How many years does a tarantula live? Tarantula - a large poisonous spider

Tarantula (lat. Lycosa) is a poisonous (araneomorphic spider) and quite large spider, from the family of wolf spiders. The body length of the largest representatives of this genus is about three and a half centimeters.

Very often people are mistaken and consider the tarantula to be a large spider. Mainly due to misconceptions, tarantulas are called this way. This creates confusion.

These spiders live in steppes or deserts, in arid areas. During daylight hours, tarantulas sleep in their burrows. The burrows are vertical holes that go almost a meter into the ground. During the night, spiders emerge from their hiding places and go hunting. Prey most often are insects. These spiders are also unique in that they do not use webs to weave webs; they use webs to cover the walls of their shelter, or to build an egg cocoon.

As a member of the spider tribe, the tarantula has the characteristic features of its relatives. Namely: their legs are not equipped with a full set of muscles, only flexor muscles. They bend under the pressure of hemolymph. This is why wounded spiders become lethargic.

They breed in late July and August. The female looks for a hole that is more suitable in her opinion, lays eggs there, which she later entwines with cobwebs. After that, she carries them on the so-called spider warts until they hatch. And even after this, she carries them on her belly for a certain time.
Tarantula poison fatal, but only for some animals. For a person, it is nothing more than a simple hornet sting. Swelling appears, but it is not fatal. The blood of this spider contains an antidote to its poison. It is for this reason that fights between tarantulas almost never end in death. But there are exceptions when the cause of death is blood loss.

At the moment, two species have become the most famous of the genus of tarantulas. Apulian tarantula and South Russian tarantula.

Apulian the species is about a centimeter long. Most often it can be found in the city of Taranto, Italy. By the way, this is where this name appeared. It gained its fame among people in the Middle Ages; it was mistakenly considered poisonous. In many legends and fairy tales he was given terrible roles, and these fairy tales and legends were passed down from generation to generation. It was believed that many diseases and epidemics arise precisely through his fault. It has now been proven that the spider is not poisonous. Although in Italy they didn’t really believe in it. An antidote was even invented against this spider. The antidote was a dance until the last strength was lost. People believed that this saved them from poison. This is how the famous tarantella dance was born.

South Russian spider very famous in Russia. The length of the tarantula is approximately two to three centimeters. He lives in holes, and is remembered for the fact that he has a dark cap on his head. That is why it is very difficult to confuse it with its brothers.

There are about 1200 species. Almost this family is scattered throughout all countries of the world. There are even species that live in the Arctic.

The toxicity of tarantulas has been known for a long time, but its degree has been clearly exaggerated. Scientists suggest that many cases of severe poisoning, including deaths, occurred not from tarantula bites, but from the bite of a “black widow,” which lives in many southern regions of the Earth along with tarantulas.

In Italy, the tarantula has long been considered extremely dangerous. The nervous disease “chorea,” which was widespread there several centuries ago, was associated with its bites. There were especially many cases of the disease in the vicinity of Taranto, which is why the spider received the name “tarantula”. Moreover, it was believed that the best way to remove poison from the body was through quick, rapid movements. Thus, in Italy the well-known tarantella dance arose: people, as they say, danced until they dropped and remained alive. This reinforced their belief in the need to move if bitten by a tarantula. In fact, a tarantula bite, as a rule, poses a mortal danger only to small animals.

The fact that the toxicity of tarantula venom is greatly exaggerated is told by a geologist from one of the expeditions in the Aral Sea region, who himself, due to his own frivolity, was bitten by this spider. Tired of his athletic boots and left barefoot, he stepped on a spider, which immediately sank its jaws into his leg. The tarantula was immediately slammed down with a boot, and the victim, having read horror stories about tarantulas, decided to calmly wait for death. The pain began to slowly spread down his leg, and then he suddenly felt some improvement. I listened to my feelings: my leg hurt noticeably less.

