🕷️💨 Do Spiders Fart?

It is not scientifically proven yet but yes, it is possible that spiders do fart. The reasons for flatulence in spider can be ingestion of air during sucking liquid diet or the gas produced by bacteria during the breakdown of liquid food in the stercoral sac.

Do you have this unusual and weird question about the spider flatulence?

Well, it is one of the understudied questions and popular zoologists are also not sure about it. However, in this article, we will try to find the answer to this question by learning about the digestive system of the spiders.

Digestion in spiders

Spiders are predaceous arthropods that are capable of digesting prey larger than their body size. The digestion process in spiders takes place internally as well as externally. Spiders have a very efficient digestive system due to the combination of extracorporeal and intracellular digestion to consume large prey.

In extracorporeal or extra-oral digestion, spiders inject digestive fluids inside the prey’s body to break down the food and extract nutrients externally. Some spiders such as tarantulas first shred the prey and secrete enzymes on the prey’s bolus while some spiders such as widow and crab spiders force enzymes into the prey’s body through a hole. These digestive enzymes will break down the prey’s internal tissues. Then, spiders will suck up the partially digested fluid into the mouth and stomach. Spiders will regurgitate this sucked fluid and suck it again. During this process, it is possible to ingest air which can be responsible for farting in a spider.

Spider Anatomy (Image Credit: Pbroks13)

Note that spiders only consume a liquid diet. After extracting all nutrients from the prey’s body in the form of fluid. This fluid pass through stercoral sac where bacteria further help in the breakdown of liquid food. Moisture from the food is also extracted and the waste product is forced out of the anus.

It is possible that the bacteria present in the stercoral sac may produce gas during the break down of food. These gas build can cause spiders to farts. However, note that no scientific research has yet proved the farting in spiders.

If you are still wondering can spiders fart?

Well, it is certainly possible that spiders can fart. This fart may be caused because of gas build-up due to bacteria present in the stercoral sac which helps in the breakdown of the food.

Read more interesting questions about spiders:

Professor Atom

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Professor Atom is a science enthusiast and alumni of IIT Bombay. According to him, every question can be solved with curiosity and mind mapping. ( Curiosity = Asking Questions = Learning )

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