Spiders Cannot Physically Chew

Instead of sitting down for a meal, a spider essentially prepares a pre-digested smoothie. This gruesome but brilliant feeding strategy, known as external digestion, is an ancient evolutionary solution to not having teeth. When a spider bites its prey, it uses its fangs (chelicerae) to inject a potent cocktail of digestive enzymes. These powerful proteins immediately begin to break down the victim's internal tissues, liquefying everything from organs to muscles into a nutrient-rich slurry, all while contained within the prey's own exoskeleton.

Once this chemical process has worked its magic, the spider uses its muscular sucking stomach like a tiny pump. It draws the liquefied meal up through its small mouth, leaving behind a hollowed-out husk. This method is incredibly efficient, allowing spiders to consume prey much larger than they could otherwise handle. While many spiders simply wait for the enzymes to do the work, some larger species like tarantulas will actively use their powerful chelicerae to mash and grind (Review) their victim, helping the digestive fluids to penetrate faster and speeding up their gruesome feast.