After a few days, the pain completely disappeared, only some numbness remained in the leg, but it soon disappeared. The man could not understand anything. Having mentally experienced the inevitable onset of death, the geologist only in Moscow, having covered himself with literature, learned that the tarantula is indeed a deadly poisonous creature, but not for people. The idea of ​​a tarantula, which cost a man several difficult hours of saying goodbye to life, was formed as a result of reading the detective story “Tarantula Bite.” The author of the detective story, without familiarizing himself with the scientific literature, wrote a book that misled many readers about the poisonousness of this spider.

Tarantula venom is highly toxic to invertebrate animals, which the spider often feeds on. It can also kill small vertebrates. The toxin is protein in nature. It easily penetrates into the body of animals due to the substances it contains - histamine and hyaluronylase, which increase tissue permeability. Tarantula venom affects smooth muscles, causing them to contract convulsively.

In the body of vertebrates, there are striated muscles (these are the motor muscles of the arms and legs) and intercostal smooth muscles, which have a different structure. Intercostal smooth muscles line many organs, i.e. they are located where slow and smooth contraction is necessary.

The venoms of a tarantula, one of the species found in South America, have a strong effect on the tissue surrounding the bite site. Having a high local effect, poisons cause deep cell damage - necrosis in and around the bite site, and a person almost does not feel pain when bitten. Necrosis translated from Greek means “death.” Under the influence of toxic substances, tissue cells where the poison has penetrated are destroyed. The area of ​​necrosis has a whitish-grayish color. The tissues lose their structure and become a shapeless mass.

Let's continue the topic terrible creatures, approaching Tambov. Admit it, most of you think that tarantula is a terrible poisonous spider that lives somewhere far in the south, in the same place where cobra, karakurt and scorpio, and has nothing to do with central Russia. I thought something like this, until one fine day I suddenly became an amateur spider-keeper. It all started with a call from my mother from the village.

Mama told about a large and scary spider she caught in the garden, which she selflessly put in a jar. Well, big scary spiders are rare here, so I had to go to the village and look at the monster with my own eyes.

And, lo and behold! In the jar, staring at me with eight different-sized beady eyes, the tarantula was sitting! Moreover, it is not small, the measurement showed a body length of 25 mm. The spider was quickly identified as a South Russian tarantula.

South Russian tarantula with baby (Lycosa singoriensis)

And on the abdomen of the large spider there was another small one sitting quietly, which indicated that the spider was a female. But let's first find out who he is...

South Russian Tarantula: photo, video, description

Belongs to the family of wolf spiders (Lycosidae). Place in classification (Wikipedia):

• Class: Arachnids(Arachnida)
• Squad: Spiders(Aranei)
• Suborder: Araneomorphicspiders(Araneomorphae)
• Family: Wolf spiders(Lycosidae)
• Genus: Tarantulas(Lycosa)
• View: South Russian tarantula(Lycosa singoriensis)

Spider, 25-30 mm in size. Females are larger than males. Covered with thick hairs. The color is brown-red above, dark, almost black below.

The eyes are located on the “crown” of the cephalothorax in three rows. The bottom one has four small eyes, the second one has two large eyes directed forward, the third one has two large eyes on the sides. In total, this optical system gives the tarantula a very good view, perhaps even a full 360 degrees.

Vision is very well developed, because it is one of the spider’s main hunting tools.

The senses of smell, touch, hearing and taste are provided by the sensitive hairs on the spider's legs.

And these sense organs make the tarantula a terrible predator, as I was convinced of during the observation process.

The lifespan of a female South Russian tarantula is more than two years, a male is slightly less.

You can get some idea about the pet from this video:

Distribution area of ​​the South Russian tarantula

Wikipedia tells us that the spider is distributed in Central Asia, Siberia and Ukraine, and is also found in Belarus. That is, here in Tambov, in theory, it cannot exist. But our spider obviously didn't read Wikipedia. One might assume that the tarantula escaped from the terrarium, but several other people reported encounters with tarantulas, so this is not an isolated phenomenon. In addition, few people keep tarantulas in captivity, because... There are more interesting and less biting species of exotic spiders.

