Tarantulas are the most dangerous and frightening spiders. That’s why many Hollywood movies have shown tarantulas as killer spiders, and they are a Hollywood much loved. But the reality is that tarantulas are not very dangerous spiders as those depicted in films. In reality, tarantulas are extraordinarily skilled spiders and especially when it comes to hunting prey. This fact hurls them to the pinnacle of the food chain. These spiders are very clever about any creature, even those larger than themselves. Their innovative hunting approaches make them alarming peak predators and permit the animal to flourish in many surroundings. They are generalist seekers and entrepreneurs. And they will always be smart to discover something to eat.
The tarantula has a small size but a very proficient spider that can catch on any enemy, even those more prominent than its size. As these tarantulas are natural specialists in hunting and are opportunistic feeders, it is doubtful that anyone will be able to stop tarantulas from hunting for food. This situation raises the question, “What do tarantulas eat?”
What Do Tarantulas Eat?
The most common foods for tarantulas are insects, caterpillars, beetles, and other spiders. Tarantulas are carnivores that eat massive insects like grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, crickets, and sometimes even snakes. Some tarantula species eat small insects like frogs, birds, lizards, rodents, and small snakes. These spiders are the enormous spiders in the world. Some people think that these species are hazardous and terrifying, but actually, they are not. The length of an adult tarantula is commonly measured 5 inches. The Goliath Bird Eating tarantula is the second largest spider on earth. The weight of this tarantula is 5 to 6 ounces, and the size is 11 inches leg span. The food size depends upon the size of the tarantula because it can eat smaller size prey than its size. Therefore, the food quantity varies according to the size of spiders.
Goliath Bird Eating Spider eats small birds like hummingbirds and other small birds. Tarantulas are expert hunters and are passionate about eating anything they can.The wild tarantula food depends on the environment in which they live. Most wild spiders eat grasshoppers and many small insects around the habitat. They also eat tiny spiders happily. The food type varies according to the genera of a tarantula. Typically all tarantulas consider night hunters and hunt the prey at night.
Where do Tarantulas Hunt?
Tarantulas try to target the places close to their habitat. They hound close to where they live; that’s why they can be established preying on organisms in a wide variety of habitats. Many tarantulas search for prey, mainly in trees, while others hunt on the land. The type of food depends upon the availability of food near them. Some species of tarantulas use silk for hunting. All tarantulas make silk which is helpful in many ways. The Tree-dwelling species naturally exist in a silken tent. From this tent, they can search for prey and consume their food. Global species row their holes with silk to climb up and down when it is time to hunt. This also helps in the process of mating. Like all other spiders, the tarantula so not use its silk to web prey.
List of Food for Tarantulas
Typically tarantulas are night hunters and attack the prey during the night. As carnivores, they love to eat meat and will frequently try to attack any animal more diminutive than the size of a spider. Many more giant tarantulas can feed on small vertebrates, and some eat invertebrates.
Now we are going to share a list of foods for tarantula:
- Beetles
- Smaller spiders
- Caterpillars
- Millipedes
- Cicadas
- Super worms
- Mealworms
- Grasshoppers
- Frogs
- Fish
- Lizards
- Bats
- Silkworms
- Crickets
- Roaches
- Hornworms
- Arthropods
- Pinky mice
- Rodents
- King worms
- Small snake
- Birds
- Toads
How Do Tarantulas Hunt for Food?
As night-time hunters, tarantulas rely on their ruthless compassion to feelings from the ground. These vibrations give them signals to where to search for prey. Tarantulas often trap their quarry and use their sharp fangs (called chelicerae) to catch them and discharge venom that disables them. The target cannot move after this attack. The bite of tarantula releases venom, which includes a chemical or digestive enzyme that helps mix the meat of prey. The chemical venom helps to dissolve the flesh of the game, so it makes it easy for a tarantula to eat or suck the liquid. The straw-shaped mouth of the tarantula is used to consume the prey’s flesh. Tarantulas also have dominant jaws that can break up their victim.
Most species of spiders turn webs to trap their prey. But some tarantulas try to search for the game on the ground and burrow under dry loam. These spiders line the walls of their hole with silk to catch their victim. This silk layer helps to know the presence of prey near the house.
Digestion of Food?
Digestion of food is a crucial factor. Tarantulas have a unique and strong digestive system which helps to consume food quickly. They have a sucking stomach which means the food dissolves easily and quickly. This feature of their stomach makes them hungry creatures. This process involves the conversion of food into liquid using the digestive enzyme. The sucking abdomen of tarantula helps to consume their liquefied prey up through their mouths and into their digestive systems by astringent the stomach’s sturdy muscles. The food is broken into pieces by intestinal walls inside the tarantula’s stomach. These tiny fragments then soaked up into the bloodstream in the stomach. These nutrients are discrete during the tarantula’s body and improve the metabolism speed. The tarantula makes the carcass into a ball and organizes it afterward.
Food of Tarantulas in Captivity
Now its time to answer a question that what do tarantula eat in a cage or enclosure? So the answer is that in captivity, tarantulas remain carnivores and need live prey. The food includes gut-loaded insects, mealworms, dubia roaches, crickets, and other invertebrates. The size and quantity of food are according to the size of your pet tarantula. The giant spider needs small pinky mice, frozen, and many others. Juvenile tarantulas usually eat, while adult feeds after two days. The pet tarantula needs cleanliness, so clear the uneaten prey from the enclosure. The leftover target causes a smell which makes your tarantula more aggressive.
You should also provide water in the tank for the healthy growth of your pet. But don’t put extra water in the enclosure. It causes drowning, so give them a small amount of water. Some tarantulas remain on the humidity of the section, so a small bowl of water is enough for your pet.
Do Tarantulas Bite Humans?
Tarantulas are not terrifying spiders, so usually, they do not bite humans. These species only respond when they feel threatened. The tarantula bite is not medically significant and is just as painful as a bee sting. The edge irritates the face and especially in the eyes. In addition, they have urticating hairs on the abdomens and use them as a defense strategy against the threat. So always try to avoid handling aggressive pets.
