Spiders and Centipedes Devour Frogs, Snakes -- and an Opossum

A tarantula preying on a Bolivian bleating frog (Hamptophryne boliviana). Photo by Emanuele Biggi, in Amphibian & Reptile Conservation.

Spidersand centipedes and water bugs, oh my! It turns out these creepy crawlies can bepredators just as fierce as lions and tigers.

A team of biologists has documented 15 predator-prey interactions where the invertebrates are hunters and the vertebrates prey. Their article includes photo and video evidence of invertebrate predators – mostly large spiders as well as some centipedes and a giant water bug – killing and eating vertebrates such as frogs, tadpoles, lizards, snakes, and even a small opossum.

Watch a video of the opossum incident, see more photos, and read my story at National Geographic: First-Ever Video Shows Tarantula Eating Opossum.