Tarantulas are misunderstood, even maligned, especially at this freaky time of year. So we tracked down tarantula truths:
No tarantula actually enjoys being handled, but most deal with it and don’t bite. Even if they do bite, the venom of most species is no more toxic than a bee sting.
Lots of people love tarantulas as pets. “People are desperate to bring real nature into their concrete lives,” says Petra Siewald, arachnologist (that’s a spider studier) at the Field Museum. And tarantulas fit into busy lives. Adult spiders need to be fed only about once every two weeks. Also, they don’t need much space.
“Most of all, they’re so cool!” says Bryant Capiz, who owns the spider shop Arachnocentric (4565 N. Pulaski Rd., 773-267-7363). Capiz, whose friends call him Spiderman, says you should be at least 16 to own a tarantula. (He can be persuaded to sell to younger customers if Mom or Dad offer to be the primary caretaker.) He says beginners should start with these tarantulas: Chilean flame spider, common pink-toed spider or rose gray spider. They are all gentle and relatively easy to care for. (That reminds us of another t.t., or tarantula truth: There are more than 700 known tarantula species.)
Tarantulas range in size from the 11-inch leg span of the Goliath bird-eating spider to the teensy 2-inch pygmy spider.
Before biting, most tarantulas from the Western Hemisphere will throw darts (they’re fine, hairlike spines ), which fly off their bodies in a cloud. The darts irritate potential predators. (Among tarantulas, baldness can be associated with a bad attitude. It means the spider is regularly tossing those hairlike darts.) Eastern Hemisphere tarantulas, in general, are more likely to rely on their fangs.
Female tarantulas live up to 35 years; males reach seven years tops. The guys look more spindly than the females.
A fall from even a few feet might crack a tarantula’s abdomen, causing the spider to bleed to death. Even the most peaceful tarantula may do anything not to fall when it’s being held aloft, even if it means holding onto fingers by its fangs. If the abdomen does crack, there isn’t much you can do–though some people have successfully glued wounds closed.
If a leg breaks off, don’t worry–a tarantula can grow another.
Crickets are the menu staple, accented with roaches and mealworms, and mice and lizards for larger specimens.
Young tarantula spiderlings are $3 to $100, depending on the species. (At that age, it’s nearly impossible to tell the spider’s sex, so you take what you get.) Young adults are $8 to $130 (males are less expensive than females).
SO WHAT’S THE DIFF?
Here’s what makes tarantulas different from other spiders. They:
1. Breathe using two pair of “book lungs” (it’s a slightly different respiratory system from those of other spiders).
2. Have fangs that move up and down instead of sideways.
3. Have two claws and adhesive pads on each foot (most spiders have one on each foot).