Gentlemen, alarmists, take note. Tarantulas are coming to our area along with, and.

Tarantula lifestyle

The South Russian tarantula lives in burrows up to 40 cm deep. The walls of the burrow are intertwined with cobwebs, by the vibration of which the spider senses what is happening on the surface. It also reacts to the shadow of an insect blocking the entrance to the hole. In this regard, there is a well-known method of luring a tarantula out of a hole using a plasticine ball on a string.

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Tarantulas mate in late summer. An adult spider hibernates, buried in a hole. In spring or early summer, the female lays eggs in a cocoon. She initially carries the newly born small spiders on herself, then crawls to the surface and, moving around the hole in a circle of a large radius, scatters the offspring.

How poisonous is a tarantula bite?

Tarantula bite for humans not dangerous, but very unpleasant (in various sources the sensations are compared to the bites of stinging insects, even a hornet). The tarantula is non-aggressive and does not consider humans prey until it is provoked. But, of course, no one canceled the possibility of accidentally stepping on it, lying down, or sitting down.

South Russian tarantula: keeping in captivity, personal experience

The spider was brought from the village and planted in a small (35*20*25 cm) aquarium. I poured a 3-5 cm layer of soil at the bottom and placed a lid from a jar as a pool.

According to recommendations on the Internet, the tarantula needs to be filled with more soil so that it can dig holes, but for now I limited myself to this layer, because... an aquarium half covered with soil will be too heavy, and in this case this is important.

At first, the tarantula sat motionless, and with all its appearance made it clear that nothing in this world could excite it. Even three bread ground beetles released into the aquarium did not make any impression on him... as long as the light was on.

Without waiting for anything interesting, I went to bed. A few minutes later there were sounds of some kind of fuss and even knocks on the glass. I jumped up, shined a flashlight... The spider was sitting in the same place, however, in its chelicerae a ground beetle was now helplessly moving its legs.

By morning, the position of the spider had not changed, but part of the soil in the aquarium was now covered with a layer of cobwebs, and only sucked shells remained of two more ground beetles.

But the tarantula's hunt for flying food is especially impressive. Actually, I think that in keeping such a spider, feeding is the most interesting and exciting spectacle. The speed with which the tarantula grabs its prey never ceases to amaze me.

What happened to the little tarantula?

I took the little spider away from its mother and put it in a soy sauce container. By the way, these containers are extremely convenient for keeping and holding various kinds of small animals.

The baby is not far from his mother in terms of agility and insatiability. He bravely rushed at mosquitoes noticeably larger than himself, and in a split second crushed them into wet lumps with legs and wings sticking out of them. In addition to mosquitoes, moths were also tested. In general, there was plenty of food, and in two days the little tarantula grew a noticeable abdomen.

What's next?

Thus, unexpectedly, I became a tarantula breeder, and this occupation fascinated me very much. In addition to two tarantulas, there is another pink spider in my arachnaria - . But this .

I will post about new events in the spider’s life here. Subscribe to site news!

Wolf spiders are huge predators of the arachnid order, and the tarantula spider is a striking member of this family. With their extremely terrifying and at the same time attractively beautiful appearance, they evoke different feelings in people. Many are afraid of them, many admire them, but absolutely everyone is afraid and for good reason. Tarantulas have gained a reputation as scary, poisonous creatures that are very dangerous to humans. Much has changed now; it has been scientifically proven that the danger of tarantulas is exaggerated, but even the appearance of these creatures can cause horror in many people. The question arises: is a tarantula a poisonous spider or not?

Appearance and characteristics

What does a tarantula spider look like, and why do representatives of this genus scare people so much?

