TARANTULA

TARANTULA
Araneae
Family: Theraphosidae
Genus: 113 genera
Range: World wide
Habitat tropical and desert regions; greatest concentration S America
Niche: Terrestrial or arboreal, carnivorous, mainly nocturnal predators
Wild diet: as grasshoppers, crickets and beetles but some of the larger species may also eat mice, lizards and frogs or
even small birds
Zoo diet:
Life Span: (Wild) varies with species and sexes, females tend to live long lives
(Captivity)
Sexual dimorphism:
Location in SF Zoo: Children’s Zoo - Insect Zoo
APPEARANCE & PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS:
Tarantulas are large, long-legged, long-living spiders, whose entire body is covered with short hairs, which are sensitive to
vibration. They have eight simple eyes arranged in two distinct rows but rely on their hairs to send messages of local
movement. These spiders do not spin a web but catch their prey by pursuit, killing them by injecting venom through their
fangs. The injected venom liquefies their prey, allowing them to suck out the innards and leave the empty exoskeleton.
The chelicerae are vertical and point downward making it necessary to raise its front end to strike forward and down onto
its prey.
Tarantulas have two pair of book lungs, which are situated on the underside of the abdomen. (Most spiders have only one
pair). All tarantulas produce silk through the two or four spinnerets at the end of their abdomen (A typical spiders
averages six).
New World Tarantulas vs. Old World Tarantulas: New World species have urticating hairs that causes the potential
predator to itch and be distracted so the tarantula can get away. They are less aggressive than Old World Tarantulas who
lack urticating hairs and their venom is less potent.
Arboreal vs. Terrestrial Tarantulas: The Arboreal species will typically reside in a silken "tube tent", while other species
will line their burrows with silk to stabilize the burrow wall and facilitate climbing up and down or make silk covers for their
burrow entrances as a defense. Arboreal species are more slender and quicker for moving around on the branches.
They are able to leap from one branch to the next to escape or get prey. They have long lean bodies to give them speed.
The Terrestrial species have a sit and wait approach. They are much heavier and will retreat into the safety of their
burrow. They rely on their size to overcome prey.
Indian Ornamental Tarantula or Ornamental Tree Spider
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae Poecilotheria regalis
Range:
Southeastern India
Habitat:
holes of tall trees where they make asymmetric
funnel webs. Native to monsoon forests, where
the climate alternates between very wet and
very dry
Arboreal, carnivorous
Niche:
Diet:
Wild:
Zoo:
flying insects
Special Adaptations: This species is fast and has exhibits a fairly aggressive behavior. They are considered to be a
relatively dangerous spider, with venom that may cause intense pain. This species builds funnel web nest in holes of tall
trees.
Other:
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Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula or Striped Knee Tarantula
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae Aphonopelma seemanni
Range:
Habitat:
Niche:
Diet:
Western Costa Rica, as well as other parts of
Central America, such as Guatemala, Honduras
and Nicaragua.
open semi-arid grasslands, rainforest
Nocturnal, carnivorous, terrestrial - Deep burrows
Wild: Many insects such as cockroaches, small
lizards
Zoo:
Special Adaptations: Zebra tarantulas are deep-burrowing spiders. They live in open semi-arid grasslands in Costa
Rica, and are found in large aggregations. The deep burrows keep the temperature below the highest daytime
temperatures, and retain humidity.
Other: Females can live up to 20 years. Males however, tend to live a much shorter life of up to five years. Has
urticating hairs but would rather run and hide.
CHACO GOLDEN KNEE or GODEN STRIPPED TARANTULA
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae Grammostola pulchripes
Range:
Chile
Habitat:
Tropical forests, prefer humidity levels 70+%
Niche:
Terrestrial, carnivorous
Diet:
Wild: crickets, cockroaches, mealworms and mice
Zoo:
Special Adaptations: The Chaco is an opportunistic burrowing terrestrial tarantula: they tend to burrow while younger
and adopt a pre-existing hide as its home when it begins to mature.
