Field Observations Hint Tarantulas Use Learning and Memory in Hunting
Field observations of nine hunting cases in arboreal and fossorial tarantulas across the Americas suggest these spiders can learn and remember, adapting their hunting by using spatial information. Arboreal species moved up to two meters to better-lit hunting spots, fossorial tarantulas climbed to the canopy—even in the dry season—and several spiders, including a blind cave-dwelling species, returned quickly and directly to their burrows after disturbance. While the findings point to learning and memory, it remains unclear whether external landmarks or internal cues guide navigation, and researchers call for further field work and controlled experiments to confirm the cognitive interpretation.
