Category: Tarantula Species

Tarantulas belong to the theraphosidae spider family. They comprise a group of quite large and usually hairy arachnids. To date there are 947 confirmed tarantula species inhabiting planet earth. While each species have their own unique characteristics there are numerous traits that are common among all tarantula species. In essence they are all large spiders which hunt at night. They have large fangs but their venom in generally harmless to humans, resulting in nothing more than you would expect from a bee sting. Tarantulas can’t chew their food, instead the venom they inject breaks the internal tissues of its prey down so the tarantula can simply ‘suck it out’. A common defense for tarantulas is to flick the hairs from it abdomen which cause irritation. Before a tarantula ‘attacks’ it will generally give you warning by leaning back on its legs and showing its fangs. For many people tarantulas are the stuff of nightmares, but as long as you respect the fact they are a wild animal and treat them with care, they can make an awesome pet.