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(Newser)
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Scientists watched in amazement as a tarantula the size of a plate in the Amazon eat an opossum for the first time. "We were rather ecstatic and shocked and we could not really believe what we were seeing," said Michael Grundler of the University of Michigan. The discovery, videotaped, was revealed as part of a new study suggesting that spiders and other invertebrates, such as caterpillars, might have been largely underestimated in terms of the amount of vertebrates that were found. They eat. The researchers collected video and photo evidence of invertebrates eating snakes, lizards and tadpoles. National Geographic. Most of the observations took place at night in the tropical rainforests of the lowlands of Peru. It seems that when darkness falls, a crowd of multi-legged creatures come out to feast.
The fact that spiders have varied diets is not surprising, according to ScienceAlert. Elsewhere, they were seen snacking on snakes, mice and birds. But the extent may have been underestimated. ScienceDaily reports that the study area is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. The team's research over several years has focused on reptiles and amphibians. But they could not help being shocked by this discovery. During the night, the researchers left in single file, the headlamps lit, watched and listened for life. "One of the results of our work is this collection of strange natural history events that we have witnessed involving arthropod predators and vertebrates," said Joanna Larson of UM. "I have not yet reached the level of brutality, we will see what Peru has to offer."
Watch the video (Read more stories of spiders.)
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