black widow consuming a pinky mouse PIC

[motorteipidpa]

i just did this out of curiosity to see what the spider reaction would be.i wonder how much of the pinky the spider will actually consume.the spider is a mature female black widow.the pics r bad but u can kinda see it.the pinky is a dead thawed out one.if the pinkys appearance dramatically changes in the next few hours,like how it does when a t eats it,ill post more pics,but u probably cant get much amusement out of it,the pics are so bad.
Tom

[motorteipidpa]

heres another pic,but crappier quality
Tom

[BileDrunk]

Yuk! That's one of the most monstrous things I've ever seen.............................................. .................................................. ..I love it!


Atrax

[JacenBeers]

I wouldnt let it get too fat. I have lost black widows who have burst from over eating. Just be careful.

[motorteipidpa]

one more

[Alex S.]

Sometimes people underestimate the feeding capability of the widows, awesome predatores. My large L. geometricus (brown widow) has taken down tree frogs.

Alex S.

[Kugellager]

Those are some cool pics...Monster widow...

I have never had over feeding problems with widows..If I give them to many crickets they web them up but save the eating for later...or ..in the case of the current female I have...it lays another egg sac...I thought 12 was the limit for this one as it has not made one for three weeks...but first thing this morning whe I took a look...#13...amazing egg laying machine. All the ones I have kept have managed to 'hatch' 100's of slings.

John
];')

[Botar]

Kug,

What on earth do you do with 100's of BW slings? Is there that much of a market for BW's?

Botar

[Kugellager]

I take them out somewhere where they won't bug sprayed and let them go....raising them would be insane as far as I'm concerned...I figure many less of the egg sacs would make it in the wild than have in my house so I am putting more than the 1/2 dozen I have collected back in to the wild. They are quite common here and become infesting at times. Coworkers of mine have sheds in their yards with dozens of them in them....seems that spiders are very common here in general.

John
];')

[galeogirl]

That's one of the cool things about keeping native species, excess offspring can always be turned loose without fear of messing with the ecology.

[Alex S.]

Species of the giant Nephila orb-web genus such as Nephila maculata are capable of preying on birds and even small bats. :D
Now that is some incredible stuff....

Alex S.

[Stormcrow]

Awesome display of predacious instinct, but kinda gruesome. I wonder, what the hell was left, dried skin and bones. Ew! I stick with crickets.

I once made a gruesome discovery while 7 years old in my back yard when I lived in Mira Loma. I found a dried husk of an adult alligator lizard stuck in a Widow's web atop a tall tree stump. I was traumatized back then.

Black Widows have been known to bite and attack larger vertabrates, both cold-warm-blooded creatures that made the fatal mortal mistake of denning with the spider.

Awesome pic, thanks for sharing it! :)

[Arachnoporium]

My Latrodectus spp. love roaches. Slings just a few days old will take nymphs and adult females will take an Orange Head 10X their size and suck it dry.

If I toss in crickets or any others, they will web it and save it - although when it comes to a roach none of my widows will stop until they are as fat as can be.

Anyone else have the same feeding response?;P

[KUJordan]

when widows are threatened, they dispense a very thick sticky silk. if you have ever had any of this stuff fresh and gotten it on your fingers it is a frightening eye opener as to the potential prey capturing abilities of Latrodectus spiders. the stuff will hold your fingers together as well as super glue will!

[Selenops]

My Latrodectus spp. love roaches. Slings just a few days old will take nymphs and adult females will take an Orange Head 10X their size and suck it dry.

If I toss in crickets or any others, they will web it and save it - although when it comes to a roach none of my widows will stop until they are as fat as can be.

Anyone else have the same feeding response?;P

Better yet, when your widow gets into a unintentional "hide and seek" contest with it's prey. I LOVE WATCHING THAT! QUITE A SHOW!

And that gluey silk the widow fires is awesome. Like a pair of webshooters.

[Malhavoc's]

when widows are threatened, they dispense a very thick sticky silk. if you have ever had any of this stuff fresh and gotten it on your fingers it is a frightening eye opener as to the potential prey capturing abilities of Latrodectus spiders. the stuff will hold your fingers together as well as super glue will!


I love this defense meckanizm you dont know what it is till you touch it then try and stretch it and your stuck, But I've only ever found a very small percent that do it

[Selenops]

I love this defense meckanizm you dont know what it is till you touch it then try and stretch it and your stuck, But I've only ever found a very small percent that do it

Just about every L. hesperus I've owned has done this if I molest their silk dwelling or intentionally come into contect with them by a gentle prod.

[vulpina]

Very nice!!! Never saw that before.

Andy

[konrad16660]

I wouldnt let it get too fat. I have lost black widows who have burst from over eating. Just be careful.

you have actually lost them from overfeeding?
T's generally don't overeat. i guess its different with the normal spiders

[edie]

you have actually lost them from overfeeding?
T's generally don't overeat. i guess its different with the normal spiders

if a spider over eats it i'm assuming its easier for them to bust from a fall, especially a widow, they're already fragile.
you should see my new T, she totally overate with whoever had her last