Tarantulas and spiders do not have a positive image on our minds as they are associated with fear, venom, and bites. But there are also many people in this world who love these creatures and pet them. The reality is apart from all the stigma the tarantulas are not actually that scary and dangerous. If they are handled properly they pose no threat. In fact, only a few species of tarantulas are actually venomous and lethal. Their bite is also similar to that of a sting bite in terms of pain but they hardly eject venom into human beings. However, the only thing you should be aware of is that throw off their hairs which can cause an extreme rash as explained in the previous content. in this content, we discuss how tarantulas eat?

How do tarantulas eat?

The way of capturing, killing and then eating the prey of tarantula is quite a scene to see. They capture their prey with their big fangs that are easily visible due to their size. They release venom into their prey using these fangs and start to decompose the prey using digestive enzymes. As they cannot eat the prey in solid form this step is necessary. After the prey is consumable they eat and digest it. If the tarantula is not hungry enough at the moment they may seize the prey into a silk coating and can carry it on her way.

What things do tarantula eat?

There is a variety of diversity in their prey. Small-sized tarantulas usually prey upon small insects, bugs, grasshoppers and others. Whereas, moderate-sized tarantulas may eat snakes, lizards, worms, caterpillars and other bigger insects, etc. Some tarantulas like Goliath bird eaters can also prey small birds, ducklings, etc. The Goliath bird eater is also the largest tarantula.

What are the eating habits of a tarantula?

Tarantulas are extremely expert spiders and they are even capable of preying on those organisms which are way larger than them. Their hunting skills have made these creatures to survive in almost all areas of the world.

Feed:

How tarantulas eat Tarantulas are basically carnivores so their diet mainly includes meat and protein content. Their diet includes small insects like crickets, grasshoppers, bugs, beetles, millipede, centipede, lizards, bats, even some members of the rodent family and even small birds, ducklings, etc.

Digestion:

Like all other spiders, tarantulas also cannot digest their food in solid form therefore, they have to convert them in a form that is consumable and digestible. So they paralyze their prey using venom through their fangs and so the prey becomes motionless then they release digestive enzymes into the prey converting into liquid form so that they can digest it.

Tarantula has a digestive system that works on the principle of “Sucking”. When the muscles in the stomach contract, there becomes enough space in the stomach to fill it up with the decomposed prey. 

From the stomach, it passes through the proper ways to the intestine and is converted into components that are easily absorbed up by the bloodstream. After all, the whole digestion process the excretory material is converted into a form of a ball and then is disposed of by tarantula.

Location of hunting:

Prey patterns of tarantula depend upon where the prey is close to their habitat. Some prefer to hunt on the trees and others on the ground.

“Silk” plays an important part in the preying of tarantulas. Mostly species that are tree-driven live in silk tents from where they seek their prey and choose when to attack. 

Whereas species that live on land also line up their burrows with silk so that they can easily move to catch their prey or when it is time to mate. However, How tarantulas eat tarantulas don’t use or make silk webs to capture the prey. 

How tarantulas eat daily?

Pet How tarantulas eat tarantulas do not majorly require a very complex diet and can easily live upon simple insects. “Crickets” are an excellent diet for the tarantulas. The number of insects to feed depends upon the species and size. Some may eat one to two crickets per week while some larger species may require six crickets per week. are you tarantulas lover? do you want to know about How tarantulas bite?

Gut loading of the food is essential. It means that the crickets should be fed properly before giving them to the tarantula. There are also several kinds of cricket foods available in the market as well.

Overfeeding is not the thing for tarantulas. It will eat according to her needs and never more. Also, some tarantulas go through the period of fasting and may not eat for months. So, don’t worry How tarantulas eat tarantulas can survive for months without eating anything depending upon their needs.

Water should be provided daily and make sure it’s fresh and it should be provided on a plate or a dish that is shallow.

Tarantula Fact sheet

• A female tarantula has thicker hair on her body and usually is of black and brown color. On the other hand, males are comparatively thinner and have less hairs on their body with abdomen covered with red hair.

• Tarantulas sense vibrations immediately and can estimate how far the prey is. On feeling any kind of threat they release the hair from their hind legs and these when coming in contact with hair and eyes can cause extreme redness swelling and rash.

• Tarantulas love to live in dry areas whether they live in warm deserts or tropical areas. Most species love to live in burrows while some love to build nests on trees.

• Only a few species of tarantula are venomous.

• Tarantulas are eaten up by lizards, Eagles, foxes, and some others.

15 steps how to feed a tarantula

Tarantulas mostly have a bad reputation due to their venomous capability and also they are associated with several witchcraft activities. However, some people own them as pets. And in actuality, only a few species of tarantulas are actually poisonous and those who own them have to know their feeding patterns. 

• Tarantulas don’t need to be fed often and don’t have to be fed a very complex diet.

• They usually fed upon crickets as their major diet and in fact, they can live upon only crickets for months without frequent eating.

• You can also choose from market available cricket food options and other small insects as well.

• The feed should be gut loaded before giving it to the tarantula.

• The ideal size of the prey is equal to the size of the leg of the tarantula.

• Baby tarantulas may also feed on dead insects and if the feed is too big you can cut them into appropriate sizes.

• You can make a cricket cage for your spider as well to collect crickets. Take a deep box with a lid and make three hundred or more holes in it. Holes should not be big enough so that the crickets cannot go through. Humidity will kill the crickets.

• You should place live prey in the tarantula cage with the help of tongs. If the prey is small and is not enough for the tarantula, you may place several at once.

• Baby tarantulas will eat the prey even if it’s not moving but mostly adult tarantulas cannot recognize their prey if it’s not moving. For that purpose, you can induce movement in the prey by provoking it with a tong, etc.

• For water, use a dish or plate which is shallow let’s say an inch and fill only half an inch of water in it. The amount of water should be only such that the tarantula is able to dip its fangs in it and not more.

Question and answers

What tarantulas eat mice?

Some terrestrial species involve this kind of prey like lizards and some little mice etc.

How do tarantulas eat crickets?

They first paralyze their pet through the venom in their fangs and once the prey becomes motionless they digest it through digestive enzymes and make it in the form of bolus so that it becomes consumable.

What do tarantulas eat and drink?

How tarantulas eat Tarantulas mostly live upon crickets and other small insects. They also go through the fasting period during which they eat nothing. So, they can survive months without even eating anything.

What do tarantulas eat in the desert?

In the warm environments, they burrow themselves in the sand and prey usually in the night upon small insects like crickets, hoppers, and small lizards, etc.

How do tarantulas digest their prey?

Tarantula has a digestive system that works on the principle of “Sucking”. When the muscles in the stomach contract, there becomes enough space in the stomach to fill it up with the decomposed prey. 

From the stomach, it passes through the proper ways to the intestine and is converted into components that are easily absorbed up by the bloodstream. After all, the whole digestion process the excretory material is converted into a form of a ball and then is disposed of by tarantula.