The tarantula is an arthropod with a chitinous exoskeleton and a primitive body structure consisting of a cephalothorax and an abdomen. The cephalothorax is mainly intended for vision and breathing; there are as many as 8 eyes on it, which allow the spider to see in all directions.

There are tarantula spiders of various sizes. In America there are large tarantulas with a paw span of as much as 30 cm and a size of 10 cm, and in Europe there are smaller spiders, up to 3 cm in size. As a rule, female spiders are much larger than males and a little lighter, so they are easy to distinguish. The color of tarantulas depends on the species and habitat and can be almost black, brown-red or light red.

Like all spiders, tarantulas have 8 legs, pedipalps and chelicerae or fangs. Their legs consist of 7 segments and are armed with jagged claws that help spiders climb even vertical objects.

Tarantulas do not weave ordinary webs, but use a unique silk thread to build burrows, strengthen walls and create an egg cocoon in which the female carries eggs until the young emerge.

Due to the fact that females are larger than males, after fertilization she can eat the male, so he needs to show miracles of evasiveness and speed in order to escape in time. By eating her partner, the female takes care of the offspring in a unique way, since the male will not be able to eat the spiders later.

The hairy cover protects from enemies; when easily separated from the body, it causes severe itching in the enemy. And these arthropods have a lot of enemies. Foxes, lizards, coyotes, snakes and birds want to eat them. Numerous enemies destroy most of these arthropods in the first year of their life, and only high fertility does not allow them to completely disappear.

Features of the tarantula's lifestyle

In the wild, these arthropods are distributed throughout the planet, except for cold Antarctica. The tarantula spider lives in burrows, which it prefers to build in damp places near a water source.

Tarantulas hunt at night, and during the day they hide in burrows, covered and covered with cobwebs, 50-60 cm deep. Cobwebs and dry plants help to survive the winter, and in the warm season, cobwebs serve to communicate with the burrow and the source of vibrations, to inform what is happening on the surface. These spiders have a unique feature of capturing vibrations emanating from prey or enemies. When threatened, tarantulas hide and make sounds like vibrating comb teeth. In the same way, sitting in ambush, the spider will wait for its prey until it gets closer to it.

Some species of tarantulas are able to cover their burrows with cobwebs, earth or grass and thus escape from snow and water. And with the arrival of spring and the air warming up, tarantulas crawl out of their holes and can be found on the surface, where they warm themselves.

Continuation of the family line

In temperate latitudes, the breeding season for tarantulas falls in August, and in tropical latitudes - all year round. A sexually mature male finds a female and attracts her attention with a kind of courtship dance. It vibrates its abdomen and makes movements with its front legs, attracting the attention of the female. If the female does not approve of his intentions, she can calmly eat the male, but if she responds positively, she also repeats the male’s movements. At the same time, she folds her paws and helps him climb onto her back and unfolds her abdomen. After fertilization, the male needs to disappear very quickly, otherwise he risks his life and may well turn out to be his beloved’s dinner.

After fertilization, the female descends into the hole and makes a cocoon from the web, in which she will carry her eggs for a couple of weeks. When the time comes for the young spiders to emerge from the eggs, the female will help them and, with her chelicerae, will break the cocoon and carry her children on warts on her abdomen. Depending on the type of tarantula, the number of eggs can be about 400 pieces and the hatched spiders will completely cover the body of their mother.

Nutrition

The tarantula is a poisonous spider, it is a strong predator that feeds on any insects, other spiders and animals smaller than itself. He hunts next to his hole, into which he then drags his prey. The meal takes place in a very unique way.

It does not bite or chew its victim, but pierces a hole in it with chelicerae and injects poison. This substance causes complete dissolution of the victim’s internal organs, and the resulting “cocktail” is sucked out by the tarantula.

