Evidence That Spiders Can Take Down and Feast on Surprisingly Big Snakes
WouterThere is plenty of evidence that spiders can take down and feast on surprisingly big snakes. A study published in the Journal of Arachnology examined 319 records of spiders eating snakes. It found that spiders kill snakes in 86% of reported incidents.
Researchers searched research journals, magazines, social media, and YouTube to find out what happened when spiders took down a snake. Some snakes were able to escape on their own, but most of them were killed. Most of the snakes attacked by spiders were juveniles. They averaged 10.2 inches in length. The largest victim weighed several ounces.
One type of spider that takes down and feasts on surprisingly large snakes is the black widow spider. These spiders can eat up to 30 times their own size. Their venom is potent and a powerful weapon.
Another snake-eating spider is the Australian redback spider. This spider makes a web made of a messy tangle of silk. In order to catch its prey, the spider wraps its target in silk and delivers its venom.
Spiders can also catch birds. These predators are not commonly seen hunting. But when given free flight opportunities, domestic birds like robins and wrens have been known to feed on spiders.
Many snakes are venomous. While there is no way for spiders to kill a human, many of these snakes can kill an unwary person with just one bite. Venomous snakes are highly vulnerable to spiders, and spiders have been known to ensnare venomous snakes.
