Are you
ready for another one of Mother Nature’s creeeeeepy creatures? I have to tell
you that this even creeped me out a little bit – and fascinated me too!
Let us
visit with the mighty Tarantula!
Now
that I’ve gotten your cackles up a little bit, the first thing I have to tell
you is, the tarantula is not nearly as mighty as you think it is. Like you,
I’ve long thought of the tarantula as this big, hairy, menacing, deadly
poisonous spider monster! (Shudder!)
Now I
almost hate to burst that bubble for you.
There
are some monstrous ones, to be sure. The biggest species, the Giant Goliath
Bird-eating Tarantula of South America, has a body length of about 1 foot (31
cm). That’s roughly the size of a dinner plate! To make things creepier, when
he grins, you can see his 1 inch (2.5 cm) long fangs! But some of the tiniest
tarantulas are only 1/3 of an inch (8 mm) long! Small enough to relax on your
thumb!
As for
the deadly poison, it turns out, although tarantulas do carry venom, they can
only administer a bite that is comparable to the sting of a wasp. Painful and
uncomfortable, yes. But for the most part, completely survivable. (Although I would
still recommend seeing a doctor if you get a tarantula bite.)
Disappointed
that the tarantula is not the mighty monster you thought he was? Don’t be.
There are still a lot of things to know about these hairy creatures, and some
of them might make your skin crawl.
·
There are some 800 different species of
tarantula in the world.
·
The tarantula’s main means of defense is sharp,
barbed hairs, which the spider deposits into his predator.
·
They don’t spin webs, like other spiders.
Instead they’ve devised a clever way to use their silk. They make a mass of it
around the entrance to their underground burrows. This mass acts as a burglar
alarm, warning the tarantulas of intruders through vibrations.
·
Now and then, tarantulas will molt, shedding
their entire exoskeleton. At the same time they’ll sometimes molt and replace
other more intimate organs, such as stomach linings.
·
They eat insects, rodents and, sometimes, birds.
But they can’t eat solid food, so they inject a substance into their prey that
turns it into mush that the spider can suck up.
·
After a large meal, a tarantula may not need to
eat for a month.
·
Female tarantulas can live up to 30 years in the
wild. The males only live for 5 to 10 years.
·
In spite of their (sometimes) very large size
and intimidating appearance, tarantulas are quite delicate. They have such thin
skin that they get injured easily in any kind of a fall.
·
Tarantulas have claws! They can retract these
like a cat.
·
If a tarantula loses a leg, it can regenerate it
again the next time it molts.
·
When a tarantula loses a leg, it sometimes eats
it!
And, once again,
I find myself fascinated and amazed by the wonders of Mother Nature. Even the
slightly creepier wonders.
Have a fun
Hallowe’en and stay safe!
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