Curious facts

• In some languages, for example in English, the combination spider tarantula means, as well as all large spiders, which makes it difficult to translate texts, but tarantulas and tarantulas are completely different species that belong to different infraorders.
• The appearance, frightening color and body structure of spiders cause different reactions in people. Some consider them disgusting creatures and fear them, while others admire them and notice all their beauty and grace. They are able to keep these animals as pets. They are kept in special aquariums and fed with live food.
• Among the different species of tarantulas, there are individuals larger than the average plate, and despite their terrifying size and terrifying appearance, they are peaceful creatures. Spiders gained their reputation not only because of their appearance, but also thanks to cinema; the created horror and fantasy films with tarantulas in the main creepy roles only increased human fear.

• The web is the connecting link for the tarantula with its hole. If the web breaks during a hunt, the spider will have to look for a new shelter.
• In Italy, the spiders that lived there were named after the city of Taranto. People were very afraid of them and attributed the terrible disease tarantism to their bite, and in order to recover from it they had to dance in a unique way, and this is how the tarantella dance arose.
• Experts recommend using the hemolymph of the spider itself as an antidote and lubricating the bite site with it.
• Many people keep a tarantula as a pet; we wrote about how to keep this type of spider at home in.

Read about what to do if you are bitten by a tarantula spider in our next article.

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Tarantula is a large poisonous spider, belongs to the phylum arthropods, class Arachnida, order Spiders, family wolf spiders, genus Tarantulas ( Lycosa).

Where did the word "tarantula" come from?

There is no exact information about the etymology of the name of this genus of spiders. However, most researchers believe that its origins go back to the Renaissance. Then, many convulsive seizures that occur in humans were associated with spider bites, which lived in large numbers in the vicinity of Italian cities, including in the city of Taranto in southern Italy, where the largest number of bites was noted. It was thanks to this city that the spiders got their name. It is noteworthy that to cure a disease, medieval doctors prescribed dancing a special dance to exhaustion - the tarantella.

These predators wait for their prey, hiding in a hole, or choose another shelter for this. Having attacked the victim, tarantulas paralyze it with their poison, which dissolves all the insides of the prey, turning them into a nutritious liquid. After waiting the time, the spiders simply suck out the resulting “energy cocktail.”

It is noted that the size of tarantula prey does not exceed the size of the hunter himself, and the process of absorbing it can last several days. Despite their gluttony, poisonous spiders are able to go without food for a long time, as long as they have access to water. A case has been recorded in which a female Apulian tarantula was able to live without food for more than 2 years.

Types of tarantulas - photos, descriptions and names

The genus Tarantula includes more than 200 species of spiders. Among them, the most famous are the following types:

• Apulian tarantula (true tarantula) ( Lycosa tar a ntula)

has a size of 7 cm. Females of this species are characterized by a combined coloration, consisting of a dark cephalothorax outlined by a light thin stripe and a red abdomen decorated with several transverse stripes framed by a red and white border. The male tarantula has a more modest, monochromatic appearance. Apulian tarantulas live mainly on mountain slopes in vertical burrows up to 0.6 m deep, which can be detected by a characteristic roll of dried leaves framing the entrance. Unlike many of their fellow spiders, true tarantulas do not spin webs. During the day they prefer to hide in a hole, and at twilight and night hours they leave their shelter to hunt insects. On the eve of winter cold, poisonous spiders seal the entrance to their home using dry grass intertwined with cobwebs and hibernate. The life expectancy of a tarantula in natural conditions after the onset of puberty does not exceed 2-3 years for males and 4-5 years for females. Apulian tarantulas live in countries such as Italy and Algeria, Spain and Libya, Portugal and Morocco, Egypt and Sudan.

