Indian Ornamental Tarantula  

Range: India

Habitat: Dense RainForest

Natural Diet: Insects

Diet at RainForest: Crickets

Size: 3-6"'   Females much larger than males.

RainForest Facts: A tarantulas hairy covering actually has two separate functions.  The first function of the hairs is to sense air movement around the spider, this allows the tarantula to both detect prey as well as warn the spider of potential enemies!  The hairs are called ircitating hairs, sounds a lot like irritating, and for good reason.  The hairs will break off the abdomen and irritate the skin of other animals, including humans.  Tarantulas can actually use their back legs to flick the hairs off their bodies and onto potential enemies!

Each leg the tarantula is made up of seven parts with two claws at the end and a tuft of hair for extra gripping power!  A spider has eight eyes, they are very small and generally not very strong, the spider rarely depends on it's eyesight.  Huge fangs actually help hold the prey item after the Tarantula has grabbed the food item. 

Most Tarantulas do not hunt by building webs, they are generally more like a leopard or a cheetah, stalking slowly on the ground the spider will quickly pounce on and hold their food item while their powerful venom goes to work! 

The Tarantula has the amazing ability to regenerate a leg.  In fact being closely related to crabs the best way to understand their regenerative powers is to simply look at the practice of fishing for Stone Crabs in Florida.  Once the crab is caught the claw is broken off and the crab is thrown back into the water.  The damage causes the animal to shed it's exoskeleton and and produce a new claw.  The Tarantula can perform the same magic feat!

So the next time you order crab legs off the menu just remember, you are just eating a giant Tarantula!  Enjoy!

Status in Wild: Declining due to loss of habitat and over collection to supply both the pet trade and the specimen trade for scientific study.