Do Spiders Raise Their Babies?
WouterSpiders do not raise their babies. However, some species do provide for their young. For example, female wolf spiders lay hundreds of eggs and carry them in a circular egg sack until they hatch.
The young wolf spiders also feed on the egg yolks, and then continue to travel with the mother until they are ready to fend for themselves. Unlike other spiders, wolf spiders do not lay their eggs on the ground, but instead on the abdomen or spinnerets.
In some species, eggs are laid in a silk egg sac. These can be distinctive in color and shape. They may have multiple layers of wrapping, extra tough silk, or soil. The number of eggs can range from four to 600.
Often, the mother carries the egg sac at the end of her abdomen. After the spiderlings are born, the mother takes care of them, preventing inbreeding between siblings. During the first 20 days, the baby spiders are exclusively fed by the mother. Then, for the next 40 days, the spiderlings supplement their diet with milk-like fluids from the mother’s body.
When the spiderlings are about half the size of a housefly, they are able to eat flies. They can even eat crickets, as long as they are similar in size to their prey. After the spiderlings’ cuticles harden, they can release strands of silk to take to the air, ballooning. This will allow them to travel far.
As the spiderlings grow, they molt many times. They will eventually become successful hunters.
