Do Spiders Taste Food?
WouterA common question is do spiders taste food? This is a very important question because some species of spiders are carnivores while others eat dead animals, arthropods and other spiders. Most spiders are predators and eat small animals such as cockroaches, mosquitoes and insects. They also have digestive enzymes injected into their prey.
There are two types of spiders that eat flesh. These include the Goliath bird-eating spider, which eats snakes and frogs, and the black widow spider, which catches insects. Some species of orb-weaving spiders mash their prey with their teeth. Other spiders eat nectar and pollen.
Some spiders rely on vibrations to warn of danger. They sense vibrations in the air through the hairs on their legs. They also detect smell through scent sensitive hairs on their legs.
Other species of spiders use special sensory organs on their legs. These organs are called pedipalps. The pedipalps also sense the flavor and feel of their prey.
Another kind of spider sucks juice from their prey through their cuticle. This process gives them a break from hunting. The smaller spiders suck the juices of their prey through their cuticle.
In some places, fried spiders are a delicacy. In Cambodia, fried spiders are sold as a local snack. They are typically harvested from nearby forestland and then fried in oil. They are then eaten by tourists or sold to street vendors.
There is a long history of eating spiders in Cambodia. The first stories of tarantulas taking snakes and other large creatures date back 2000 years. In the tropics, spiders have been seen taking small birds and tadpoles.
