How Long Do Spiders Play Dead?
WouterSpiders play dead for a variety of reasons. Some spiders play dead to ward off predators, while others do it to attract females. These behaviors can last from minutes to hours.
Some spiders, such as black widows and tarantulas, play dead for less time than other species. In other cases, they might simply play dead as a way to distract an opponent or get some extra food.
Another common reason for spiders to play dead is during mating. Male Nursery Web spiders, for instance, often pretend to die to entice the female. They also use this tactic as part of a complex mating ritual.
Some other types of spiders, such as wolf spiders, play dead to confuse or distract their enemies. This can be effective if an attacker isn’t too skilled at noticing the spider’s movements. It’s possible to stop a spider’s game of pretend death by poking it with paper or wood.
Aside from playing dead, some spiders perform sexual cannibalism. This is done to increase the chance of becoming a father. In order to do this, the male must undergo an intense period of intercourse, where he must twerk on the female’s web for up to 10 hours. In the process, his fangs are flooded with digestive enzymes, which makes the male look like a dead prey.
A number of spiders, such as southern house spiders, play dead as a means of protecting themselves. These creatures are commonly found in homes in Central and South America, but are still deadly.
