Scavenging of Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) by Desert Blonde Tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes) in Arizona

Abstract

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.