Search results
Learn about the eating habits of spiders, including what they eat and how they hunt. Discover the characteristics of spiders, how they spin webs to catch food, and how they prepare their prey...
Most spiders eat insects, but a few large spiders eat birds and lizards. Spiders can’t chew up prey. Instead, they inject a substance into their prey that dissolves the animal’s insides.
In fact, a single spider is estimated to eat up to 2, 000 insects every year. Here are ways through which spiders’ diet benefits humans: Getting rid of insects like aphids prevents the destruction of farmland crops. Without spiders, there would literally be no food for humans to eat.
How many species of spiders are there? For how long may a tarantula not eat? Which fascinating spider species can change colour? This primary resource can be used to introduce children to spiders – and show how they’re far more than just scary creepy-crawlies!
The primary food source for most spiders is insects that have been caught in the spider’s web or traps. Larger spiders, however, do feed on bigger invertebrates like snails and scorpions. Some spiders will even go as far as to prey on small vertebrates like frogs, birds and lizards.
Generally harmless to humans, spiders feed almost exclusively on insects and are widespread in habitats that range from tundra to tropical lowland forests. They play a large role in controlling populations of insects, including those insects that cause human disease.
