Tarantulas are incredible creatures. So much more fascinating than other arachnids, we’ve compiled a list of 25 interesting tarantula facts so lets delve into the world of this intriguing beast find out some interesting tarantula facts.
Tarantulas are Venomous
Almost all spiders are venomous, and tarantulas are no exception. Despite their huge appearance, however, most tarantulas have venom comparable to a bee or wasp sting.
The potency of tarantula venom varies widely from species to species. Generally, Old World species lack the defensive bristles of New World species, so they are more likely to bite out of defence with more potent venom.
While their bites can cause some discomfort for a few days, the venom is not significant enough to warrant immediate medical attention. Like bee stings, however, the venom can trigger fatal allergic reactions in some people.
However, tarantulas will often only bite when they feel cornered. They typically display a threat posture as a warning before they bite, where they raise their front legs and bare their fangs.
There are Two Main Types of Tarantula
There are two major types of tarantulas: Old World tarantulas and New World tarantulas. Old World tarantulas come from Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are typically much faster and more aggressive.
Meanwhile, New World tarantulas come from the Americas. New World species are noticeably hairier and more docile than their Old World counterparts. Common examples of New World tarantulas are the Goliath bird-eating tarantula, Chilean rose hair tarantula, and the popular Mexican red-knee tarantula.
We have compiled a brief list on the difference between old and new world tarantulas here.
Defence Mechanism
Although New World tarantulas are less likely to bite than Old World species, they evolved with a different defence mechanism to ward off would-be attackers. When they feel threatened, they launch irritating, hair-like bristles called setae from their abdomens. These sharp setae can cause a nasty itch and serious rashes in mild cases. For more serious cases, they can trigger allergic reactions or cause blindness when thrown at the predator’s eyes.
Tarantulas Prefer to Flee, not Fight
One of the key tarantula facts to know about is that they will not bite if they don’t have to. When they feel threatened, tarantulas are more likely to run and hide. While tarantulas can bite and get aggressive, they would rather use their long fangs as a last resort. There are of course, a couple of exceptions, the OBT being one of them!
Eyes
Tarantulas have the same number of eyes as they do legs. That is 8, although they have extremely poor eyesight and rely more on vibration.
Compared to other species that can perceive images, tarantulas can only detect light, darkness, and movement.
Sense
As they can’t see very well, their finest sense is touch. The fine bristles, or setae, that coat their bodies contribute to that.
Tarantulas use these setae to sense vibrations, wind changes, and chemical signatures to detect and evade threats.
Tarantulas Have Retractable Claws
Like other types of spiders, some tarantulas can climb trees and even smooth walls without breaking a sweat. They is because they have little retractable claws at the end of their legs.
Fine bristles, or scopula, surround these claws. The claws and the scopula allow them to scale or hang upside down from even smooth surfaces, such as glass.
Tarantula Fangs Face Downwards
Unlike the fangs of most spiders that meet horizontally from each side, tarantulas have downward-facing fangs. The chelicerae or mouthparts of tarantulas contain the venom glands and have hard and hollow fangs at the tips.
In line with this, they move up and down instead of side-to-side.
Molting
Tarantulas grow by shedding their exoskeletons, or molting. We have a complete article on the molting process.
Female Tarantulas Can Keep Growing After Reaching Maturity
While male tarantulas typically die shortly after reaching sexual maturity, female tarantulas can keep growing which is the main reason why people in the hobby of keeping pet tarantulas prefer to have a female, that and the fact they live a lot longer than males.
Females periodically molt until the end of their lives. Males who attempt to molt after reaching maturity will often get stuck in their exoskeletons and die in the process.
Tarantulas Can Regenerate Limbs
When a young tarantula loses a leg, it is generally not a problem. It may even eat the severed limb to gain some extra nutrition.
This is because a tarantula can regrow that leg as it molts. While the newly regenerated leg will be initially smaller and will have fewer hairs than the other legs, it will eventually look normal after a few more molts.
Tarantula Silk Has Many Uses
We have a further article dedicated to tarantula silk here.
However, in brief, tarantulas usually line their burrows with their silk to make the ground more stable. Additionally, some may line the areas surrounding their burrows with silk to warn them of approaching predators and prey.
To prepare for mating, a male tarantula makes a “sperm web,” or a tent-like web that stores his sperm.
Females, on the other hand, spin silk around their egg cases to provide an extra layer of protection for the eggs.
They Can Be Cannibalistic
There are some tarantulas that live communally, but they generally should not be kept in groups or even pairs as they will normally attempt to eat each other.
Tarantulas Are Also Prey Animals
While they may be large, fearsome predators that look tough and menacing, tarantulas fall prey to many other animals.
Larger birds, snakes, frogs, centipedes, and mammals can hunt and feed on tarantulas.
