Nature never seems to run out of nightmare fuel. The latest addition comes from southern England, where a spider the size of a coin was caught trapping, hoisting, and eating a shrew nearly ten times its weight.
The footage, recorded outside a bedroom window in Chichester, left even seasoned scientists unsettled.
The spider was a noble false widow (Steatoda nobilis), an invasive species already known for punching far outside its weight class. As detailed in a 2023 study published in Ecosphere, this half-inch predator spent three days consuming the pygmy shrew (Sorex minutus) after catching it in its web.
The spider’s venom caused rapid paralysis, and its silk was strong enough to lift the mammal 25 centimeters off the ground.
Lead author Michel Dugon, a zoologist at the University of Galway, said the event wasn’t an accident. “This observation demonstrates that the noble false widow is perfectly adapted to take down large prey, combining potent venom, extremely strong silk, and complex hunting behavior,” Dugon explained in a press release.
The shrew likely climbed a nearby wisteria bush, wandered into the web, and never made it back out. The spider hoisted it into the rafters, wrapped it tight, and spent the next few days feeding. By the end, researchers reported, all that remained was “fur, bones, and skin.”
It’s the first time any false widow spider has been recorded preying on a shrew, and the third known case of this species attacking a vertebrate. Previous reports include lizards and bats. For context, that’s like a pigeon taking down a dog.
While the noble false widow can bite humans, its reputation as a killer is exaggerated. The species, native to Madeira and the Canary Islands, has spread across Europe and into parts of North America, often thriving in urban areas. Researchers say it rarely acts aggressively and poses little threat to people, though it can disrupt local ecosystems.
Senior author John Dunbar put it simply: “The noble false widow is a very intriguing spider, and we have much to learn about it still.”
So, if you spot a spider on your window tonight, maybe let it stay. Just hope it’s not thinking bigger.
The post Spider Spotted Eating a Shrew, and the Video Is Haunting appeared first on VICE.
