Tarantula
Tarantulas are large, hairy spiders belonging to the family Theraphosidae, found across various habitats on all continents except Antarctica. They can vary significantly in color and size, ranging from dull shades like beige and brown to vibrant greens, blues, yellows, and oranges. These spiders possess a thick layer of sensitive hairs that help them navigate their environment. Tarantulas are primarily ground-dwelling and create burrows lined with silk, while others may take shelter under rocks or tree bark.
As carnivores, they feed on a variety of prey, including insects, lizards, and small mammals, employing venomous bites or strong mouthparts to subdue their catch. Although they appear formidable, tarantulas face threats from various predators, including raccoons, birds, and certain insects. They reproduce through direct fertilization, with females laying up to 1,000 eggs that hatch in six to nine weeks. Tarantulas typically mature in three to ten years, depending on their species and environment, with females living up to 25 years and males around 5 to 7 years.
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Tarantula
Tarantulas may be dull beige, brown, or black. Others are green, blue, yellow, or orange. Some have spots or stripes on their bodies or legs. All tarantulas are covered with a thick layer of coarse hairs. These hairs are extremely sensitive to vibrations and help tarantulas sense their environment.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: Various (see below)
Species: Various (see below)
Tarantulas are solitary, hairy spiders living in rainforests, deserts, and woodlands on every continent except for Antarctica. Many tarantulas are ground-dwelling. They dig into dry soil and line their burrow with silk webbing material. Other tarantulas live under rocks, leaves, or tree bark.
Tarantulas vary in size. The Goliath birdeater (Theraphosa blondi) has the largest leg span at 11 inches (28 centimeters). Many species are much smaller. Species in the genus Avicularia, like the Amazonian pink toe spider (Avicularia juruensis), have a leg span of 2 1/2 inches (60 millimeters), and their bodies measure just over an inch (30 millimeters). Most tarantulas weigh three ounces (84 grams).
Like other spiders, tarantulas are divided into two main parts—cephalothorax and abdomen, or lower-body section. The cephalothorax, sometimes called the prosoma, is the term for the head and thorax, or mid-body section. The tarantula's eight legs extend from the lower portion of the cephalothorax, while the eyes and fangs are closer to the front. All tarantulas have eight tiny eyes which help them distinguish between light and dark.
As carnivores, or flesh-eating animals, tarantulas feed on many creatures including grasshoppers, beetles, moths, woodlice, millipedes, and other spiders. Larger species eat lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, mice, and birds. They are nocturnal and hunt at night, ambushing their prey. They kill their prey by biting them with their venomous fangs or crushing them with their strong mouthparts.
Although tarantulas are large, fierce-looking spiders, they have many predators. Mammals such as coatimundis, raccoons, and skunks often dig tarantulas out of their burrows to eat them. Some insects, such as spider-hunting wasps also kill tarantulas. Other predators include birds, foxes, lizards, and snakes. Large spiders defend themselves by scaring their attackers with their bodies and fangs or spraying them with bad-smelling liquids. Only some tarantula species can spray their attackers. Sometimes tarantulas scrap off some of their sharp, thin, coarse hairs and fling them into the air. These hairs sting the skin and eyes of any animals with which they come in contact.
Tarantulas become sexually mature when they are 3 to 10 years old depending on the species and the geographical location. Species living in the desert may take up to 10 years, while species in tropical forests may take only three or four years. Like other spiders, tarantulas mate by direct fertilization. This means the male tarantula releases his sperm directly into the body of the female. Humans also reproduce through direct fertilization.
After mating, the female tarantula may lay 75 to 1,000 eggs, depending on her species, in a silken cocoon. The eggs hatch after six to nine weeks. Young tarantulas molt, or shed, their skin many times before developing into adults. They remain with their mother for two to three weeks.
Female tarantulas have a lifespan of 25 years. Males live an average of 5 to 7 years.
Bibliography
"Tarantula." A-Z Animals, 16 June 2023, a-z-animals.com/animals/tarantula. Accessed 15 May 2024.
"Tarantula." National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/tarantulas. Accessed 15 May 2024.
"Tarantula." San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/tarantula. Accessed 15 May 2024.