Huge tarantula caught on camera eating wild snake for snake for the first time ever
- 7 years ago
SERRA DO CAVERÁ, BRAZIL — In October of 2015, a group of researchers conducting work on tarantula diversity stumbled upon a Grammostola quirogai tarantula, feasting on the body of an Almaden ground snake. The team photographed the spine-tingling spectacle and published a report of their findings in the December issue of the journal Herpetology Notes.
What happened leading up to the meal is unknown, but the researchers suspect the snake may have slithered past the arachnid’s cozy dark den with plans of calling it home. Little did the 15-inch snake realize, the space already had a tenant. The tarantula was quick to give him notice. Her fangs, which measure almost an inch, would have plunged into the snake, liquefying its insides. Once decomposed, the tarantula then enjoyed its dinner.
The incident is believed to be the first known account of of a wild tarantula eating a snake in the wild. The researchers report that previous incidents of tarantulas eating snakes have only been witnessed in controlled settings, where the snake would be introduced to the spider.
What happened leading up to the meal is unknown, but the researchers suspect the snake may have slithered past the arachnid’s cozy dark den with plans of calling it home. Little did the 15-inch snake realize, the space already had a tenant. The tarantula was quick to give him notice. Her fangs, which measure almost an inch, would have plunged into the snake, liquefying its insides. Once decomposed, the tarantula then enjoyed its dinner.
The incident is believed to be the first known account of of a wild tarantula eating a snake in the wild. The researchers report that previous incidents of tarantulas eating snakes have only been witnessed in controlled settings, where the snake would be introduced to the spider.