Arachnids etc

What is a Tarantula?

Strictly speaking the term Tarantula should only be used
to refer to a relatively small, though large for it's type, Lycosid, or Wolf
spider from southern Europe. Though capable of delivering a venomous
bite. It is not particularly dangerous to human. However, in
northern Italy, in the town of Taranto, it's bite was believed to lead to
a form of madness and the only cure then thought to be was a frantic Neapolitan
dance called the Tarantella, after the name of the town and hence this spider's
name.

As with many words, the term Tarantella,
in the U.K., has been hijacked into popular usage to generally refer to the
giant spiders of the sub-order Orthognatha (the Myglamorph spiders).
In Africa the term is used to describe Solpadine or Sun spiders, which are
often large, but non venomous, possessing huge biting jaws. Africans
call their large Myglamorphs baboon spider, because they believe that these
spiders hairy legs resemble the velvety pads and hairy fingers of baboons.
In Australia, the term is used to describe several large harmless Laetigrade
(running sideways, like a crab) spiders, their best known species of Myglamorph
spiders are the notorious funnel web spiders.

Previously, here in the U.K. these
large
spiders were commonly called the bird eating spiders. This was on account
of their large size, frequently tree dwelling habits and also as a direct
result of a few early unsubstantiated observations (from 1705 onwards)
of these large spiders feeding on small birds such as humming birds.
This led in turn to one of the first species to be described, being called
Avicularia Avicularia, Latin for bird eater, which is entirely inaccurate
for this relatively innocuous species. This also led Victorian taxidermists,
with access to little or no field data, to frequently mount preserved specimens
in the act of catching small birds, whether this was actually accurate for
the species in question or not. They thought that so large a spider
could not be interested in small insect food, which we now know is largely
incorrect. It is however now well documented that a few large and aggressive
Tarantulas will take small birds and animals in the wild, as well as, in
captivity.

The Spider Family

The Myglamorph (from the Greek word
Mygale, field mouse) spiders are currently divided into 15 families.
Of these, only one is important to most Tarantula keepers. It is the
family Theraphosidae, which has all the largest, hairiest, and therefore,
to most enthusiasts, the most interesting species. Specimens are now
regularly imported by specialist dealers and the black market from the tropical
and sub tropical Americas, Africa, India and the far and middle east.

Some enthusiasts also keep member of
the family Ctenizidae, the trap door spiders. These are characterized
by having a rastellumon, the chelicrae, which assists in the digging and
removal of soil from their burrows. They are much less hairy than the
Theraphosidae, and being confined to their burrows, have shorter, stouter
legs. If given access to facilities to construct their burrows in captivity,
they can thrive, but are rarely seen, and more are therefore not appreciated
by most enthusiasts as much as most members of the Theraphosidae family.

The family Dipluridae is the family
of Myglamorphs which are known as Funnel Web spiders, on account of the funnel
like sheet webs that they weave and live within. This group includes
both the notorious Sydney Funnel Web spider, Atrax robustus, and the
rare Australian Tree-dwelling Funnel Web, Atrax formidabilis.
Both species venom is particularly dangerous to primates, including humans.
Typically, when they rear up to expose their fangs to threat, a drop of venom
hangs from each fang. Although all spiders are venomous, only a few
are recognized as being dangerous to humans.

The Different Kinds Of Tarantulas

Tarantulas of the family Theraphosidae
can be divided into 3 broad groupings, depending on their lifestyle in the
wild. These are terrestrial, burrowing, and arboreal. These will
also be divided into either Old World, or New World species, depending on
where they are from. Spiders from Africa, or the Asian rainforests
will usually be considered Old World species. Spiders from the Americas
are usually called New World species. All New World species have the
ability to flick urticating hair from their abdomen, this can cause uncomfortable
itching or rash.

Terrestrial Tarantulas are those that
may be called wandering, or free ranging Tarantulas. They make their
temporary or semi-permanent homes under rocks, fallen branches, leaf litter
or utilize burrows made by another creature, such as a small mammal or a
lizard. These tend to be the most popular of the Tarantulas.
Simply because they are easy to keep and make a good display for animals.

Burrowing Tarantulas are the true burrowing
Tarantulas. They construct their own burrows themselves, often remaining
in the same place all their lives. Except for males, when they finally
go out looking for a female. These tend to hide a lot, so they are
not the impatient keeper.

Arboreal Tarantulas are tree-dwelling
spiders, the climbers. They are usually brightly colored, and often
fast and aggressive. These make great display animals, but they are
not for the beginner as for their temperament.

Author : Richard Burns