Not all tarantulas look pretty. Whilst the majority of Old World tarantulas are extremely striking to look at, some can be jet black and rather scary looking. This poses the question are black tarantulas poisonous?
In short, black tarantulas are no more poisonous than their more colourful relatives. Some black spiders, for example the Black Widow, can be extremely deadly even to humans, but black tarantulas are no more venomous than coloured ones. Fortunately, their venom has very low toxicity to humans.
Let’s look at some black tarantulas and give you a run down on the potency of their venom, and life style of each one.
Thailand Black (Cyriopagopus minax previously Haplopelma minax)
Found in Khao Sok National Park, Thailand, the Thailand Black tarantula tends to live in burrows. Not only is it able to move very fast but is also known to be quite aggressive.
It is a typical Old World tarantula in that rather than kick hairs, it will bite if feels threatened and although their venom is quite strong, (it is capable of killing birds and small animals), it is unlikely to do any lasting damage to humans unless you have underlying health conditions or are allergic to its bite.
It can reach sizes of 6 inches, including legs. Males are slightly smaller and only live for 2-3 years whereas females can live up to 12 years.
Brazilian Black (Grammostola pulchra)
The Brazilian black tarantula is native to parts of Brazil and Uruguay. They are a New World Species and so are very docile. They are slow moving and slow growing, not really in a hurry to do anything.
Their venom is not particularly toxic, it’s comparable to a bee or wasp sting, but as with most New World tarantulas, it would rather kick hairs and flee (slowly) than bite. However, if it feels threatened enough, it WILL bite.
They are able to reach sizes of up to 8 inches, however, it’s more common to see them between 6 to 7 inches. Males live on average between 6 and 8 years whereas females can live over 20 years.
Mexican Red Rump (Tliltocatl vagans)
This is the only tarantula in our list that has colours other than black. It is the red hairs on its abdomen that give it its name.
T. vagans comes from Mexico but can also be found in Central America. As with all New World tarantulas, their bark is worse than their bite. They are considered to be docile but can be cheeky if they feel like it.
Males can grow up to 5 inches and live for 8 years, whereas females can reach 6 inches and live for up to 25 years.
California Ebony Tarantula (Aphonopelma eutylenum)
Found in California, US, the a. eutylenum comes in various brown tones, ranging from light beige to dark brown and ebony colours. Again, they are a New World species and so are docile creatures.
They are unlikely to bite, preferring to kick hairs. However, due to their large fangs, a bite from them can be extremely painful.
The male reaches maturity after 8–12 years whilst females can live up to 25 years.
Aphonopelma johnnycashi
Aphonopelma johnnycashi is a species of tarantula from the family Theraphosidae. It was found in 2015 near Folsom Prison in California, and named after Johnny Cash, whose song, “Folsom Prison Blues”, made it famous.
This tarantula can reach sizes of up to 6 inches (15 cm) long, the male of the species is black, and the female is a dark brown.
Like most North American tarantulas, they are relatively harmless to humans, unlikely to bite and with venom only mildly irritating.
(Side note: I love the name of this tarantula!)
Grand Canyon Black Tarantula (Aphonopelma marxi)
The Grand Canyon black tarantula is another species of tarantula from the family Theraphosidae. It is found in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.
A. marxi is generally dark brown to black in colour, very hairy, with some orange to red hairs on the abdomen. Again, this is a New World tarantula and so is more likely to kick hairs than bite. It’s venom is not particularly toxic to humans.
The total body length of a female is around 1.4 inches.
Borneo Black Tarantula (Lampropelma sp.)
These tarantulas are found in Central, South and East Kalimantan, the Sabah state in Malaysian Borneo and Indonesian Borneo. They are arboreal tarantulas, living in hollow trees high off the ground. They are normally found in monsoon rainforests.
Once they reach large juvenile, only the females will remain jet black. The males turn more reddish to tan coloured. They are very shy and reclusive tarantulas, but again, as they are old world, they will attack if they feel threatened.
Males of this species will normally mature at 18 months whereas females can be sexually mature in 2 years but are not fully grown until 3 or 4 years old.
They are able to reach on average, 5.9 inches in length.
We have listed 7 of the more common black tarantulas although there are plenty more. As you can clearly see, Old World tarantulas are more aggressive and venomous than New World tarantulas. Having said that, colour alone isn’t the defining factor, you can have a relatively docile and sweet Brazilian Black or you can have an unpredictable and vastly more aggressive Thailand Black.
Until next time, stay spidery!