Other: The body of the Chaco golden stripe tarantula is covered in light-colored and pink hair, while the legs bear
unmistakable golden bands. This species is the second largest tarantula; largest is the giant tarantula. Unlike other
tarantula species, the Chaco golden stripe tarantula rarely utilizes their urticating hairs in self-defense.
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GOLIATH TARANTULA or GOLIATH BIRDEATER SPIDER
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae Theraphosa blondi
Range:
Venezuela, through Guyana to northeastern Brazil
Habitat:
Primary rainforest areas, burrowing into the forest floor in
Abandoned rodent burrows
Terrestrial, nocturnal hunter
Niche:
Diet:
Wild: Large arthropods and small rodents
Zoo:
Special Adaptations: The cephalothorax and abdomen, the front and rear parts of the body are round. Their 8 eyes are
closely grouped, with a pair in the middle and 3 on each side of the face. They have large fangs, 2 pairs of slits on the
underside of the abdomen that lead to respiratory organs called the book lungs. Book lungs have many folds lying close
together like the pages of a book through which blood passes to acquire oxygen from the outside air. It does not spin a
web to capture its prey but catches food by speed. It strikes with its fangs injecting venom into the prey, rolls the prey into
a ball and secretes digestive juice on it, and sucks up the liquefied prey.
Other: These animals readily flick painful urticating hairs from their abdomen, and when provoked will a painful, but not
poisonous, bite with their one inch long fangs. This is the largest spider on earth. Adults have been known to exceed a
quarter of a pound in weight with an 11 inches leg span. The females may live up to 18 years; the males will die within a
few months of mating.
Birdeaters are one of the few tarantula species that lack tibial spurs, located on the first pair of legs of most adult males,
which serve to keep the fangs of the female immobilized during mating, so that the female does not eat the male.
Females will sometimes eat their mates.
MEXICAN RED-LEGGED or RED-KNEE TARANTULA
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae Brachypelma smithii
Range:
Mazatlan, Papagayo, Colima, Nayarit in Mexico
Habitat:
Grasslands, desert, up to 2,000 ft
Niche:
Nocturnal, terrestrial burrowor, carnivorous
Diet:
Wild: insects and other small animals
Zoo: 1 cricket per week
Special Adaptations: Both sexes are similar in appearance, with the male having a somewhat smaller body, but longer
legs. Like most New World tarantulas, they will kick urticating hairs from their abdomens if disturbed, rather than bite.
When the tarantula needs privacy, e.g. when molting or laying eggs, the entrance is sealed with silk sometimes
supplemented with soil and leaves.
Other: They are quite large, very docile and believed to be one of the most long-lived tarantulas. They grow very slowly
and mature relatively late. Males can be expected to live for 10 to 15 years, while females can live considerably longer,
somewhere between 20 and 40 years. They carve deep burrows into soil banks, which keeps them protected from
predators, like the White-nosed Coati, and enables them to ambush passing prey.
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Antilles Pink Toe Tarantula, Antilles Pink-toed Tree Spider or
Martinique Red Tree Spider
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae Avicularia versicolor
Range:
Habitat:
Niche:
Diet:
Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean Sea, off the
coast of South America
live in human structures or on plants rather than on the ground,
trees
Primarily arboreal, carnivorous, nocturnal
Wild: mostly flying insects
Zoo:
Special Adaptations: They spin elaborate funnel webs in which they spend most of their time during the day. They come
out at night to feed.
Other: On average, males are slightly more brightly colored than females. Like most tarantulas, males stay much smaller
than females- especially in the abdomen. Antilles pinktoes are naturally docile, although they are quick and can jump up
to 30 cm (11.8 in) far or high. They have urticating hairs for defense, but unlike terrestrial new world tarantulas they
generally do not kick them but instead press them against the perceived threat.
