotate in any direction to face their prey, remarkably increasing their effectiveness. of hunting. These spiders are believed to hold the record for the fastest known turning maneuver for an animal.
