Most baby spiders initially survive the hatching phase, however, many babies will not survive the subsequent days or weeks after hatching because they’re not able to defend themselves or don’t get enough food.
For the first few days, most spiders will stay with their mother or father and the adults will have to take close care of the baby spiders. After a few weeks and a couple of molts, the baby spiders are ready to go out on their own.
And that’s when it gets dangerous for baby spiders. They no longer enjoy the support and protection from their parents, and many baby spiders will die in this period. It’s even estimated that only one in a hundred will survive this phase and live into adulthood.
How Many Baby Spiders Survive?
Approximately one in a hundred baby spiders will survive into adulthood after leaving their parents.
These odds of survival are quite low, but you have to also note that there are between 150 and 300 new spider eggs after each egg sac that a mother spider lays. And sometimes, the number of eggs can be up to 1000. On average, a mother spider will lay 10 to 20 egg sacs in its lifetime.
Out of those 150-300 baby spiders, only a handful will survive into adulthood. The estimated rate of survival is one per 100, although this number will vary. Sometimes, more spiders will survive, as it will largely depend on the surroundings they find themselves in. If there are a lot of threats around them and predators, then the number will likely be lower.
In optimal areas where there are not a lot of predators, 5-10 might survive out of 100. But even without the predators, there will be other threats that will threaten the survival of a baby spider. They’re not able to gather food and water for themselves yet, which is a big risk factor for baby spiders.
Many will die because of hunger and thirst; others will die naturally. Some baby spiders get diseases early in life that cannot be cured, which means that a large portion of baby spiders will also die because of these illnesses.
Why Do So Many Baby Spiders Die?
Baby spiders die because of many different reasons:
- Natural death
- Killed by predators
- Inability to gather food or water
- Diseases
- Human factors
By far the most common reason for the death of baby spiders is the presence of natural predators. Many animals including lizards, bugs and other insects that prey on spiders will take advantage of this period in a spider’s life. They’re particularly looking for baby spiders, which are an easy type of prey for many of these predators, as they’re not protected.
Baby spiders also don’t have strong defensive mechanisms as adult spiders do. The venom of baby spiders is not yet potent enough to keep them protected, and they’re also small in size, so they’re not able to defend themselves.
Many spiders die at a young age because of incurable diseases and illnesses, or other natural causes.
Another common problem for baby spiders is their inability to sustain themselves. They don’t yet know how to gather food and capture prey, which becomes problematic as soon as their adults leave them. As a consequence, they might not be able to move around and have as much energy, which might cause them to die prematurely.
Lastly, we must not forget about the human factor. Namely, many baby spiders might get killed by humans, either advertently or inadvertently. Some people kill baby spiders as a form of pest control, while others might get killed because of the environmental changes caused by humans.
Related Article: What Do Baby Spiders Eat?
Do Baby Spiders Die When Hatching?
Yes, some baby spiders might not hatch completely or successfully, which might cause premature death.
Birth defects are actually quite common for spiders and their eggs. Some baby spiders hatch incompletely or incorrectly, while others might not hatch at all. This might cause a baby spider to die shortly after hatching.
However, the number of spiders that die during or shortly after hatching is quite low. Most baby spiders will survive for at least a few days or weeks. The real problems for baby spiders start to present themselves when they leave their parents and their siblings, which happens a few days or weeks after hatching.
Many baby spiders are born with birth defects or severe diseases that cannot be cured. This means that such spiders might only live for a few days or even hours before perishing.
Spiders like to be independent and will leave off on their own very early in their lives. This is also one of the biggest reasons why so many baby spiders die so early.
How Long Do Baby Spid ers Live?
Most baby spiders live for a few days or weeks at most before dying – a small number of baby spiders will survive beyond that crucial period.
The first few days after hatching is a critical period for baby spiders. They need some care after hatching, and when they feel ready to survive on their own, they’ll leave their mother. Many will not survive this period.
With wolf spiders, this will happen after a few days. The mother wolf spider will carry its babies on its back, and the baby spiders will hop off the spider’s back when they feel ready. Many baby spiders will not survive longer than a few days after this happens – only a few will make it into adulthood.
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Conclusion
Baby spiders are highly vulnerable creatures. Before they’re fully developed, they have to be very careful as they might get caught by predators. Many die because they’re not able to get food in time for them to survive.
In general, the survival rate for baby spiders is quite low. It’s estimated that around 1 in 100 baby spiders will live into adulthood, although the numbers will obviously vary. A lot will depend on the environment and how dangerous the predators are.
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