CHILEAN ROSE TARANTULA
Class
Order
Family
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae
Genus
Grammostola
Range:
N. Chile, Bolivia and Argentina
Habitat:
Dry desert and scrub regions
Niche:
Terrestrial burrower, carnivorous, nocturnal
Diet:
Wild: crickets, grass-hoppers, locusts, moths,
mealworms, and cockroaches
Zoo:
Species
rosea
Special Adaptations:
Other: Females have been known to live 15 – 20 years
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BRAZILIAN SALMON TARANTULA
Class
Order
Family
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae
Genus
Lasiodora
Range:
NE Brazil
Habitat:
Tropical rainforest
Niche:
Terrestrial, carnivorous, nocturnal
Diet:
Wild: insects, lizards, frogs
Zoo: crickets, beetles & coackroaches
Species
parahybana
Special Adaptations: This tarantula’s name comes from the long pink hairs that sprout forth from their abdomens, legs,
and chelicerae. The Brazilian Salmon tarantula is one of the largest in the world; they are bulky, with a fairly large body in
relation to leg length and active. They have a leg span up to 10”. These tarantulas don't burrow much nor do they make
large webs but are seen quite frequently in the open. They are voracious feeders, fast growers, and semi-aggressive. In
the wild the Brazilian salmon pink tarantula has even been known to prey on some small snakes. These tarantulas have
urticating hairs.
Other: Females have been known to live 15 – 20 years
BABOON TARANTULA
Class
Order
Family
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae
Genus
Pterinochilus
Species
murinus
Range:
Angola, central, eastern and southern Africa
Habitat:
Dry savanna scrublands where they are found in
bushes and low trees, in burrows under rocks,
and in vacated animal burrows
Terrestrial/burrower,
Niche:
Diet:
Wild: insects, lizards, mice, and other small
animals
Zoo:
Special Adaptations: Digs burrows or uses a burrow that has been abandoned. It will lay silk threads on the entrance
to feel vibrations from other animals. They have a lot of hairs on body that detect motion in the air.
Other: Old world tarantula who is incredibly defensive. Bite is not serious but extremely painful. They are one of the
most common African tarantulas available, with numerous color morphs. They are often refered to as “OBT” or
Mombasa Golden Starburst tarantula
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TRINIDAD OLIVE TARANTULA
Class
Order
Family
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae
Range:
Trinidad
Habitat:
rainforests
Niche:
Terrestrial/burrower
Diet:
Wild: crickets, insects
Zoo:
Genus
Holothele
Species
incei
Special Adaptations: A new world tarantula, which has urticating hairs but would rather run and hide then defend itself.
They are very fast. This species can be housed communally without exhibit cannibalism.
Other: Small species of tarantula but are able to take down prey their own size. Adults are about 2”. Females can live
between 10 to 15 years while males live to be about 3 to 5 years. They are able to lay multiple (usually 2 from a single
pairing) egg sacs which each contain 100+ eggs. This species is docile with a bite that is equivalent to a bee sting. An
example of “insular dwarfism” where species that evolve on islands gradually become smaller than mainland counterparts.
VENEZUELAN SUNTIGER TARANTULA
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae Psalmopoeus
Range:
Habitat:
Mainly Eastern Venezuela, also Brazil and
Northern Guyana
Humid dense vegetation, rainforest trees
Niche:
arboreal
Diet:
Wild: insects and other small animals
Zoo: crickets, meal worms
Species
irminia
Special Adaptations: They do not possess urticating hairs as defense mechanism (rare for New World Tarantula).
Instead they are more aggressive than most South and Central America Species. Their venom is quite potent.
Other: large species reaching 6 in in length. Fast growth rate – mature in 2-3 years.
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TARANTULA
Class
Order
Arachnida Araneae
Range:
Habitat:
Niche:
Diet:
Wild:
Zoo:
Special Adaptations:
Other:
Family
Theraphosidae
Genus
Species
TARANTULA
Class
Order
Arachnida Araneae
Family
Theraphosidae
Genus
Species
Range:
Habitat:
Niche:
Diet:
Wild:
Zoo:
Special Adaptations:
Other:
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TARANTULA
Class
Order
Arachnida Araneae
Range:
Habitat:
Niche:
Diet:
Wild:
Zoo:
Special Adaptations:
Other:
Family
Theraphosidae
Genus
Species