Meet the Itsy-Bitsy Spider With a Bear Trap for a Mouth

(bongos play)

[Voiceover] So you think you know spiders?

Think they all spin webs to catch insects,

and wrap their victims up and suck the juices out.

Well, think again.

(gong crash)

This is a Trap-jaw spider.

And it doesn't need any stinkin' silk to hunt.

Those huge jaws are closing in just half a millisecond.

It's so fast, that scientists studying

them couldn't even see them striking.

Until now.

Slow-mo video has finally revealed a

new way for spiders to raise hell.

Yet, it's not quite clear how the

Trap-jaw spider is pulling this off.

Somehow, it stores energy in its'

oversized head and releases it in

one sudden catastrophic blow.

The new research describes several species

of Trap-jaw spiders.

Yet not all of them strike so quickly.

Their jaws are definitely powerful,

don't get me wrong,

just not as fast.

Interestingly, a group of ants have a similar ...

facial situation.

The trap-jaw ants have such a powerful strike,

that they can aim their faces at the ground

and blast themselves out of danger.

That's pretty damn amazing.

Having two totally unrelated species

evolving a bear trap for a face.

(bongos play)

This is called convergent evolution.

Or just totally badass.

Your call.

So watch your step little critters.

(gong crash)

(winces) Ouch.