Discovery of a Vegetarian Spider

By Queuebot in Animals & Pets on Oct 12, 2009 at 3:52 pm

There are some 40,000 known species of spiders, but every single one of them is thought to be carnivorous … except this one. The  Bagheera Kiplingi jumping spider of Central and South America is the first spider found to have an almost exclusively vegetarian diet. These spiders live and feast on the protein packed tips of the acacia tree leaves.

But to reach this leafy fare, the spider has to evade the attention of ants, which live in the hollow spines of the tree.

“But when they get hungry, the spiders head to the newer leaves, and get ready to run the ant gauntlet. And they wait for an opening – they watch the ants move around, and they watch to see that there are not any ants in the local area that they are going after.”

“And then they zip in and grab one of these Beltian bodies and then clip it off, hold it in their mouths and run away. “

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by coconutnut.


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  1. smee
    Oct 12th, 2009 at 3:54 pm

    mind = blown!

  2. honey
    Oct 12th, 2009 at 8:51 pm

    spider spider,

  3. Zoe Chastain
    Oct 13th, 2009 at 12:32 am

    some spider are very poisonous.we must be aware of them.they moving around and watch to find foods..

  4. Tim Giachetti
    Oct 13th, 2009 at 3:04 am

    /me waiting for PETA poster starring said spider.

  5. Video Game Dork
    Oct 13th, 2009 at 4:28 am

    The other spiders get sick of how often this spider mentions that it’s a vegitarian and how great it is. :P

  6. greg @ ferret finder
    Oct 13th, 2009 at 6:14 am

    wow that is cool as a spider that is vegetarian i want one.

  7. Mouserz
    Oct 13th, 2009 at 12:13 pm

    A jumping spider once jumped on my neck, I grabbed it and when I saw it I went all BAWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.


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