·
Tarantulas are part of the family
of spiders called
Hairy Mygalomorphs. These are the spiders that,
scientists believe, have been around for millions of years and have not changed
much in that time! There are around 700 kinds, or species, of Tarantulas.
·
Tarantulas are found in the rainforests and
jungles of South and Central America, in Africa and in the southern part of
North America. Many Tarantulas live in burrows underground.
They will either use their fangs to dig them or else take someone else’s
burrow-home. Even though they do not spin webs, Tarantulas use their silk to make doors or
soft walls for their burrow or, in the case of tree-living tarantulas, tunnel-shaped homes in trees.
·
Tarantulas are night-time hunters who will
pounce on their prey. They eat insects, beetles and grasshoppers.
The Goliath Bird-eating Tarantula species
will eat larger prey, such as, lizards, snakes, frogs, bats and small birds.
·
All Tarantulas have an interesting way of
defending themselves. They have hairs on their abdomen (stomachs) that
have sharp little barbs, or pokey things, on them. When threatened, the
spider will rub these hairs with their legs and shoot them at their
predator. That would hurt!
·
Predators that the tarantula would
be afraid of are weasels, hawks, owls, skunks and snakes. Their worst
enemy is the Spider-Wasp. The female wasp will paralyze the spider by
stinging it. She then digs a hole and puts the spider and an egg into
it. When the egg hatches, the baby wasp will eat away at the paralyzed
spider. The spider could stay buried alive for many days before the
larvae hatch.
·
One other predator that the Tarantula must
fear is … people. Not only are they caught as pets; in some countries
they are eaten, as well. They are said to have a nutty taste kind of like
peanut butter! Maybe I’ll stop by a ‘fried spider’ diner sometime – NOT!
· If a tarantula bites
you, you may have pain at the site of the bite similar to a bee sting. The area
of the bite may become warm and red.
If you are allergic to
tarantula venom, the following symptoms may
occur:
·
Breathing
difficulty
·
Cardiovascular collapse (an extreme reaction)
·
Eyelid puffiness
·
Itchiness
·
Low blood pressure
·
Rapid heart
rate
·
Skin rash
·
Swelling at the site of the bite
·
Swelling of the lips and throat
· Seek immediate medical
help.
· Wash the area with
soap and water. Place ice (wrapped in a washcloth or other covering) on the
site of the sting for 10 minutes and then off for 10 minutes. Repeat this
process. If the patient has blood flow problems, reduce the time the ice is
used to prevent possible skin damage.