How do tarantulas perform external digestion on prey like pinky mice?

By injecting digestive juices to liquefy the insides before ingestion

Tarantulas do not ingest their food whole or chew it extensively internally like mammals. Instead, they employ a process called external digestion following the immobilization of their prey, which can include insects, small lizards, or rodents like pinky mice. Once the prey is paralyzed via a bite delivered through their fangs, the tarantula injects powerful digestive juices directly into the meal. These enzymes break down the internal structures and tissues of the prey item, turning the solid contents into a slurry or liquefied substance. It is this resulting liquid material that the tarantula is able to ingest, allowing them to consume the nutrients efficiently without having to process large, solid masses internally.