• South Russian tarantula or mizgir ( Lycosa singoriensis)

is an inhabitant of fields, gardens and vegetable gardens, slopes of ravines and river banks. The habitat of the tarantula is the steppe, semi-desert and desert zones of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the countries of Central Asia. The size of the Mizgir tarantula rarely exceeds 35 mm in females and 25 mm in males. The color of the spider depends on the color of the soil in the area where it lives, so there are light brown, black-brown or reddish specimens with spots of various shapes and sizes. A characteristic feature of this type of spider is the presence of a dark “cap” on its head. The depth of the burrows in which poisonous tarantulas live often reaches 0.5 m. The entrance to the burrow is protected by a low wall consisting of excavated soil and reinforced with grass and plant remains. During the rain or molting process, the entrance to the shelter is sealed with earth and cobwebs. Like all members of the wolf spider family, Mizgiri do not weave webs to catch prey, but hunt insects while sitting in or near a burrow. In anticipation of the onset of cold weather, South Russian tarantulas descend to the very bottom of the hole, having previously sealed the entrance to it with a thick earthen plug. South Russian tarantulas live no more than 3-5 years. The life expectancy of females is longer than that of males.

• TarantulaLycosa narbonensis

reaches a size of 5-6 cm. The body of the poisonous spider is brown-black, the legs are long, covered with hairs. Tarantulas are found in Italy, France, Macedonia, Malta, Spain, the countries of the former Yugoslavia and northern Africa.

• Spanish tarantula ( Lycosa hispanica, Tarantula iberica )

lives in southern Europe and northern African countries. Tarantulas eat small invertebrates and also practice cannibalism. Previously, the spider was considered a subspecies of the Apulian tarantula, but since 2013 it has been considered as a separate species.

• Brazilian tarantula ( Lycosa erythrognatha, previouslyLycosa raptoria )

lives in the countries of South America: Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, in the northern, northeastern and central parts of Argentina. Like other members of the genus, the Brazilian tarantula has 8 eyes arranged in 3 rows. In the bottom row there are 4 small eyes, a little higher there are 2 large eyes, and 2 more are on the sides of the head. The size of the tarantula is approximately 3 cm excluding the legs. The color of the spider is dark brown. There is a light longitudinal stripe on the head, which acquires a yellowish tint in the upper part of the back. In the center of the upper part of the abdomen, the stripe takes the shape of an arrow that points forward. The lower part of the abdomen of a poisonous spider is black. The chelicerae are reddish-brown in color. Tarantulas feed on crickets, cockroaches and other spiders.

• TarantulaLycosa poliostoma

lives in South American countries: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay. It lives in gardens, steppes, meadows, during the day it hides among the grass or in trees, in stones or holes, and is nocturnal. Like other species, these tarantulas eat crickets, cockroaches, small insects and other spiders. The length of the spider, excluding the legs, is 3 cm. The color of the tarantula is gray-brown or dark brown. There is a light longitudinal stripe on the head. In the upper part of the abdomen, the strip takes the shape of an arrow that points forward. The lower part of the tarantula's abdomen is black. The color of the chelicerae is light, which distinguishes this type of spider from the Brazilian tarantula. Females are larger than males, but females have shorter legs.

• TarantulaLycosa leuckarti

the spider is gray-brown in color. The length of males reaches 0.9 cm, females - 1.2 cm (excluding paws). This species of tarantula lives in Australia.

• TarantulaLycosa coelestis

lives in Japan and Taiwan. The length of females reaches 13-18 mm. The male tarantula measures 11-13 mm. The body color is brown, there are 2 longitudinal dark stripes on the back. The inner side of the tarantula's abdomen is black, for which the spider received the name "black-bellied tarantula."

Tarantula - reproduction

The mating season for tarantulas usually begins in late summer. A sexually mature male finds a smooth, flat surface and spins a web on it. Having completed the preparations, he begins to rub his belly against her. As a result of such stimulation, seminal fluid is erupted, after which the male tarantula plunges his pedipalps into it, which absorb it until the fertilization process occurs.

Having found a female, the male begins a courtship ritual, consisting of a kind of mating dance. If the female tarantula reciprocates the partner's feelings, he plunges his pedipalps with a portion of seed into her cloaca and fertilizes her. After this, the male needs to leave his partner as soon as possible so as not to become another portion of food for her.