However, the most well-known predator that feeds primarily on tarantulas is the tarantula hawk wasp. The tarantula hawk wasps track tarantulas through smell, attacking them with a powerful sting once they locate them.
Since tarantula hawk wasps have venomous stingers, they can paralyze large tarantulas. Once paralyzed, the tarantula hawk drags the spider to its nest and consequently lays an egg inside the spider’s abdomen.
After this, it leaves to find another spider. When the egg hatches, the larva feeds on the tarantula and eventually grows into an adult tarantula hawk.
Mating
Going back to eating each other….
Once the male tarantula has filled his pedipalps with sperm (article here), he will seek out a female to mate. Jumping spiders tend to perform a ritualistic dance, whereas tarantulas drum on the female’s silk.
The female will either be uninterested in which case she will ignore him or try to attack him. If she does agree to mate, she will begin to drum back signalling her willingness to participate.
Once the mating is successful, the male will try to escape as quickly as possible as there is a high chance the female will decide to eat him.
Babies, Lots of Them!
Female tarantulas lay egg sacs that can hold 50-2,000 individual eggs. The mothers guard the egg sacs for about 6-8 weeks and regularly turn them to prevent the eggs from deforming. When these eggs hatch, they are initially called “eggs with legs” as only the legs are sticking out of the egg. Eventually, they will hatch from the egg and become a spiderling, or sling.
Male Tarantulas Mature a Lot Faster Than Females
As a general rule, male tarantulas are usually fully mature by the time they reach 2-3 years old (this is very genus specific of course) whereas females take 5-7 years.
Adult Tarantulas Can Survive for Years Without Food
With their efficient digestive system, tarantulas can go a very long time between meals.
Usually, this is because they are in pre-molt, but for some tarantula species, adults can survive up to two years as long as they have water available.
Generally, younger tarantulas can survive for weeks and months without eating.
Some Tarantulas Produce Sounds
Most tarantulas are quiet, but some species will make their presence known through sounds. Such is the case for the Queensland hissing tarantula, or the so-called “barking spider”.
Native to Queensland, Australia, these spiders produce whistling, hissing, or barking sounds by rubbing its mouthparts together.
Drops Can be Deadly for a Tarantula
Although tarantulas can climb vertical walls, falling can be fatal for them. The heavier they are, the harder they fall. If they fall from a great height, just like dropping a balloon filled with water, they will likely rupture their abdomen and die.
They Are a Delicacy in Some Parts of the World
Although frequently kept as pets, in certain parts of the world, tarantulas are considered a delicacy. One well-known dish is the fried spider, which is a regional delicacy in Cambodia.
Fried spiders consist of the Thailand Zebra Leg (cyriopagopus albostriatus). The taste has been described as bland, “rather like a cross between chicken and cod”.
In Mexico, tarantulas have been offered in tacos, with a serving of guacamole. However, Mexican law forbids the sale of many species of tarantula for human consumption, and fortunately vendors offering this delicacy have been shut down by the authorities.
How many Species?!
With over 1,040 known species (at time of writing) tarantulas vary widely in size, colour and habitat. Their colours and markings vastly differ, ranging from shades of brown, blue, green, orange or red. Most North American species are brown. Tarantula varieties can also be classified as tree-dwelling or ground-dwelling species.
Some Tarantulas are Communal
Although the vast majority of tarantulas are territorial and will attempt to eat any other spider that wanders too close to their burrows, some species can get along with their neighbours just fine. These communal tarantula spiders are often arboreal species that naturally live in the same tree as other tarantulas. If they don’t have a sufficient food source, however, they may try to eat each other instead.
We have an article on TRUE communal tarantulas here.
Male Tarantulas Travel More Than Females
If you see a tarantula wandering around, it’s more likely to be a male. Male tarantulas travel long distances to look for potential mates, particularly in the warmer months or after rainstorms. Female tarantulas, on the other hand, tend to stay in their burrows and lie in wait for males to discover them.
Largest Tarantula
The Goliath bird-eating tarantula (Theraphosa blondi) is the largest spider in the world. While it only comes second to the giant huntsman spider as the largest spider in the world by leg span, the Goliath Birdeater is the world’s largest spider by mass.
These huge tarantula spiders can reach up to one foot (30 cm) in leg span and their bodies alone can be as big as a large fist. They also can weigh up to 6 oz (170 grams), as heavy as a young puppy.
Despite having a name like the “Goliath Birdeater”, they very rarely eat birds. They can, however, eat small mammals, frogs, or even snakes. The fangs of a Goliath bird-eating tarantula can reach up to 0.79-1.57 in (2-4 cm) in length.
We hope you enjoyed reading our article and found some of our facts interesting! Until next time, stay spidery!