Scavenging of Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) by Desert Blonde Tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes) in Arizona
Author
Blais, B.R.Affiliation
School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of ArizonaIssue Date
2022
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Brigham Young UniversityCitation
Blais, B. R. (2022). Scavenging of Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) by Desert Blonde Tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes) in Arizona. Western North American Naturalist, 82(1), 208–210.Rights
Copyright © 2022 Brigham Young University.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
Scavenging appears to be a conserved but flexible characteristic among spiders. Although scavenging behavior is well documented in captivity, observations in the wild are rarely witnessed. During a road ecology survey on 6 September 2021, I observed an adult male desert blonde tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes) scavenging upon a roadkilled neonate western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox). The tarantula did not react defensively to my slow approach, and I observed its chelicerae working into the snake's soft tissue. Observations of theraphosids scavenging are quite rare, and this may be the first reported instance of tarantula scavenging upon a reptilian carcass.Note
Immediate accessISSN
1527-0904Version
Final published versionae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.3398/064.082.0123