How does the trapdoor spider consume its food?

Answer 1

Trapdoor Spiders are heavy-bodied and they also have heavy chelicerae, the parts that the fangs are attached to. They don't have teeth stuck in jaws the way we do, but their chelicerae have tooth-like protrusions that help the spider chew up its food. So the spider will first wrap its prey in silk and then start chewing and at the same time will release some digestive fluid. It will end up with a sort of smoothie. Its stomach can act like a syringe to pull things into it. Spines make a filter that keeps all but the non-solid stuff from getting into the spider's stomach. In the end there will be a little bag of solid body debris, which the spider will dump out its front door.