Spiders can chew through!?

[Dragoon]

Here is a comment I wanted to ask about in forum-form...

I wasn't aware a spider could CHEW, let alone chew through containers! EEP!
The fangs are shaped for stabbing, but I suppose they do use them as little levers for things..hmmm. I once saw one of my avics working its fangs on a vent hole I had burned in a delicup...it got transferred in a hurry to a cup with smaller holes.

Could anyone with experience elaborate on what types of materials have been chewed, and how common chewing is? I'm still learning about their capabilities, such as how strong their chewing power and how much force they can use to lift a lid...

I severely underestimated my favorite spider, who lifted its lid just enough to squeeze through a tiny crack and is now gone...it was a really big spider, folks...I would have never guessed it could squish through a 4 mm gap. :(
D.

[Tarcan]

LOL, did I scare you with my story?

Well yeah, they can chew through cheap plastic container... it happened to me when one was in a temporary countainer after a show... I was too lazy to transfer it back in it's regular enclosure and I have been punished!LOL

What they seem to do (because the worst part is that I had seen it doing it, but did not think it could really achieve it, stupid me) is that they start by putting their fangs in the ventilation holes and they just "nibble" on it until they rip it apart...

The specimen I had was about 3 to 4" in leg span and I swear to god, it passed through a hole no bigger then 1/2" in diameter... I could not believe it!

I never found the spider back...

I keep small juveniles in thick plastic delicups without problems... so do not worry too much...

Martin