Updated

Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Jul 13

Whip Spiders Impale Prey with Spiny Pedipalps, Hunting at Night with 2 Sensory Legs

Updated

Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Jul 13

Whip Spiders Impale Prey with Spiny Pedipalps, Hunting at Night with 2 Sensory Legs

Q: They have no venom, but can a whip spider's spiny 'claws' still deliver a painful pinch?

Yes. A whip spider has no venom and is not considered dangerous to people, but its spiny pedipalps can still give a sharp, painful pinch or prick if it grabs skin. That is because the animal’s main weapons are not fangs but large, raptorial pedipalps lined with sharp inner spines. The news report describes how they seize prey such as crickets, impaling and immobilizing them. Those same grasping structures could certainly cause discomfort to a human, even if they are unlikely to do serious damage. The key distinction is between painful and harmful. George McGavin’s demonstration underscores that whip spiders are generally harmless in the sense that they do not inject venom, do not spin silk, and are not aggressive toward humans. But “harmless” does not mean their claws are soft. If handled roughly or if the animal feels threatened, a defensive grab could feel like a strong pinch or a series of needle-like pricks. For most people, the likely outcome would be brief pain rather than injury. In practical terms, they are best treated as delicate wild arachnids that should be observed rather than handled, even though they are far less dangerous than their appearance suggests.

1 articles · Updated · BBC Discover Wildlife · Jul 13

Large spines on whip spiders’ grasping pedipalps let them seize, impale and immobilize prey such as cave crickets.
Two elongated front legs act as whip-like sensory organs, helping the animals feel out prey in darkness because their eyesight is poor.
George McGavin described one tactic in caves: the predator reaches behind a cricket, tickles it, and triggers a jump straight into its jaws.
Whip spiders are neither true spiders nor scorpions; they belong to the separate order Amblypygi, lack silk and venom fangs, and live mainly in warm, humid tropical and subtropical habitats.

Sources

BBC Discover Wildlife15h ago

Whip Spiders Impale Prey with Spiny Pedipalps, Hunt Nocturnally

They have no venom, but can a whip spider's spiny 'claws' still deliver a painful pinch?

With poor eyesight, how did this arachnid evolve a massive brain center for learning and memory?

How is this harmless arachnid’s brain inspiring the next generation of self-navigating robots?

Sources

1 total

BBC Discover Wildlife15h ago

Whip Spiders Impale Prey with Spiny Pedipalps, Hunt Nocturnally

Whip Spiders Impale Prey with Spiny Pedipalps, Hunting at Night with 2 Sensory Legs

Summary

Sources

Insights

Related Stories

Sources

Related Stories