TARANTULA Araneae Family: Theraphosidae Genus: 113 Genera
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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 Niche: Arboreal, carnivorous Diet: Wild: flying insects Zoo: 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: ▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼ Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula or Striped Knee Tarantula Class Order Family Genus Species Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae Aphonopelma seemanni Range: Western Costa Rica, as well as other parts of Central America, such as Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Habitat: open semi-arid grasslands, rainforest Niche: Nocturnal, carnivorous, terrestrial - Deep burrows Diet: 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. ▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼ 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 Niche: Terrestrial, nocturnal hunter 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. ▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼ 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: Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of South America Habitat: live in human structures or on plants rather than on the ground, trees Niche: Primarily arboreal, carnivorous, nocturnal Diet: 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 Genus Species Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae Grammostola rosea 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: Special Adaptations: Other: Females have been known to live 15 – 20 years ▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼ BRAZILIAN SALMON TARANTULA Class Order Family Genus Species Arachnida Araneae Theraphosidae Lasiodora parahybana Range: NE Brazil Habitat: Tropical rainforest Niche: Terrestrial, carnivorous, nocturnal Diet: Wild: insects, lizards, frogs Zoo: crickets, beetles & coackroaches Special Adaptations: This tarantula’s name comes from the long pink hairs that sprout forth from their abdomens, legs, and chelicerae. The Brazilian Salmon