Chemotactics

An 11th instar L.parahybana uses chemo-tactic senses to detect dinner, disassembles it in unpleasant macro detail and then spins a feeding mat.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• salmon
• pink
• cockroach
• fangs
• chemotactic
• macro
• lasiodora
• parahybana
• eat
• web
• roach
• feeding
• mat

[Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay]

UPDATE: Binky has just moulted again, and on only the second regenerative shed, he has a brand new leg as good as any of the others, and indistinguishable from them... clever girl :)

[gvfarns]

This may be the finest tarantula feeding video I have ever seen. You really did an outstanding job with this. It was very interesting to see it hunting using chemotactics.

I used to have dubia but my T's almost never ate them because they didn't move around. Maybe more patience so they could learn this strategy would have been better.

Thanks for this video. You rule.

[Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay]

Thank you... there'll be another one along shortly...

[scorpionboy500]

were u worried when he lost his leg?

[Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay]

At the time he was losing it, very much so... afterwards not so much, as I knew about autotomy, and knew it would probably regenerate if he survived. So it was all a bit tense while that was hanging in the balance...

[Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay]

Interesting. I might ask what would be the point in growing back a scorpion tail if it then didn't do the only thing a scorpion tail is good for... I suspect that's an urban myth, or it regrows normally. But then again, I am no scorpion expert...

[kevinmymail]

ive watched all your videos, and own a couple tarantulas as well and i have to say, you have some beautiful spiders and make awesome videos- 5 star! cant wait to see more.

[Hexensohn]

Never knew they could grow it back, and fully functional at that. Do you know about scorpions? I read somewhere that if they lose their tail the can grow it back, but without the venom gland or something, any truth to that?. Thanks for the info.

[Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay]

So, in answer to your question, I would 'guesstimate' between 6 months to a year...

[Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay]

Well, this little dude has forced a moult only 3 months after the initial moult that lost him his leg, and to my utter amazement, has grown a whole leg in one go. Sure, it's a wee bit weaker and smaller than its equivalent on the other side, but all sections are there, and it functions well for the spider. I have no doubt that with subsequent moults, which I believe will also be sooner than would be normal, that the leg will be fully the same as the others within another 2 to 3 moults.