These sneaky spiders wait inside tiny towers to attack their prey
by David Pescovitz from on (#4721M)
The California turret spider build tiny towers on the forest floor that extend underground into a burrow. At night, they climb up into the tower and await their dinner -- beetles, moths, and other insects. Video above. From KQED's Deep Look:
While remaining hidden inside their turret, they're able to sense the vibrations created by their prey's footsteps.
That's when the turret spider strikes, busting out of the hollow tower like an eight legged jack-in-the-box. With lightning speed the spider swings its fangs down like daggers, injecting venom into its prey before dragging it down into the burrow.