Tarantula

Tarantula
Theraphosidae

Tarantulas originally got their name from a spider that is not a tarantula at all! In the region surrounding the southern Italian town of Taranto, the tarantulas originally got their name from a different spider! In the region surrounding the southern Italian town of Taranto, the locals believed that the bite from the wolf spider was deadly and could only be countered by performing a wild dance. Those bitten would jump and spin until they collapsed from exhaustion. The dance was called “the Tarantella”, and it is this name that eventually came to describe large hairy spiders the world over. It is now known that the bite from the European Wolf Spider is harmless to humans. It was most likely the bite of a local black widow species that was making people sick. But the name stuck, and as Europeans spread around the world they carried the name “tarantula” with them.

There are now about 820 species of large hairy spiders in the world that carry this name, all in the family Theraphosidae.

A tarantula’s best sense is their sense of touch. Specialized hairs on the legs and pedipalps are sensitive to air movements and aid in nocturnal hunting. Other hairs on the legs are even used by the tarantula to ‘taste’ its environment.

Unlike many spiders whose pincer-like jaws close in a sideways manner, tarantulas have jaws that strike downwards. The tarantula’s fangs fold along a row of spiked teeth. Prey is crushed against these teeth by the fangs. Next to the fangs are the pedipalps. These look like a fifth pair of legs, but have more joints and are specifically designed to grasp prey and manipulate soil during the construction of dens. Each leg ends in a pair of claws that are used for traction. Much like a cat’s, these claws are retractable.

Tarantulas will use silk to line their burrows and as a sensory aid. They put out “trip wires” that tell them if predator or prey is near the entrance of their burrow.

Female tarantulas are usually larger than the males and live longer.

We currently have 2 tarantulas at Lindsay Wildlife: Harriet and Trixie.

Harriet is a Chilean rose tarantula (Grammostola rosea) and she is former pet and an animal ambassador at Lindsay Wildlife. In her role as an ambassador, she shows people the difference between a species commonly kept as pets and our native, wild tarantulas. She came to us in 2016 after being kept as a pet for seven years. Chilean rose tarantulas are a species very similar to our native California tarantula, they are named for their range (Chile) and the rose-colored hairs on their abdomens. Like California tarantulas, they are burrowers and spend most of their lives underground waiting for food such as insects to wander by and are also similar in size. They are common in the pet trade and are generally very calm when handled. 

Trixie is a Desert blonde tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes), she joined our ambassador team in late 2024. Desert blonde tranatulas are common throughout the Southwestern United States, especially Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern California. Trixie lives behind the scenes, but make sure to keep an eye out for her in our daily programs!