The female tarantula, having descended into the hole, weaves a cocoon from the web, into which she lays fertilized eggs, the number of which ranges from 50 to 2000 pieces.

For 40-50 days, the female carries the maturing offspring on her arachnoid warts (special paired outgrowths located on the abdomen).

The hatched spiderlings climb onto their mother's back and stay there until they learn to feed without her help.

After this, the tarantula cubs leave their mother and begin to live independently. Small tarantulas reach sexual maturity in the second or third year of life.

Tarantula bite and the effect of poison on humans. Is the tarantula dangerous?

Usually the tarantula does not attack people on its own. An attack can be forced by the actions of the person himself, who comes close to the mink or accidentally touches the spider. Fortunately, a venomous tarantula bite is not dangerous to a healthy adult. The exceptions are children and people with a predisposition to allergic reactions.

Tarantula is in an attacking pose

Symptoms and consequences of a tarantula bite can be expressed as follows:

• local pain and redness of the skin, as well as swelling;
• drowsiness and general malaise;
• a sharp short-term increase in general body temperature;
• in exceptional cases, nausea, vomiting and difficulty breathing may occur.

What to do if you are bitten by a tarantula to minimize the consequences?

First aid for a tarantula bite:

• wash the wound with antibacterial soap;
• treat it with an antiseptic;
• call for medical help;
• Cool the tarantula bite area with an ice pack;
• take antihistamines;
• Give the bitten person a large amount of fluid to help remove toxins quickly.

Homemade tarantula - care and maintenance. What to feed a tarantula at home?

The tarantula is an unusual pet, but today there are quite a few lovers of exotic animals, which include tarantula spiders. These are quite unpretentious arthropods, which can be kept in special terrariums or even in aquariums that have a lid with ventilation holes.

A substrate consisting of a mixture of earth, sand and clay is poured onto the bottom of the container. The thickness of the layer should be within 20-30 cm. In addition, it is necessary to equip the tarantula terrarium with an automatic drinking bowl with fresh water and a shallow pool so that the pet can take water treatments. To create conditions similar to natural ones, it is recommended to place small driftwood and unpretentious grass in the container.

The optimal temperature for keeping tarantulas at home ranges from 25° to 27°C, and since such pets do not need ultraviolet radiation, ordinary incandescent lamps are sufficient to maintain it. To maintain humidity inside the terrarium, you need to periodically irrigate the soil using a spray bottle.

Tarantula spiders are unpretentious in their diet. You can feed your pet tarantula small pieces of fresh beef. As mineral supplements, you can add calcium gluconate to the meat ball once every two weeks and multivitamin preparations once every 30 days. The portion should be fed on the tip of a stick directly into the spider's chelicerae.

However, the best food for a domestic tarantula will be insect larvae, small cockroaches and grasshoppers, worms and small frogs, in general, any insect that is not larger than the pet in size. The frequency of feeding of the tarantula depends on the age of the spider. If young individuals need to be fed two to three times a week, then an adult tarantula needs one meal every 8 days. After finishing feeding, all leftovers from the feast must be removed.

It should be remembered that only 1 domestic tarantula can be kept in a terrarium. Otherwise, fights will constantly arise between neighbors, which will lead to the death of one of the pets.

• The best antidote for tarantula venom is its blood, so often to neutralize the effect of the toxin, it is enough to smear the bite site with the blood of a crushed spider.
• The web is the connecting link between the spider and its home. If the web breaks during the tarantula's escape from the hole, the spider will be forced to dig a new shelter for itself.
• Tarantulas are capable of regenerating lost limbs. After the next molt, a new leg grows in place of the severed paw, slightly smaller in size. With each subsequent change of protective cover, the length of the limb increases until it reaches the original length.
• To stay firmly on tree branches or other surfaces, these spiders are able to extend their claws on all their legs.
• The skin on the abdomen of tarantulas is very delicate and can tear if it falls even from a small height.
• During the mating season, males in search of a female are able to move quite long distances.