Large, often hairy spiders, over a thousand species in almost 200 genera. Most live in burrows and many New World species defend themselves by flicking irritating hairs.
Quick answers
What is it?Arachnid
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Can be
Bites from New World tarantulas usually cause only local pain, but allergic reactions can be serious, and the hairs can damage eyes.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Increasingly popular as pets, though many New World species flick hairs that irritate skin.
Do people eat it?In places
Tarantulas are eaten as a delicacy in places such as Venezuela and Cambodia, roasted over a fire to remove the bristles.
At a glance
Found inSouth America, North America, Africa, Asia
HabitatRainforest, Grassland, Desert, Scrub
ColoursBlack, Brown, Orange
SizeSmall
LengthBody 5–11 cm; leg span 8–30 cm
WeightUp to 170 g (goliath birdeater)
Legs8
Covered inExoskeleton
Lives alone
Lives for10–30 years
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- The Americas, Africa and Asia, in savanna, grassland, rainforest, desert, scrub, mountains and cloud forest.
- What it eats
- Prey that it liquefies with digestive juices and sucks up.
Did you know
Flicks barbed hairs off its abdomen at attackers, and females can live 30 years.
Males die soon after maturing, so females, which can live 30 to 40 years, are preferred as pets.
Often confused with
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