Tarantulas by Wizzie Brown

Tarantulas, also known as baboon spiders in Africa or hairy spiders in South America, are
the largest spiders in the world. They can be found on every continent except
Antarctica. Tarantulas have two body regions, eight legs, and hairy bodies. Tarantulas
that are found in North and South America have hairs used in defense. These tarantulas
use their legs to flick hairs off their abdomen and into the face of predators. Hairs cause
irritation to the eyes and mucous membranes. Tarantulas can be attacked by birds,
lizards, snakes, and tarantula hawk wasps.
Tarantulas are nocturnal predators and feed on insects, other spiders, small lizards,
frogs, and snakes. When prey is captured, it is then bitten with the spider’s fangs and
injected with venom with digestive enzymes that kills and liquefies the prey. Once prey
is soupy, the tarantula sucks up juices through their fangs. While tarantulas are capable
of biting humans, their venom does not react with our body chemistry like widow or
recluse spiders. Tarantula bites are comparable to a bee sting.
There are fifteen species of tarantulas in Texas and they create burrows in the ground,
typically in well-drained soil. They use their webbing to line burrows which helps to
shore up tunnels so they do not collapse. Webbing can also be used to create a molting
mat which is laid down before the tarantula sheds its exoskeleton as well as used for
handling prey. In other parts of the world, tarantulas live in trees and may use webbing
to create a sling as a nest. Tarantulas are solitary, so there will only be one tarantula per
burrow.
Tarantulas are arthropods, so they have an exoskeleton which requires them to molt
numerous times throughout their life to grow. When ready to molt, which is controlled
and signaled by hormones that only arthropods have, the tarantula lays down a silken
molting mat, flips over on its back, and pops open the old exoskeleton along a weakened
area called the ecdysial cleavage line. The spider must push its way out of the old
exoskeleton by expanding and contacting its body to help wiggle its way out. Once the
spider has emerged from the old exoskeleton, it stays in place on its back until the new
exoskeleton hardens and then it will flip back over.
Some in Texas may come across mass “migrations” of tarantulas. These are not true
migrations as the tarantulas are not moving to live in a new area, but instead, are males
out searching for females for mating.
Wile tarantulas may be disconcerting for people when they venture indoors, they really
are not a pest and don’t warrant control. The best thing to do is to keep tarantulas
outside where they belong be excluding the home so the spiders cannot enter.

For more information or help with identification, contact Wizzie Brown, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600.
This work is supported in part by the Crop Protection and Pest Management, Extension
Implementation Program [award no. 2021- 70006-35347/project accession no. 1027036] from the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding
that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Extension or the Texas A&M AgriLife Research is implied.
Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.